Muslims and Music: Is Music Really Forbidden?

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Forbiddin Music

When I first converted to Islam, I had no idea that some Muslims full heartily believe music is forbidden or haram, a sin. While some people think that using instruments is okay but singing is forbidden. With some even saying, singing is okay as long as they don't sing about haram things. These haram things being sex, drugs, drinking, and killing. Basically most modern music, but don't fret most ballads from Arabs to English to the Chinese are forbidden as well (they have loads of sexual songs, killing songs, and drinking songs). Dancing in front of men who are not your relatives is forbidden, you can strip tease your husband. To be honest in Islam you can do anything with your spouse but Anal sex (from ahadith).  
According to al-Islam music for entertainment purpose is forbidden. Music of any kind is forbidden, they use the following hadiths:

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said, “And the person with the [sin of] singing (al-ghina’) will be raised [on the day of resurrection] blind, deaf and dumb. The person with [the sin of] adultery, of wood-wind, and of drum will also be raised in the same way.”He also said, “Whoever listens to the entertainment (song and music), lead will be melted inside his ear on the day of judgment.” He also said, “Singing and music are enchantment for adultery.”That is, it is a stepping stone or a way that leads to adultery.

However, the website does not say who gave these hadiths. In Islam Hadiths are narrated by someone else, that heard the Prophets spoken words. Most hadiths have a chain of narrators, basically, a telephone game and scholars look at the chain to determine if it is false. You also can turn to the Quran for guidance or you can look at other hadiths to determine if some questionable hadiths follow the example of the prophet. There are numerous examples of people giving false hadiths and some hadiths that are considered weak and shouldn't be used to be given fatwas. These weak hadiths are still in hadith collections because scholars (since Prophet's death) can not determine if they are real or not, because they can not exactly prove that they are false. 

Abdul says that music is not haram because the Quran states what is haram and what is not. Which is true, the Quran says that alcohol and pork are forbidden. It even gives a legal framework for marriage, divorce, inheritance, war, and etc, but it never says owning a dog or music is bad or heck dancing is bad. He recites many Quranic verses that state the Quran is the law and the final word.See 6:19.,38 and 114; 7:52; 17:12; 11:1; 41:3; 12:111, and 16:89. 

Life is music, birds are known for their music and nature sounds are musical. There is even a music theory that says city noises is its own music. When you eat in sync with a friend, you create a beat and hence create music. Music is the oldest form of art, it is a perfect way to pass down information from generation to generation. It is a very complicated subject. If God truly wanted to ban music, it would have been mentioned in the Quran. In verse 66:1 God says, "O Prophet! Why dost thou forbid that which God has made lawful unto thee, seeking the good pleasure of thy wives? And God is forgiving .." This verse is revealed after which the Prophet tried to forbid something, that was not supposed to be forbidden. It is a warning, we see here that even the Prophet was human and made a mistake. Some say this is proof that forbidding music or dogs or whatever, should not be fatwas or forbidden because the Quran would have stated what is lawful. 

Muslimgirl states that this hadith is used by Scholars to deny music: The Prophet (pbuh) said “From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful” (Imam Al-Bukhari). 

So the final thought is, while some scholars believe as long as the music doesn't lead you to haram acts is okay and some believe that special occasions can have music; the truth is not simple. You can take the stance that any hadiths are wrong and follow just the Quran or you can take a very strict reading that all music is wrong. What do I believe? I love music, I can not sing or play an instrument or even keep a beat, to be honest. I do not listen to music all the time, not because I hate music but just because I'm not a music person. Perhaps the Prophet saw people dance around bonfires and grind around each other. I can not take any hadith on music or dogs, serious because I believe it is impossible to not be around music. Your life is music, music can send messages and help encourage people. The African slaves of the Americas used songs to pass information on and used them to keep going. How is that a sin? 

If you believe that listening to Cardi B, will cause you to think haram things or do haram things then don't listen to her. Listen to Mozart or Country music, but for me when I listen to Cardi B I daydream about my dream goals. That doesn't mean I enjoy music that degrades women or constantly talks about sex or drugs. Honestly, I think it's disgusting that women are overly sexualized by women themselves and men, there are rarely any female rappers talking about the sexy chest of men or the great feel of rubbing ones hand a guys chest hair. So why is it that we oversexualize women? There is nothing wrong with sex, but there is sexual objectification in the Western world. So is Music forbidden? Yes and no, there is no straight answer. Islam is fun like that, one of the reasons I love it. Cat Stevens, a famous singer of the 70s, converted to Islam and quit his music career because he believed Music was haram. His music wasn't even that risque either, later....I believe in the 2000s he took up his music career after much soul-searching. 

You can do what some Christians do and listen to music by Muslim artist. I love Islamic music, but some people think saying Allah's name in the song is wrong. Which is funny because Muslims literally sing the Quran when they recite it during prayer or listen to Quran recitations instead of music. When in fact it is music, hypocrites. You can just listen to instruments but if you take the al-Bukhari verse serious you can still listen to singing or sing. So listen to acapella then, no instruments there. Like any religious path, it is your own journey do what you feel is right.