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IS MUSIC HARAAM?
Islamic Party of Britain PO Box 844 Oldbrook Milton Keynes-MK6 2YT Great Britain, UK
SELF-RIGHTEOUS APOSTLES WHO DECLARE MUSIC AS HARAAM
Music is another of those activities, which has been declared by some narrow-minded, myopic, bigoted, spoilsport apostles of self-righteous Islam as Haraam in whatever form without qualification. Most Muslims have succumbed to such pressures, and modern Islam has thus been robbed of an important cultural expression.
Singing and music have always been an integral part of people's life expression, and taking this away from them means either to impoverish them culturally or to breed hypocrisy by forcing them to deny their musical inclinations publicly whilst at the same time satisfying them secretly with the material borrowed from other cultures. In other words, to deny a people their musical expression, is equivalent to denying them their own identity.
OWN MUSICAL EXPRESSION
Just as Islam has its own architecture and its own brand of expressive arts, Islam has its own musical expression. The important element in this is, as with many other Islamic activities, its purpose. Music in Islam ought to be uplifting and encourage the reflection of truth and the service of the Creator, and may not be corrupting and inciting base instincts. This applies to the contents of songs as much as to the musical accompaniment. As much as a chandelier from a dancing hall does not befit a Mosque as decoration, the hammering of modern pop music does little to enhance a song with a religious theme.
There is sufficient evidence that whilst the Prophet Muhammad (S) denounced corrupting music (Bukhari) or an excessive dedication to music or poetry (Bukhari/Muslim), music as such was NOT prohibited. While digging the ditch around Madeenah in preparation for battle, the Prophet (S) and his companions were singing songs (Bukhari/Muslim).
WEDDING FUNCTIONS
Instrumental music was explicitly permitted for wedding functions (Bukhari/Muslim). The Seerah contains a report of an occasion when the young Muhammad (S), before having been called to Prophethood, thought of joining the other youths of Makkah in their enjoyment, but was drawn to some musical tunes emanating from a wedding party, which attracted his attention.
Listening to the tunes, he eventually fell asleep and was thus saved from the corrupting Influence of the youth of the town. If instrumental music was, in the wisdom of Allah, good enough to protect the young prophet (S) from going astray, it can hardly be from the devil!!
It is important to remember the Prophet's (S) admonition: "What about people who make rules which are not found in the Book of Allah? If one makes rules which are not in the Book of Allah, then it is void, even if he were to make a hundred rules." (Bukhari).
Courtesy: AL-BALAAGH Vol. 28, No. 1, FEB/MARCH 2003 p. 5 |
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