Prohibition Of Music - 3) Statements Of The Sahaabah (radiallaahu 'anhum)

(1) Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “When a person mounts an animal (or a vehicle) without reciting Bismillaah, shaitaan becomes his companion (along the route), and encourages him to sing. If he is not a good singer, shaitaan urges him to at least wish to be a good singer.” (Baihqi)

(2) Hadhrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Beware of singing, for verily, it is from Iblees. It is like shirk by Allah. None but the shaitaan sings.” (Umdatul Qaari from Dailmi)

Since singing is the voice of shaitaan and the trap with which he lures people into slavery of the nafs, singers are likened to shaitaan by Hadhrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu). To emphasise the gravity of the prohibition, Hadhrat Jaabir (radhiyallahu anhu) equates singing to shirk. A principle of Hadith regulating statements of the Sahaabah is that issues which cannot be determined by man’s intelligence, but which require Wahi for substantiation, are attributable to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). In otherwords, statements of the Sahaabah regarding thawaab and the Hereafter, are in actual fact what they had heard directly from Nabi-e-Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

(3) Once when Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) visited the home of her brother to see his sick children, she found a man with long hair singing to amuse the children. Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) immediately exclaimed: “He is shaitaan! Expel him! Expel him! Expel him!” (Sunan Kubra of Baihqi)

Those who cite Hadhrat Aishah’s childhood incident of having listened to a little girl beating the duff, should not ignore her attitude and castigation of the singer whose expulsion from the home she commanded.

(4) Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radhiyallahu anhu) was invited to a Walimah (marriage feast). When he arrived at the house he heard singing. He halted at the door. He was asked: ‘Why have you halted?’ He replied: “I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) say: ‘He who increases the number of a crowd is of them. He who is pleased with an act of the people is a partner in its commission.” (Al-Mataalibul Aaliyah)

Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radhiyallahu anhu) had an intense aversion for music and singing. His companions inherited the same attitude. If he would see even a child with a duff he would grab and destroy it. This was his attitude inspite of his awareness of the permissibility of the duff on marriage occasions.

(Al-Amr Bil Ma’roof wan-Nahyi anil munkar) Hadhrat Ibraaheem Nakh’i (rahmatullah alayh) who is among the very senior Muhadditheen and Fuqaha is a student of Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (radhiyallahu anhu) via the link of Hadhrat Alqamah (rahmatullah alayh) who was among the senior Taabieen Fuqaha. He (Hadhrat Nakh’i) said: “We would roam around the streets searching for children with duffs. We would seize and destroy them.” (Al-Amr Bil Ma’ruf wan Nahy anil munkar)

This was the attitude and instruction which the illustrious Sahaabah acquired from Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Notwithstanding the exemption to use the duff on marriage occasions, the Sahaabah in general, and Hadhrat Mas’ud (radhiyallahu anhu) and Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) in particular would physically prevent people from playing with the duff on any other occasion. They would confiscate and destroy the duffs.

(5) Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Since the time I pledged allegiance to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), I never sang nor spoke a lie nor ever touched my private organ with my right hand.” (Awaariful Ma-aarif)

(6) Once when Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) passed by a group of people, a singer was singing to them. Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) cursed them, saying that Allah Ta’ala should make them deaf.

(7) A similar incident occurred with Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar (Hadhrat Umar’s son). He too cursed in the same way his father had cursed. (Ihya-ul Uloom)

(8) Once Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) passed by a little girl who was singing. He commented: “If ever shaitaan would leave (unmolested) anyone, he would have left this (little girl).” (Baihqi)

(9) The following narration appears in Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq: “When Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) would hear the beating of a duff, he would send someone to investigate. If it transpired that it was a Walimah occasion, he would maintain silence. If it was not a Walimah, he would set off with his whip.”

(10) Once a little girl with jingling bells on her was brought to Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha). She exclaimed: “Never ever bring her to me except after you have cut off the bells. I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saying: ‘The Malaaikah do not enter a home in which there is a bell.’” (Abu Dawood)

In another narration, Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) exclaimed: “Remove from me the one who removes the Malaaikah.” (Musannaf Abdur Razzaaq)

Regarding jingling and tinkling bells, Shaikhul Hind Hadhrat Maulana Mahmudul Hasan (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Verily it (the bell) according to the Hadith is the musical instrument of shaitaan because it diverts the heart from the Thikr of Allah Ta’ala.” (Anwaarul Mahmud Sharh Abu Dawood)

It does not behove the votaries of music and singing to quote Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) in support of their fallacies. Hadhrat Aishah (radhiyallahu anha) repeatedly clarified her position on the issue of music and singing. There is simply no scope for permissibility in her statements of condemnation. She condemned singing and music in unambiguous and emphatic terms.

The aforementioned statements and acts of the Sahaabah are adequate for convincing the honest searcher of the truth that music and singing have no place in Islam! The prohibition of the voice of shaitaan is re-enforced with much emphasis by the Sahaabah. We shall now present the statements of some of the illustrious authorities of Islam who were Students of either the Sahaabah or their Students.

The Majlis (Sawtush Shaytaan)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 3rd October 2011

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