Statement from the Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas concerning the prohibition of singing and music
Question

                I read an article by some writer which said that singing and music are permissible, and refuted those who say that these things are haraam. He encouraged the broadcasting of recordings by dead singers as a means to preserve their memory and the art that they produced during their lives and lest the living be deprived of listening to that art and seeing it. He said: There is no text in the Holy Qur’aan which forbids singing and music, and in the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) we have a good example, and he used to listen to singing and music, and enjoined them at Eid and on occasions such as marriage and other joyous occasions. Then he said: And there are da’eef (weak) ahaadeeth which some quote as evidence that singing and music are forbidden, but it is not right to attribute them to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in order to support an opinion or prevent something that some people do not agree with. Then he quoted the opinions of some of the scholars who say that singing is allowed.
Praise be to Allah.The Standing Committee 
      for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas issued a statement refuting this 
      article, the text of which is as follows: 

    The scholars of the Standing Committee said: 

    In refutation of these specious arguments the Committee has 
    stated the following: 

    Firstly: it is not permissible for anyone to discuss matters 
    of sharee’ah except scholars of sharee’ah who are specialized and qualified 
    to research and examine issues. The writer of this article is not a seeker 
    of shar’i knowledge (taalib ‘ilm) so it is not permissible for him to 
    discuss something in which he is not specialized. Hence he has made many 
    mistakes and said many ignorant things, and spoken about Allaah and His 
    Messenger  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) without 
    knowledge. This is a sinful matter and is misguiding his readers. By the 
    same token it is not permissible for the media – newspapers, magazines, etc 
    – to give space to those who are not scholars of sharee’ah to discuss shar’i 
    rulings and write about things that are not their specialty, so that the 
    Muslims may be protected from their ideas and beliefs.  

    Secondly: Nothing can benefit the deceased after his death 
    except that which is indicated by the shar’i evidence, such as the report in 
    which the Messenger  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 
    “When a man dies, his (good) deeds come to an end except three: ongoing 
    charity, beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who will pray for him.” 
    Narrated by Muslim, 1631. As for the sins that a person committed during his 
    lifetime, and died without having repented from them – including singing – 
    he will be punished for them unless Allaah forgives him for them by His 
    Grace and kindness. So it is not permissible to resurrect them and revive 
    them after he has died, lest that sin be added to the sins that he committed 
    during his lifetime, because the harm of that extends to others, as the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever 
    introduces a bad practice into Islam, the burden of that sin will be upon 
    him, as will the sin of those who do it after him, without that detracting 
    from their burden in the slightest.” Narrated by Muslim, 1017. 

    Thirdly: With regard to his comment that “There is no text in 
    the Holy Qur’aan which forbids singing and music,” this reflects his 
    ignorance of the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. 
    music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah without knowledge, 
    and takes it (the path of Allaah, or the Verses of the Qur’aan) by way of 
    mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hell‑fire)”

    [Luqmaan 31:6]
The majority of 
    mufassireen say that what is meant by Lahwa al-hadeeth (“idle talks”) 
    in this verse is singing. Another group says that it is every sound of 
    entertainment, which includes flutes, stringed instruments and so on. All of 
    these mislead men from the path of Allaah and cause misguidance. It is 
    proven that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), the great Sahaabi 
    who was one of the scholars of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with 
    them) said, commenting on this verse: “By Allaah, this refers to singing.” 
    And he said: “It causes hypocrisy to grow in the heart as water causes herbs 
    to grow.” 

    And there are many ahaadeeth which point to the prohibition 
    of singing and musical instruments and indicate that they are a means which 
    leads to great evil and bad consequences. The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim 
    (may Allaah be pleased with him) discussed the rulings on singing and 
    musical instruments in great detail in his book Ighaathat al-Lahfaan. 

    Fourthly: This writer tells lies about the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by saying that he used to listen 
    to songs and music and enjoined them at Eid and on occasions such as 
    marriage and other joyous occasions. It is proven that he  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) granted a dispensation to women only, when 
    there are no men present, allowing them to beat the daff and sing nasheeds 
    which are free of any mention of love or the music and instruments, which 
    includes the permissive songs that exist nowadays. Rather he allowed 
    nasheeds that are free of such offensive characteristics and he allowed 
    beating the daff only, not other kinds of drums or musical instruments, to 
    proclaim marriage. It is narrated in saheeh ahaadeeth, as in Saheeh 
    al-Bukhaari, that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) forbade musical instruments of all types and issued stern warnings 
    against them. It is narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and other books of 
    hadeeth that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    said: “There will be among my ummah people who will regard as permissible 
    zina (adultery), silk, alcohol and ma’aazif (musical instruments). 
    Some people will camp at the top of a mountain with their shepherd looking 
    after their sheep, and a poor man will come and ask for something, and they 
    will say, ‘Come back to us tomorrow.’ But Allaah will destroy them and level 
    the mountain, and will turn others into monkeys and pigs until the Day of 
    Resurrection.” 

    The word ma’aazif (translated above as musical 
    instruments) refers to singing and all kinds of instruments. The Messenger 
    of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) condemned those 
    who regard as permissible zina (adultery), the wearing of silk for men and 
    the drinking of alcohol, and who listen to singing and musical instruments. 
    He mentioned that alongside zina, alcohol and the wearing of silk by men, 
    which indicates that singing and musical instruments are emphatically 
    forbidden. 

    Fifthly:  With regard to this writer’s comment that there are da’eef (weak) ahaadeeth which some quote 
    as evidence that singing and music are forbidden, but it is not right to 
    attribute them to the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him) in order to support an opinion or prevent something that some people do 
    not agree with, this reflects his ignorance of the Sunnah, for the 
    evidence that singing is forbidden is to be found partly in the Qur’aan and 
    partly in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, as stated above, and partly in other 
    books of Sunnah, which the earlier scholars used as evidence that singing 
    and music are forbidden. 

    Sixthly: The opinion of some scholars who allow singing is an 
    opinion that is refuted by the evidence which forbids that. The point here 
    is that we should follow what the evidence says and not that which goes 
    against it. We may take or leave the words of anyone except the Messenger of 
    Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).  

    This writer must repent to Allaah from what he has written, 
    and he should nor speak about Allaah and His Messenger without knowledge, 
    for speaking about Allaah without knowledge is mentioned alongside shirk in 
    the Book of Allaah. 

    May Allaah help us all to learn the truth and follow it. 

    May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad 
    and upon his family and companions.