Music and Singing

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘Stay away from wickedness, idols, and false words.’ (22:30) He (the Imam) said, ‘It is music and singing.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Music (and singing) is the nest of hypocrisy.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when Adam (a.s.), died, Iblis and Qabil expressed joy and came together in the land. Thereafter Iblis and Qabil set up musical instruments and means of amusement to rejoice at the death of Adam (a.s.). Thus whatever is there on earth of this sort in which people take pleasure is because of that.”

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘music (and singing) is of such things for which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has warned with punishment in the fire.’ He (the Imam) then read this verse, ‘There are people who pay for worthless tales (or activities) that deviates them from the path of Allah without their realizing such bad results. They treat the signs of Allah with ridicule. It is such people who will suffer a humiliating torment.’ (31:6)”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘music (and singing) are of the things about which Allah has said, ‘Among people there are those who buy useless things in the form of words to mislead people from the path of Allah.’”

“About the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . those who do not attend al-Zur,’ (25:72) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It (al-Zur’ah) is music (and singing).”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘I forbid dancing, use of flutes, smaller and bigger drums.’”

“I once heard abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), saying that once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about music (and singing). He (the Imam) said, ’It is in the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . among people there are those who buy useless things in the form of words to mislead others from the path of Allah.’”

“Once we arrived in al-Madinah and visited abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), who asked us, ‘Where have you lodged?’ We said, ‘It is with so and so, the owner of singing slave-girls.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must remain honorable.’ By Allah we did not understand what he (the Imam) meant and we thought perhaps he wants us to be kind to him (owner of the lodging). We returned to him (the Imam) and asked, ‘We did not understand your words, ‘Be honorable.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Have you not heard the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘When they pass by useless things they pass honorably.’ (25:72)”

“Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when a man said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul and the souls of my parents in service for your cause, I enter my WC (water-closet) and I have neighbors who have singing slave-girls who play musical instruments and perhaps I sit longer, listening to them.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You must not do so.’ The man said, ‘By Allah, I do not go to them; it is only my listening to them with my ears.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘For the sake of Allah, have you not heard Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, saying, “...the ears, eyes, and hearts will all be held responsible for their deeds.” (17:36)’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, as if I have not heard this verse of the book of Allah from non-Arab or Arab people. However, I will not return to it if Allah so wills and I ask forgiveness from Allah. He (the Imam) said, ‘You must go and take a shower, then ask what you want, because you were involved in a great thing and how terrible your condition could have been had you remained in such condition! Praise Allah and ask Him to forgive you because of what He dislikes and He dislikes only bad and indecent matters; and you must leave evil and indecent things to indecent people; everything has its associates.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If Allah grants a bounty to a person and that person comes to that bounty with a flute, he has not appreciated it; and if one is affected by a misfortune and he comes in such condition with mourning (professional mourner) he has disregarded it also.’” (Expressing joy and grief through unlawful ways is harmful.)

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about music (and singing). I said that they think the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has granted permission in saying, ‘We have come to you, we have come to you, so offer us greetings, offer us greetings, we will offer you greetings.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They have spoken a lie. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, says, “We did not create the heavens and the earth just for fun. (21:16) Had We wanted to play games, We could have certainly done so with things at hand. (21:17) We bring forward the Truth to crush and destroy falsehood; it is doomed to be banished. Woe to you for your way of thinking about Allah!” (21:18)’ He (the Imam) then said, ’Woe upon the one who ascribes something to one who is not present in the gathering.’”

“About the meaning of the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘. . . those who do not attend al-Zur . . .’ (25:72) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is music (and singing).”’

“I once heard abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘There is Satan called al-Qafandar. If barbat (a musical instrument) is played in a house for forty days and men come to him then that Satan places every part of his (Satan’s) body on every part of the body of the owner of the house, then blows a blow; and thereafter he will not mind even if people go in on to his women.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘The house of music (and singing) is not safe from tragedy, prayers are not accepted and angels do not enter in it.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘(The gathering for) music (and singing) is a gathering to the participant of which Allah does not look. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, has said, ‘There are people who pay for worthless tales (or activities) that deviates them from the path of Allah without their realizing such bad results...’ (31:6)”

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘If barbat is played in one’s house for forty days Allah gives its control to a Satan called al-Qafandar who sits on every part of the body of the owner of the house. When this happens bashfulness (the sense to feel ashamed of one’s indecent acts) is taken away from him and he does not mind whatever he says or is said about him.’”

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about music (and singing) when I was present. He (the Imam) said, ‘Do not enter the houses whose inhabitants Allah disregards.’”

“Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida’ (a.s.), has said, ‘If one keeps his soul clean of al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)), Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, commands the winds to move a tree in the garden (paradises). From this tree a sound is heard the like of which is never heard, and those who fail to keep their souls clean of al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)) will not be able to hear it.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Playing ‘Ud (a certain musical instrument) grows hypocrisy just as water grows green plants.’”

“Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah does not grant holiness to a nation in which barbat sounds and the (false) eulogies that cause pain.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), once asked me, ‘Where have you been?’ I then thought that he knows the place where I was. I then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I was passing by so and so and he kept me, I went in his house and looked at his slave-girls.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘That is such a gathering to the inhabitants of which Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, does not look. Have you placed your family and assets in the trust of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious?”’

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Listening to al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)) and useless things grows hypocrisy just as water grows green plants.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘If one listens to a speaker he worships him. If the speaker conveys from Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, he has worshipped Allah; but if he conveys from Satan he has worshipped Satan.’”

“I once asked al-Khurasaniy (a.s.), saying, ‘Al-‘Abbasiy has said that you allow al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)). He (the Imam) said, ‘The infidel has spoken a lie. I did not say so to him. He asked me about al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)) and I said, ‘Once a man came to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), and asked him about al-Ghina’ (music (and singing)). He (the Imam) said, “O so and so, if Allah distinguishes between truth and falsehood where is the place of al-Ghina’ (music (and singing))?” He replied, ‘It is in falsehood.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘So you have issued the judgment.’”