Part 16

It attempts to beautify the abominable and encourages it, while seeking to make ugly and discouraging that which is good. Such is the very essence of hypocrisy. A person's addiction to song peculiarly makes listening to the Quraan a heavy weight upon his heart, hateful to his ears. If this is not hypocrisy, then hypocrisy has no reality."(*167) Needless to say, the preceding exposition highlights the negative effects of music and song upon the Muslim. These effects induce in him hypocrisy, vice, neglect, vanity and a host of other attendant evils, the worst of which is its insidious ability to turn the devotee away from remembrance of Allah, His Book and His deen. The adverse ramifications of music and song and their various attendant evils are well known facts experienced by all enlightened, thinking believers.(*168) It is this reality which has convinced a host of prominent American and European musicians and singers who have embraced Islam to leave this vile and ignoble profession(*169) {And verily, Allah guides the believers to a straight path.}(*170) Footnotes (*93)The ijmaa' (consensus or agreement) of any generation of scholars on a certain religous issue is binding upon the following generations. The Prophet has related in various traditions that the scholars from among his ummah (community) will never at a conensus that contains misguidance or error. Allah, the exalted, protects them from his. Because they were the closest generation to the Prophet, the companions were the most qualified to arrive at a consensus (ijmaa'). (*94)Muhammad bin Taahir Al-Maqsadi (448-507 H.). Ad-Dhahabi says he has known to err and distort narrations of hadith in a gross manner (Meezanul I'tidaal, vol. 4, p. 587). Ibn Hajar says he deviated from the path of ahlus sunnah to a type of displeasing tasawwuf (mysticism). The critical scholars of hadith do not accept his transmissions because of his distortion of texts and errs in conveying them. Furthermore, he has written in defense of the permissibility of staring at young boys with sinful intent and his madhab was one of licence (al-ibaadah). For details see, Ibn Hajar's Lisaanul Meezan, vol. 5, pp. 207-210. (*95)In his treatise, Kaffur Ra'aa'an Muharramaaatil Lahwi was Samaa'a (Desistance of the Rabble from Partaking of Unlawful Amusements and Audition Thereof), p. 25. (*96)Kaffur Ra'aa, p. 65. (*97)They listened to permissible recitations of poetry, chants or melodious songs by youths. They were lawful because they were not accompanied by musical instruments, nor were the words or methods of singing licentious. (*98)Kaffur Ra'aa, p. 66. (*99)The disputed type is other than the singing of innocent songs (without musical accompaniment) or the chanting of poetry and hymns which are pure and clean in subject matter and in form of delivery. (*100)Quoted from Kaffur Ra'aa, p. 67. (*101)Condensed from p. 67 of Kaffur Ra'aa. As for the types of song and music permitted by consensus, this refers to those particular examples of exception to the general rule of prohibition as mentioned in the authentic sunnah of the Prophet and the example of the companions. These examples will be dealt with in the latter part of this treatise. (*102)Page 293 of his book, Al-Halaal wal Haraam. (*103)It is incumbent upon anyone who makes a statement in religion to bring the isnaad (the chain of transimtters) on which that statement depends. No statement carries any value whatsoever unless its claimant presents the isnaad. Otherwise, as pointed out by the critical scholars of hadith, one could say whatever he wants in matters of religion. Any statement not supported by a validly related authentic isnaad is useless and rejected. (*104)See surah Luqmaan, 31:6. (*105)Authentically related by Al-Bayhaqi, Ibnul-Mundhir and others. (*106)See Al-Qurtubi's tafseer, vol. 14, pp. 51-52, and Al-Aaloosi's tafseer, Roohul Ma'aani, vol. 21, pp. 66-68. (*107)See pp. 67-68 of Kaffur Ra'aa; Al-Qurtubi's tafseer, vol. 19, p. 51 and Shaykh Saalih Fowzaan's Al-'Ilaam bi Naqdi Kitaabil Halaali wal Haraam, pp. 72-74. (*108)The first of the four famous imaams. He was born in Koofah, Iraq in the 80th year of the Hijrah. He died in Baghdad in the year 150 H. See Adh-Dhahabi's Seeyar A'laamin Nubalaa, vol. 6, pp. 390-403. (*109)Such as flutes, pipes, horns and related wind instruments. (*110)Small hand drums without steel jangles. This permitted type is to be used on certain restricted occassions as designated by the sunnah, the details of which will follow. (*111)Testimony given by witnesses concerning matters or crimes involving punishments is only accepted from trustworthy, obedient Muslims. (*112)In Shariah, the mere suspicion of vice is not sufficient to warranat invasion of privacy by the authorities. Here, however, the violation is not confined to the privacy of the home and should be prevented, even forcibly, to avoid corruption of society. (*113)Quoted from 'Ownul Ma'bood Sharhu Sunan Abi Dawood, vol. 13, pp. 273-274. (*114)Stated by Abut Teeb Taahir At-Tabari and quoted in Al-Qurtubi's Al-Jaami'li Ahkaamil Quraan, vol. 14, p. 55. (*115)He was born at Madeenah in the year 93 of the Hijrah and died there in 179H. For details of his life and times, see Qaadi Ayyad's Tarteebul Madaarik, vol. 1, pp. 107-147. (*116)In the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the world economy was almost completely based upon the institution of slavery. Wisdom and foresight demanded a gradual elimination of this deeply rooted social system.