Part 22

Rather, the lack of a pertinent narration regarding this particular point clearly indicated that this was not done during the Prophet's blessed time. As for the era of the four rightly-guided caliphs and the illustrious companions, there is one related narration (athar) regarding the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, which is often mistakenly used to prove that other joyous occasions besides those documented from hadith literature can be included in the category where singing and the daff are allowed. Abdur-Razzaq related from Mamar through Ayyub by way of Ibn Sirin that if Umar heard a voice or the beating of the daff, he would ask what it was. If told it was a wedding feast or circumcision ceremony he would remain silent. This and similar narrations are weak (da'if) due to a break in the chain between Ibn Sirin and Umar, who died thirty years before the former was born. There is no documented evidence that the companions and their followers (tabi'een) went outside the limited scope of what was allowed by authentic texts. Rather there exist authentic narrations showing the companions were averse to unrestricted use of the daff: Qadi Shurayh said the angels do not enter a house in which a daff is played; and disciples of Ibn Mas'ud would confiscate and break dufoof carried by girls in alleyways. Ibn Hajar summarizes: the basic principle is that one should be above all amusement and play except that specified as permissible on a valid text, and even then only in the stipulated time and way. Occasions not documented by authentic texts agreed upon by scholars cannot be validly included alongside them.