Why Listening to Nasheed Is Not Haram in Islam with Proofs
C.J Ahmed-03.04.2023
Nasheed is an Islamic song or poem sung without musical instruments. Listening to Nasheeds or music is not haram because there is no evidence to substantiate that it is prohibited. Nasheed is a form of music which in most cases has no music and in some instances is accompanied with background humming and sounds created vocally as opposed to musical intruments . The main concept of Nasheed is that to appease conservertive Muslims who are against musical instruments. Some Salaf scholars such as Salih al Uthaymin disliked some nasheeds and said the following,
“There has been a lot of talk about Islamic nasheeds. I have not listened to them for a long time. When they first appeared there was nothing wrong with them. There were no duffs, and they were performed in a manner that did not involve any fitnah, and they were not performed with the tunes of haraam songs. But then they changed and we began to hear a rhythm that may have been a duff or it may have been something other than a duff, and they began to choose performers with beautiful and enchanting voices, then they changed further and began to be performed in the manner of haraam songs. Hence we began to feel uneasy about them, and unable to issue fatwas stating that they were permissible in all cases, or that they were forbidden in all cases. If they are free of the things that I have referred to then they are permissible, but if they are accompanied by the duff or performers are chosen who have beautiful and enchanting voices, or they are performed in the manner of indecent songs, then it is not permissible to listen to them.”( Al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah-Page-185)
This is only the personal opinion of Sheikh Salih al Uthaymin and there is nothing haram in singing with enchanting voices becaue the voice is n ot an awrah. It seems from the above fatwa that Salih al Uthaymin is making is argument on the premise that the voice is awrah and any musical instrument other than the duff is haram which is not at all true.
Those who say that it is haram to listen to music while the Quran is recited or playing in the background are those who are against listning to music. The other argument against listening to music or engaging in normal activities while the Quran is recited is that it is disrespectful to do so. There is evidence from the hadiths where the prophetsal) used to recite the Quran on the lap of Aiah (rali) while she was menstruating.
Aisha (rali) narrated,
“The prophet (sal) would recline on my lap while I was menstruating and recite the Quran.”(Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadith's which prove music to be permissible
1) It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that Abu Bakr (rali) entered upon her and there were two girls with her during the days of Mina beating the duff, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) uncovered his face and said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.” That was during the days of Mina.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
The above hadith clearly proves that the duff is a permissible musical instrument in Islam because two young girls were beating the duff and the prophet (sal) allowed them to play when Abu Bakr (rali) rebuked them. Some scholars try to argue that playing the duff is permissible only during Eid. This argument is an erroneous argument because there is clear evidence that playing even the flute is also allowed during the Eid.
2) It was narrated that Aisha (Rali) said: “Abu Bakr (Rali) entered upon me and there were two of the young girls of the Ansar with me who were singing the verses that the Ansar had recited on the day of Bu’ath.”She said: “But they were known to be singers. “Abu Bakr (RA) said: “Wind instruments of the shaitan in the house of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH)? That was the day of Eid. Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “O Abu Bakr! Every people have their Eid and this is our Eid. “In another narration it is said that Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “Let them be O’ Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.”
(Narrated in Sahih Muslim)
The above hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim clearly debunks this argument. This very hadith proves that you can play any musical instrument including wind instruments and the prophet (sal) listened to them. Some could argue that this is only during Eid celebrations but there is no evidence suggesting that musical instruments are halal only during Eid. For something to be the hukm (ruling), there needs to be clear text forbidding it. There is no clear ruling from the prophet (sal) stating that musical instruments are only allowed during Eid hence the permissibility given by the prophet (sal) in this hadith is a general permissibility. This hadith proves that even wind musical instruments which are considered as satanic is allowed. The other argument put forward by scholars is that the beating of the duff should only be done by women or girls and men are forbidden to play these instruments. This argument has no basis. It's only the opinion of the salaf scholars may Allah (swt) reward them but they are like all other humans and are prone to mistakes. Blindly sticking to their opinions is haram in Islam. The other evidence to prove the permissibility of music comes from the next hadith.
3) It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (sal) went on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if Allah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the duff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”
(Narrated in Tirmidhi and authenticated by sheikh Albani in sahih al Tirmidhi)
The above hadith prove two points, one is
1) The general permissibility to listen to music which is not forbidden
2) from the statement of the prophet(sal) The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar" it shows that although this kind of singing by the slave was likened to Shaitan, the prophet (sal) listened to it and also allowed his companions like Abu Bakr(rali) and Umar(rali) also to listen. This clearly proves that music is halal in Islam.
There is nothing haram in listening to Nasheeds.
Nasheed is an Islamic song or poem sung without musical instruments. Listening to Nasheeds or music is not haram because there is no evidence to substantiate that it is prohibited. Nasheed is a form of music which in most cases has no music and in some instances is accompanied with background humming and sounds created vocally as opposed to musical intruments . The main concept of Nasheed is that to appease conservertive Muslims who are against musical instruments. Some Salaf scholars such as Salih al Uthaymin disliked some nasheeds and said the following,
“There has been a lot of talk about Islamic nasheeds. I have not listened to them for a long time. When they first appeared there was nothing wrong with them. There were no duffs, and they were performed in a manner that did not involve any fitnah, and they were not performed with the tunes of haraam songs. But then they changed and we began to hear a rhythm that may have been a duff or it may have been something other than a duff, and they began to choose performers with beautiful and enchanting voices, then they changed further and began to be performed in the manner of haraam songs. Hence we began to feel uneasy about them, and unable to issue fatwas stating that they were permissible in all cases, or that they were forbidden in all cases. If they are free of the things that I have referred to then they are permissible, but if they are accompanied by the duff or performers are chosen who have beautiful and enchanting voices, or they are performed in the manner of indecent songs, then it is not permissible to listen to them.”( Al-Sahwah al-Islamiyyah-Page-185)
This is only the personal opinion of Sheikh Salih al Uthaymin and there is nothing haram in singing with enchanting voices becaue the voice is n ot an awrah. It seems from the above fatwa that Salih al Uthaymin is making is argument on the premise that the voice is awrah and any musical instrument other than the duff is haram which is not at all true.
Those who say that it is haram to listen to music while the Quran is recited or playing in the background are those who are against listning to music. The other argument against listening to music or engaging in normal activities while the Quran is recited is that it is disrespectful to do so. There is evidence from the hadiths where the prophetsal) used to recite the Quran on the lap of Aiah (rali) while she was menstruating.
Aisha (rali) narrated,
“The prophet (sal) would recline on my lap while I was menstruating and recite the Quran.”(Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadith's which prove music to be permissible
1) It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that Abu Bakr (rali) entered upon her and there were two girls with her during the days of Mina beating the duff, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) uncovered his face and said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.” That was during the days of Mina.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
The above hadith clearly proves that the duff is a permissible musical instrument in Islam because two young girls were beating the duff and the prophet (sal) allowed them to play when Abu Bakr (rali) rebuked them. Some scholars try to argue that playing the duff is permissible only during Eid. This argument is an erroneous argument because there is clear evidence that playing even the flute is also allowed during the Eid.
2) It was narrated that Aisha (Rali) said: “Abu Bakr (Rali) entered upon me and there were two of the young girls of the Ansar with me who were singing the verses that the Ansar had recited on the day of Bu’ath.”She said: “But they were known to be singers. “Abu Bakr (RA) said: “Wind instruments of the shaitan in the house of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH)? That was the day of Eid. Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “O Abu Bakr! Every people have their Eid and this is our Eid. “In another narration it is said that Allah’s Messenger (Sal) said: “Let them be O’ Abu Bakr, for these are the days of Eid.”
(Narrated in Sahih Muslim)
The above hadith narrated in Sahih Muslim clearly debunks this argument. This very hadith proves that you can play any musical instrument including wind instruments and the prophet (sal) listened to them. Some could argue that this is only during Eid celebrations but there is no evidence suggesting that musical instruments are halal only during Eid. For something to be the hukm (ruling), there needs to be clear text forbidding it. There is no clear ruling from the prophet (sal) stating that musical instruments are only allowed during Eid hence the permissibility given by the prophet (sal) in this hadith is a general permissibility. This hadith proves that even wind musical instruments which are considered as satanic is allowed. The other argument put forward by scholars is that the beating of the duff should only be done by women or girls and men are forbidden to play these instruments. This argument has no basis. It's only the opinion of the salaf scholars may Allah (swt) reward them but they are like all other humans and are prone to mistakes. Blindly sticking to their opinions is haram in Islam. The other evidence to prove the permissibility of music comes from the next hadith.
3) It was narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (sal) went on one of his military campaigns, and when he came back, a black slave woman came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I vowed that if Allah brought you back safe and sound, I would beat the daff before you and sing. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “If you vowed that, then do it, otherwise do not do it.’” So she started to beat the duff, and Abu Bakr came in whilst she was doing so. Then ‘Ali came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Uthmaan came in whilst she was beating the daff, then ‘Umar came in and she threw the daff beneath her and sat on it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar. I was sitting and she was beating the daff, then Abu Bakr came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Ali came in when she was beating the daff; then ‘Uthmaan came in when she was beating the daff, but when you came in, O ‘Umar, she put the daff down.”
(Narrated in Tirmidhi and authenticated by sheikh Albani in sahih al Tirmidhi)
The above hadith prove two points, one is
1) The general permissibility to listen to music which is not forbidden
2) from the statement of the prophet(sal) The Shaitan is afraid of you, O ‘Umar" it shows that although this kind of singing by the slave was likened to Shaitan, the prophet (sal) listened to it and also allowed his companions like Abu Bakr(rali) and Umar(rali) also to listen. This clearly proves that music is halal in Islam.
There is nothing haram in listening to Nasheeds.