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It’s Time to Leave Music

Muhammad Abduh Tuasikal, MSc

Anyone who lives in the end times, cannot be separated from the sound of  music  or  singing . Maybe even among us -formerly- are people who are very  fond  of chanting sounds like that. Even listening to the chant is also breakfast every day. That is what also happened to the figure of fulan. His first life could not be separated from  the guitar  and  music . However, now his life is much different. After Allah introduced him to  Al  h aq  (the explanation of the Qur’an and As Sunnah), he slowly moved away from various chants. Alhamdulillah , he also got a better replacement, namely with k alamullah  (Al Qur’an) which makes him love and miss meeting his Lord more and more.

Then, what caused his heart to turn to  kalamullah and  leave singing? Of course, because of Allah’s taufik then knowledge is sprinkled. With the syar’i knowledge that he found, his heart began to move and he began to realize himself. By knowing the arguments  of the Qur’an  and  Hadith  which talk about the dangers of neglectful chanting, he began to leave it slowly. Also with the guidance of the words of the scholars, he became clearer about the law  of prohibition .

It would be good if we looked at  the arguments  in question, along with the words of the  scholars of the past  regarding  the law of singing  because there may be some of us who are still  attached  to it. So, by writing this treatise, may God open our hearts and give us guidance like so-and-so got earlier. Allahumma a’in wa yassir (Oh God, help and make it easy).

Some Verses of the Qur’an Talking about “Singing”

First: Singing is said to be ” lahwal hadith ” (useless words)

Allah  Ta’ala  says,

And among the people is he who buys hadith for his own sake, in order to lead astray from the path of God without knowledge, and to take it as a joke. For them is a humiliating chastisement. When Our verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly, as if he had not heard them, as if there was deafness in his ears, so herald him of a painful punishment.

” And among the people (there are) people who use  useless words  to mislead (people) from the path of God without knowledge and make the path of God a mockery. They will have a humiliating punishment. And when Our verses were read to him he turned away arrogantly as if he had not heard them, as if there were plugs in his ears; then give him glad tidings with a painful punishment .” (QS. Luqman: 6-7)

Ibnu Jarir Ath Tabariy  -rahimahullah- in his book of commentaries says that the commentators differ on what is meant by  لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ  ” lahwal hadith ” in this verse. Some of them said that what was meant was singing and listening to it. Then after that  Ibn Jarir  mentioned several words of the  salaf scholars  regarding the interpretation of the verse. Among them is from  Abu Ash Shobaa’ Al Bakri  – Rahimahullah -. He said that he heard  Ibn Mas’ud  being asked about the interpretation of the verse, then he – radhiyallahu ‘anhu – said,

Singing, by whom there is no god but He, repeats it three times.

” What is meant is singing, for the sake of One who has no god (god) who has the right to be worshiped besides Him .” He mentioned this meaning  three times . [1]

Mujahid ,  Sa’id bin  Jubair ,  ‘Ikrimah , and  Qotadah gave similar interpretations  . From  Ibn Abi Najih ,  Mujahid  said that what is meant by  lahwu hadith  is  drum (drum) . [2]

Asy Syaukani  in his book of interpretations says, ” Lahwal hadith  is everything that neglects a person from doing good. It can be in the form of singing, games, lying stories and every evil.” Then,  Asy Syaukani  quoted the words of  Al Qurtubhi  who said that the best interpretation for the meaning of  lahwal hadith  is  singing . This is the opinion of the companions and tabi’in. [3]

If someone says , “The explanation earlier was only the interpretation of a friend, how can that be proof?”

So, it suffices for us to say that a friend’s interpretation of a verse can be used as  proof , and can even be considered the same as the hadith of the Prophet  sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  (degree of  marfu’ ). Listen to the words of  Ibnul Qayyim  after explaining the interpretation of the ” lahwal hadith ” above as follows,

“ Al Hakim Abu ‘Abdillah  in his book of commentary in  Al Mustadrok  said that everyone who is thirsty for knowledge should know that the interpretation of the companions -whom they witnessed the revelations of – according to  Bukhari  and  Muslim  are considered to be the words of the Prophet  sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam . In another place, he said that according to him, the interpretation of a friend about a verse has the same status as the hadith  marfu’  (which reached the Prophet  sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ).” Then,  Ibnul Qayyim said, “Even if it is the interpretation of the companions, still their interpretation takes precedence over the interpretation of the people after them. The reason is , they are the people who understand the most about the meaning of the verses revealed by Allah because  the Qur’an was revealed during their lifetime . [4]

So, it is clear that   we should accept  the meaning of لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ  /lahwal hadith/  with  singing because these are the words of a friend whose status can be the same as the words of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam .

Second: People who sing are called “ saamiduun ”

Allah  Ta’ala  says ,

Do you marvel at this hadeeth, and laugh and not weep, while you are steadfast, so prostrate to God and worship

” So ,  are you surprised at this news? And you laugh and don’t cry? Are you  saamiduun ? So ,  prostrate to Allah and worship (Him). ”  (QS. An Najm: 59-62)

What does سَامِدُونَ  / saamiduun / mean  ?

According to one opinion, the meaning of  saamiduun  is  to sing  and this comes from the language of the Yemeni people. They used to say ” ismud lanaa ” and it means: ” Sing for us “. This opinion is narrated from  ‘Ikrimah  and  Ibnu ‘Abbas . [5]

‘Ikrimah  said, “They used to listen to the Qur’an, but instead they sang. Then came down this verse (Surah An Najm above).” [6]

So, in these two verses it is clear that listening to ” singing ” is something that is  condemned in the Qur’an .

Words of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam About Singing

First Hadith

Bukhari  brings in the Chapter “Who legalizes khomer by other than his name” a narration from  Abu ‘Amir  or  Abu Malik Al Asy’ari  who said that he was not lying, then he conveyed the words of the Prophet,  may God bless him and grant him peace ,

There will be people from my nation who will be permissible to drink, silk, wine, and musical instruments, and there will be people who have learned knowledge. He waved at them on their own, he comes to them – meaning the poor – for a need, and they say come back to us tomorrow. So God will put them to sleep, put knowledge, and transform others into apes and pigs until the Day of Resurrection.

“Indeed, there will really be among my ummah a group of people who make lawful adultery, silk, wine and musical instruments. And several groups of people will stop on the slopes of the mountains with their livestock. A poor person came to them for a need, then they said, ‘Come back to us tomorrow.’ Then Allah will punish them and make mountains fall on them and Allah will turn some of them into monkeys and pigs until the Day of Judgment.” [7]  If it is said that music is halal, it means that music is haram.

The above hadith is considered authentic by many scholars, among them are:  Sheikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyah  in  Al Istiqomah  (1/294) and  Ibnul Qayyim  in  Ighatsatul Lahfan  (1/259). A similar assessment was presented by  An Nawawi ,  Ibnu Rajab Al Hambali ,  Ibnu Hajar  and  Ash Syaukani  – rahimahumullah -.

Indeed, there are some scholars such as  Ibn Hazm  and people who followed his opinion afterward such as  Al Ghozali  who stated that the hadith above has  defects  so that they also justify music. The reason, they say that this hadith is  munqothi’  (broken) is because Al Bukhari did not want his sanad (to connect his sanad). To refute this, we will present  5 objections  as said by  Ibnul Qayyim  Rahimahullah :

First , Al Bukhari actually met  Hisham bin ‘Ammar  and he actually heard directly from him. So, if Al Bukhari says that  Hisham said , that is the same as Al Bukhari’s words directly from Hisham.

Second , if Al Bukhari had never heard that hadith from Hisham, of course Al Bukhari would not have said it with the word  jazm  (emphatically). If he said it with the pronunciation of  jazm , it is certain that he heard it directly from Hisham. This is the most likely, because there are many people who narrate (hadith) from Hisham. Hisham is a very famous teacher. As for Al Bukhari, he is a servant who is very unlikely to commit  tadlis  (cheating in narration).

Third , Al Bukhari included this hadith in his book which is called the  sahih book , which of course this can be used as  evidence  (dalil). If the hadith is not authentic according to Al Bukhari, then why did he include this hadith in the authentic book?

Fourth , Al Bukhari brings this hadith in a  mu’allaq manner  (at the beginning of the chain there is a break). However, here he uses the word  jazm  (certainly, as with the word  qoola  which means he said) and not  tamridh  (as with the word  yurwa  or  yudzkaru , which means it has been narrated or has been mentioned). So, if Al Bukhari says, “ Qoola: qoola Rasulullah sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  [he says that Rasulullah  sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  said, …]”, then that is the same as saying that the hadith is based on the Messenger of Allah  sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam .

Fifth , if we discard the various reasons above, this hadith is still  authentic  and continued because it is seen from  other paths , as will be seen in the next hadith. [8]

Second Hadith

From  Abu Malik Al Ash’ari , the Messenger of Allah,  may Allah bless him and  grant him peace, said,

People from my ummah would drink wine, calling it by another name, with instruments playing on their heads, and female singers. land and make of them apes and pigs

“ Indeed, there will be people from my people who drink khamr, they will name it by something other than his name. They were entertained with music and the singing voices of the singers. Allah will sink them into the earth and He will transform them into apes and pigs. [ 9]

Third Hadith

From  Nafi’  – Ibnu ‘Umar’s former slave -, he said,

Omar Ibn Omar heard the sound of a shepherd’s beeping, so he put his fingers in his ears and turned his camel away from the road while saying, “O Nafi’ You hear me say yes. He said so he goes on until I said no. Then he put his hands down and put the ride back on the road and said: I saw the Messenger of God – may God’s prayers and peace be upon him – and he heard the sound of a shepherd’s squeaking, so he did something like this. a

Ibn ‘Umar  once heard the sound of a flute from a shepherd, so he plugged his ears with his fingers. Then he moved to another road. Then Ibn ‘Umar said, “O Nafi’, do you still hear the voice?” I (Nafi’) said, “Yes, I still hear it.”

Then, Ibn ‘Umar kept walking. Then, I said, “I don’t hear it anymore.”

Only after that Ibn ‘Umar removed his hand from his ear and returned to the road and said, “This is how I saw the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he heard the sound of a flute from a shepherd. He did it like before.” [10]

Hadith Description

From the first two hadiths, it is explained about the condition of Muslims later who will make music legal, meaning that music is actually haram then there are those who consider it halal. Likewise in the third hadith which tells the story of Ibn ‘Umar with Nafi’. Ibn ‘Umar gave an example that the Prophet  sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam  did the same thing as him, namely keeping people away from listening to music. This shows that  the music is clearly forbidden .

If someone says that actually what Ibn ‘Umar did just now shows that it is the best way to divert people from hearing the sound of singing or musical instruments, but not to the point where it is forbidden, the answer is as said by Ahmad bin Abdul Halim Al  Haroni  (  nickname  of  Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taimiyah )  Rahimahullah  follows,

Oh God, unless there is religious harm in his hearing that can only be repelled by a dam.

“By Allah, even listening to chants (or musical instruments) is a terrible danger to one’s religion, there is no other way than to block one’s way from hearing it.” [11]

Read Music Law explanation from DR. Zakir Naik : https://hilfan.staff.telkomuniversity.ac.id/en/music-law-in-islam-explanation-by-dr-zakir-naik/

Kalam Salaf Scholars About Singing (Music)

Ibn Mas’ud  said, “ Singing grows hypocrisy in the heart as water grows vegetables. ”

Al Qasim bin Muhammad  was once asked about singing, and he replied, ” I forbid you to sing and I hate it if you listen to it .” Then the person who asked said, ” Is singing haram? Al Qasim also said, ” O my nephew, if God has separated the right from the wrong, then where does God place ‘singing’?” “

‘Umar bin ‘Abdul Aziz  once wrote a letter to a teacher who teaches his child, the contents of which are, ” Let my children first believe from your character is your hatred of singing. Because the song comes from satan and the end is the wrath of God. I know from trusted scholars that listening to songs and musical instruments and being infatuated with them will only grow hypocrisy in the heart as water grows grass. By Allah, taking care of oneself by leaving singing is actually easier for people who have intelligence than having hypocrisy in the heart .

Fudhail bin Iyadh  said, ” Singing is the incantation of adultery. “

Adh Dhohak  said, ” That singing will damage the heart and will bring the wrath of God. “

Yazid bin Al Walid  said, ” O my son, be careful from listening to singing because singing will only inflame your passions, lower your self-esteem, and even singing can replace liquor that can make you intoxicated. … You know, that singing is an impetus for someone to commit adultery .” [12]

Four Madhhab Scholars Criticize Singing

1. Imam Abu Hanifa . He hated singing and considered listening to it as a sin. [13]
2. Imam Malik bin Anas . He said, ” Whoever buys a slave and finds out that the slave is a biduanita (singer), then he should return the slave because there is ‘aib .'” [14]
3. Imam Ash Shafi’i.  He said, ” Singing is a useless thing that I don’t like because singing is like falsehood. Anyone who is addicted to listening to singing, then his testimony is rejected. ” [15]
4. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal .  He said, ” The singing grows hypocrisy in the heart and I don’t like it either. ” [16]

Syaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyah  Rahimahullah  said, “None of the four madhhab scholars disagree about the prohibition of musical instruments.” [17]

When You Are Busy With Singing and Nasyid

Sheikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyah  gave a very valuable lesson. He said,

“A servant if part of his time has been preoccupied with practices that are not prescribed by law, he will definitely be less enthusiastic about doing things that are lawful and useful. This is very different from people who devote their efforts to do things that are prescribed by law. Surely this person will love more and get more benefits by doing this practice, his religion and Islam will be more perfect.”

Then,  Syaikhul Islam Ibnu Taimiyah  said, “Therefore, many people are lulled by singing (or poems) whose original purpose is to organize the heart. Then, surely because of his intentions, he will be less enthusiastic in listening to the Qur’an. Even to the extent that he hates to hear it.” [18]

So, the words of  Ahmad bin Abdul Halim Al Haroni  (who is nicknamed Shaykhul Islam) really happen to people who are already so fond of singing, guitar and even “Islamic” singing (called nasyid). Their purpose may be to arrange the heart. However, my dear, my dear, the path taken is the wrong path because the heart must be arranged with the things that are  masyru’  (prescribed) and not with the things that are not  masyru’ , which makes us busy and negligent from the words of  Robbul ‘alamin  that is Al Quran.

About the nasyid known among  Sufis  and verses of poetry,  Sheikhul Islam  said,

“Therefore, we find people whose daily lives and meals cannot be separated from singing, they certainly will not miss the recitation of the Qur’an so much. They were not very happy when they heard it. They will not feel pleasure when listening to the Qur’an compared to hearing the verses of Sya’ir (nasyid). Even when they hear the Qur’an, their hearts become heedless, and their words are often wrong.” [19]

As for reciting verses of poetry (alias nasyid) originally it was allowed, but it is not absolutely applicable. Reciting verses of poetry (nasyid) is allowed when the following conditions are met:

1. Not a booming bounce as demonstrated by the women.
2. The nasyid did not neglect listening to the Qur’an.
3. The nasyid is free of tones that can make people who listen to it dance and dance.
4. Not accompanied by musical instruments.
5. The purpose of listening to it is not listening to the singing and the tune, but the goal is to hear the nasyid (verses of poetry).
6. It is permissible for women to beat the tambourine on events that are full of joy and masyru’ (lawed) only. [20]
7. The meaning of this nasyid is to give encouragement when tired or during jihad.
8. Not to neglect the obligatory or prohibit the obligation. [21]

Close Statement

We just want to remind you that the substitute for singing and music is the Qur’an. It is by reading, contemplating, and listening to the recitation of the Qur’an that our hearts will live and be in order because this is what is prescribed.

Remember that the Qur’an and music simply cannot unite in one heart. We can pay attention to the words of Syaikhul Islam Ibn Taimiyah’s student, namely  Ibnul Qayyim  Rahimahullah. He said, “Really singing can turn one’s heart away from understanding, contemplating and practicing the contents of the Qur’an. Remember, it is impossible for the Al-Qur’an and singing to unite in one heart because they are contradictory to each other. The Qur’an forbids us to follow our desires, the Qur’an instructs us to maintain self-respect and stay away from various forms of lust that tempt the soul. The Qur’an commands to stay away from causes that deviate from the truth and forbids following Satan’s steps. Meanwhile, singing instructs on things that are contra (opposite) to these things. [22]

From here, is it appropriate that the Qur’an be abandoned just because it is lulled by singing? Remember, if someone leaves music and singing, surely Allah will replace it with something better.

You will not leave anything to God Almighty except that God will exchange it for you with something better for you than it.

” Indeed, if you leave something because of Allah, surely Allah will replace you with something better .” [23]

When Allah commands something and forbids something, there must be benefit and benefit behind it all. Busy yourself with studying knowledge and memorizing Al Quran, surely things that are not beneficial like singing will slowly be abandoned. May God open the heart and give guidance to everyone who reads this pamphlet.

Washallallahu ‘ala nabiyyina Muhammad wa ‘ala alihi wa shohbihi ajma’in. Walhamdulillahi robbil ‘alamin.

Source  https://rumaysho.com/372-saatnya-meninggalkan-musik.html