Thank you for forwarding your question to us and we really appreciate your kind words about the website.
The
issue you raise here is one of the most controversial ones that have
generated debate among Muslim scholars, the ancient and the contemporary
alike. I myself have dealt with it before in one of my answers posted
on this page (see below for the link). Anyway, I will try here again to
shed more light on it, at least to stress some points mentioned in my
previous answer.
First
of all, I need to point out to you that there are a lot of things on
the Internet that have nothing to do with the true message of Islam, so
you need to be careful about the information you get. Without dwelling
too much on the authenticity of the points you read on other websites,
however, I will go straight to the point.
Islam
does not just consider things as permissible or prohibited; the matter
is much more than that. Each ruling has its own purpose and takes into
consideration the nature of the act it governs, and its being in
conformity with the maqasid (objectives of the Shari`ah).
Under the shade of al-maqasid, the rulings serve to provide protection to the human being's self, dignity, religion, property, and intellect. So whatever serves those objectives are in line with Shari`ah, according to Imam Ash-Shatibi, one of the great scholars of Islam, and whatever negates them are not reckoned with as part of the Shari`ah.
With this, Imam Ash-Shatibi (and others like Imam Al-Ghazali, Imam Fakhr Ad-Din Ar-Razi, Imam Ash-Shawkani, Abu Bakr Al-`Arabi, etc.) exerted relentless efforts to restore the intimate relation between Muslims and the noble Quran by drawing their attention to the objectives of Islam, the causes behind the Shari`ah rulings, and the goal that each ruling is designed to realize, be it explicit or implicit (Ahmad al-Raysuni, Imam Shatibi's Theory of the Higher Objectives, International Institute of the Islamic Thought, 2006).
Under the shade of al-maqasid, the rulings serve to provide protection to the human being's self, dignity, religion, property, and intellect. So whatever serves those objectives are in line with Shari`ah, according to Imam Ash-Shatibi, one of the great scholars of Islam, and whatever negates them are not reckoned with as part of the Shari`ah.
With this, Imam Ash-Shatibi (and others like Imam Al-Ghazali, Imam Fakhr Ad-Din Ar-Razi, Imam Ash-Shawkani, Abu Bakr Al-`Arabi, etc.) exerted relentless efforts to restore the intimate relation between Muslims and the noble Quran by drawing their attention to the objectives of Islam, the causes behind the Shari`ah rulings, and the goal that each ruling is designed to realize, be it explicit or implicit (Ahmad al-Raysuni, Imam Shatibi's Theory of the Higher Objectives, International Institute of the Islamic Thought, 2006).
Upon
this brief introduction I will base my argument that it amounts to an
improper academic conduct for a scholar to condemn an act as haram or halal, away from the realm of al-maqasid.
This explains the reasons why prominent scholars like Sheikh Al-Ghazali, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and others argue that music cannot be basically categorized as haram, for they see it as part of a human instinct which Islam came to promote and refine. They see music as something that constitutes an important part of our daily life, whose ruling depends on the way it's utilized; it can be lawfully used or maliciously abused. They see music as something created pure and beautiful, just like fresh air. The fact that air can be polluted by evil deeds of mankind does not render it prohibited.
This explains the reasons why prominent scholars like Sheikh Al-Ghazali, Sheikh Al-Qaradawi and others argue that music cannot be basically categorized as haram, for they see it as part of a human instinct which Islam came to promote and refine. They see music as something that constitutes an important part of our daily life, whose ruling depends on the way it's utilized; it can be lawfully used or maliciously abused. They see music as something created pure and beautiful, just like fresh air. The fact that air can be polluted by evil deeds of mankind does not render it prohibited.
In
the same vein, the fact that some songs or musical shows are corrupt
does not render music or song in itself prohibited. This is based on the
juristic maxim "all things are presumed permissible until there is an
evidence to the contrary." This well-established juristic maxim is
inferred from the Quranic verse that says what means:
{Say:
Who hath forbidden the beautiful (gifts) of Allah, which He hath
produced for His servants, and the things, clean and pure, (which He
hath provided) for sustenance? Say: They are, in the life of this world,
for those who believe, (and) purely for them on the Day of Judgment} (Al-An`am 7:32)
Another point I want to mention here is that, most of the hadiths used by the scholars who claim that music is haram
fail to meet the requirements of authenticity, whereas there are strong
proofs that stand in favor of the permissibility of music. One of them
is the hadith narrated by A'ishah:
Abu
Bakr came to my house while two small Ansari girls were singing beside
me the stories of Ansar concerning the Day of Bu`ath (day of fighting
between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Aus and Khazraj). And they were
not professional singers. Abu Bakr said protestingly, "Musical
instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger!" It happened on
the `Eid day and Allah's Messenger said, "O Abu Bakr! There is an Eid
for every nation, and this is our Eid." (Al-Bukhari)
In
another version we read: "It was the day of Eid, and the Black people
were playing with shields and spears." That is why Abu Bakr said "
Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger."
If
we compare the Prophet's disposition here to, for instance, his stance
on the silk robe when it was offered to him by Umar ibn Al-Khattab, also
for Eid, we plainly see the difference in approach and firmness. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Umar, "This is the dress for the one
who will have no share in the Hereafter" (Al-Bukhari).
The point here is that if something is haram, its ruling does not fluctuate; it remains so, with nothing to render that ruling relaxed, just like the case of the silken dress here, whereas this is not the case with music. If it were haram, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have uttered a statement indicating the act of the two Al-Ansari girls was permissible.
The point here is that if something is haram, its ruling does not fluctuate; it remains so, with nothing to render that ruling relaxed, just like the case of the silken dress here, whereas this is not the case with music. If it were haram, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have uttered a statement indicating the act of the two Al-Ansari girls was permissible.
Having said this, I will not forget to give some kind of recognition to the concern of the scholars who claim that music is haram.
They are exhorting Muslims to fend off all that might keep them away
from their religious rituals, especially in light of the strong effects
of all entertainment or amusement tools, but this does not make these
tools haram. This depends on how they are used. If a man
entertains himself by playing with his children and allows that to keep
him away from performing his religious duty, he is sinful for that, but
not for playing with his children because that is not haram. So
likewise if somebody listens to music and forgets to perform their
prayers, for instance, they are sinful for that, but that does not make
music haram.
Thus,
brother, what I see here is that we need to look into all the evidence
provided by scholars in defense of their argument and try to understand
them in the spirit of the Shari`ah and its objectives, as
clarified above. What we really need to do at this stage, to combat the
powerful effect of the modern day music industry, is to provide an
Islamic alternative for our youth. And I'm glad that we have already
plenty of that now, in the likes of Yusuf Islam, Sami Yusuf, Zain Bikha,
and others, who are making use of their beautiful voices for the cause
of Islam.
I
fully agree that we need to stand against all the negative forces that
are rampant in our society today. But we need to do that with positive
steps, with proper mechanisms that will instill the love of Islam into
the hearts of today's youth, especially that we know that music is one
of the things the early Christian missionaries used in some places, like
sub-Saharan Africa, to lure many into Christianity. But with the effort
of Muslim figures in that part of the continent and thanks to the
emergence of the beautiful Muslim voices, the balance was created and
the danger minimized.
I will wrap up my answer, brother Ibrahim, with what Imam Al-Ghazali says in his Alchemy of Happiness:
The
heart of men has been so constituted by the Almighty that, like a
flint, it contains a hidden fire which is evoked by music and harmony,
and renders man beside himself with ecstasy. These harmonies are echoes
of that higher world of beauty, which we call the world of spirits, they
remind man of his relationship to that world, and produce in him an
emotion so deep so strange that he himself is powerless to explain it.
(Imam Al-Ghazali, Alchemy of Happiness, translated by Claud Field. London: J. Murray, 1909. p. 74)
He continues,
For
the mere fact that they (music and dancing) are pleasant does not make
them unlawful, any more than the pleasure of listening to the singing of
birds or looking at green grass and running water is unlawful. (p. 75)
I hope this answers your question, brother. If you still have some inquiries please don't hesitate to write to us.
Salam.
Useful Links:
Link: http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/islam-and-the-world/art-and-culture/166928-music-between-beauty-and-abuse.html
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