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TV and music forbidden

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

how could u say watching tv is ok. tv contains Pictures of animate objects. and u say the picture is haram.

 

how could u say music is ok . In one such Hadith, Rasululullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Allah ordered me to destroy musical instruments.

 

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Answer:

 

Tv and music forbidden

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

We sincerely seek your forgiveness and the forgiveness of Allah Subhanah if anything we have said has given rise to a misunderstanding in this Perfect and Beautiful deen of Islam. Allah forbid that we ever even dare to imply something is halaal and legal when Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared it forbidden, or vice versa. Our one and only intention in moderating this humble forum is to convey the knowledge and guidance from the Quran and Sunnah to our beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, seeking the Pleasure and Good Will of none but the Lord Most Merciful.

 

We humbly request you to allow us to clarify our position on the questions you have asked, and sincerely and humbly seek your forgiveness and the forgiveness of Allah Subhanah if anything we might have said has given rise to any confusion of misunderstanding in any aspect of the deen.

 

Your Question: how could u say watching tv is ok. tv contains Pictures of animate objects. and u say the picture is haram.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3585 Narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal

Some companions of Mu'adh ibn Jabal said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah (saws) intended to send Mu'adh ibn Jabal to the Yemen, he (saws) asked: ‘How will you judge when the occasion of deciding a case arises?’ He replied: ‘I shall judge in accordance with Allah's Book.’ He (saws) asked: ‘(What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in Allah's Book?’ He replied: ‘(I shall act) in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).’ He (saws) asked: ‘(What will you do) if you do not find any guidance in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and in Allah's Book?’ He replied: ‘I shall do my best to form an opinion and I shall spare no effort.’ The Messenger of Allah (saws) then patted him on the breast and said: ‘Praise be to Allah Who has helped the messenger of the Messenger of Allah (saws) to find something which pleases the Prophet of Allah (saws).’

 

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, the advent of photography or televisions are obviously a new development which took place much after the Revelation of the Glorious Quran and the establishment of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws). Thus whenever the Ummah is faced with a new thing or development, it becomes the duty of the scholars in the Ummah to do ‘ijtehaad’ on the subject matter and provide guidance on it in light of the Quran and Sunnah.

The scholars in Islam are almost unanimous in their opinion that images that are captured by photography or through television are nothing but exact ‘mirror-images’ of the creation of Allah Subhanah; and if these new developments of technology are put to good use for the benefit of mankind, and which may encourage people to fear and obey Allah Subhanah; there is absolutely no harm in viewing them.

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.834 Narrated by Muslim

We were with Masruq at the house of Yasar bin Numair. Masruq saw pictures on his terrace and said, "I heard 'Abdullah saying that he heard the Prophet (saws) saying, "The people who will receive the severest punishment from Allah will be the picture makers.' "

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.448 Narrated by Abu Talha

I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying; "Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being or an animal)."

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.428 Narrated by Said bin Abu Al Hasan

While I was with Ibn 'Abbas a man came and said, "O father of 'Abbas! My sustenance is from my manual profession and I make these pictures." Ibn 'Abbas said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Allah's Messenger (saws). I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes a picture will be punished by Allah till he puts life in it, and he will never be able to put life in it.' " Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Ibn 'Abbas said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on making pictures, I advise you to make pictures of trees and any other unanimated objects."

 

The majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that the animate pictures which were declared forbidden by the Messenger of Allah (saws) specifically relate to hand-made sculptures or hand-drawn portraits or pictures of animate objects; and that ruling does not apply to modern photography and television which are nothing but exact ‘mirror-images’ of the creation of Allah Subhanah. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Thus my beloved and dear Brother, although most of the usage of television is nothing but a waste of time, one must use ones best sense of judgment and watch only those programs which are beneficial to man, and programs that impart knowledge which would help man fear and obey Allah Subhanah. For example if one watches the relays of the prayers from Makkah or Medinah on television, or seeks to gain knowledge in Islam from the debates and lectures of Brothers like Shaikh Ahmad Deedat, or Shaikh Zakir Naik, etc., or wishes to watch the news to keep himself aware of the happenings in the world, etc. there is absolutely no harm in viewing such programs. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.49 Narrated by An Numan bin Bashir

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, 'Both, the halaal and the haraam things are evident; but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things, and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it.’

 

Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, if one so fears Allah Subhanah and the Last Day, and in his best and honest judgment fears that the images of television are no different from the ones that were declared forbidden by the Messenger of Allah (saws), and he strives his best to abstain from television; there is absolutely no doubt that he will obviously be safer and closer to the guidance of the noble Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 64 Surah Taghabun verse 16: So fear Allah as much as ye can; listen and obey; and spend in charity for the benefit of your own souls: and those saved from the covetousness of their own souls, they are the ones that achieve prosperity.

 

Your Question: how could u say music is ok . In one such Hadith, Rasululullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Allah ordered me to destroy musical instruments.

The details and full hadith of the phrase quoted by you are as follows:

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3654 Narrated by Abu Umamah

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah has sent me as a mercy to the universe and as a guidance to the universe, and my Lord, Who is Great and Glorious, has commanded me to annihilate stringed instruments, wind instruments, idols, crosses and pre-Islamic customs. My Lord, Who is Great and Glorious has sworn, 'By My might, none of My servants will drink a mouthful of wine without My giving him a similar amount of pus to drink, but he will not abandon it through fear of Me without My giving him drink from the holy tanks.'"

 

There is absolutely no doubt that most types of musics, especially those that involve string or wind musical instruments, the ‘impure’ music which facilitate ‘shirk’, ‘faheshaa’ and indecency, and the contemporary music which is so rampant in movies, television, radios, etc. today are definitely forbidden by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

But if one takes music to mean the melodious sound of the Muazzin while calling to prayer, or the beautiful sound or chant of the ‘Qari’ when he recites the Holy Quran, or the tunes of chorus sung by the mujahideen, etc.; these are not only permitted, these are considered virtues and a means of getting a huge reward from Allah Subhanah.

 

If one writes poetry in the Praise of Allah and sings it in a melodious voice, there is absolutely no harm. Even if one writes poetry of love and sings them to his wife, and there is no indecency in the wordings, there is no harm. Even singing and the playing of the ‘daff’ (a tambourine or circular drum type instrument played by the hand) at special occasions like marriage, etc. was allowed by the Messenger of Allah (saws) in Islam.

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3154 Narrated by Aisha

I had a girl of the Ansar whom I gave in marriage, and Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Why do you not sing, O Aisha, for this clan of the Ansar like singing?"

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3153 Narrated by Muhammad ibn Hatib al-Jumahi

The Prophet (saws) said, "The distinction between what is lawful and what is unlawful is the song and the tambourine at a wedding."

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3306 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

A woman came to the Prophet (saws) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (saws), I have taken a vow to play the tambourine over you.’ He (saws) said: ‘Fulfil your vow.’ She said: ‘And I have taken a vow to perform a sacrifice in such a such a place, a place in which people had performed sacrifices in pre-Islamic times.’ He (saws) asked: ‘For an Idol?’ She replied: ‘No.’ He (saws) asked: ‘For an image?’ She replied: ‘No.’ He (saws) said: ‘Fulfil your vow.’

 

Every word has a specific meaning, and when we use the term ‘music’ it is understood to mean the contemporary music that we hear today on the radio and televisions. If one takes music to mean the pure music, like the melody of the azaan, or the recitation of the Quran, or the music made by the ‘daff’ (tambourine), or the music created by nature (birds, oceans, waves, etc.), these are absolutely legal in Islam.

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.268 Narrated by Aisha

That once Abu Bakr came to her on the day of 'Id-ul-Fitr or 'Id-ul-Adha while the Prophet (saws) was with her and there were two girl singers with her, singing songs of the Ansar about the day of Buath. Abu Bakr said twice, "Musical instrument of Shaytaan!", but the Prophet (saws) said, "Leave them Abu Bakr, for every nation has an 'Id (i.e. festival), and this day is our 'Id."

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.155 Narrated by Aisha

Allah's Messenger (saws) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu'ath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, i.e. Khazraj and Aus, before Islam.) The Prophet (saws) reclined on the bed and turned his face to the other side. Abu Bakr came and scolded me and said protestingly, "Instrument of Satan in the presence of Allah's Messenger (saws)?" The Prophet (saws) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I waved the two girls to go away and they left. It was the day of 'Id when negroes used to play with leather shields and spears. Either I requested Allah's Messenger (saws) or he (saws) himself asked me whether I would like to see the display. I replied in the affirmative. Then he let me stand behind him and my cheek was touching his cheek and he (saws) was saying, "Carry on, O Bani Arfida (i.e. negroes)!" When I got tired, he (saws) asked me if that was enough. I replied in the affirmative and he (saws) told me to leave.’

 

What is forbidden are the string instrumental music, and the other forms of contemporary music and songs that we hear today… whereby the words and the music exhort shirk, ‘faheshaa’ and indecency.

 

And Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 


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