A Cure for Music

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Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said: "Hewho does not read the Qur'aan in a
melodious voice is not from us." (Bukhari Vol. 2 Pg 1123. Abu Da'ud
Vol. 1 Pg 207)
To recite the Qu'raan in a melodious voice is mustahab and has been
encouraged in many ahaadith. Thus Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said: "Adorn the
Qur'aan with your voices." (Bukhari Vol. 2 Pg 1126)
The narration of Haakim's Mustadrak and Daarimi's Sunan have the
following addition: "… because a beautiful voice increases the beauty
of the Qur'aan."
Rasulullah (s.a.w.) said: " Allah does not listen as attentively to
anything as He listens to a Nabi reciting the Qur'aan in a melodious
voice." (Bukhari Vol. 2 Pg 1115)
Hadhrat Abu Moosa Ash'ari(r.a.) a famous Sahabi, used to recite the
Qur'aan in a very beautiful tone. Rasulullah (s.a.w.) praised him
saying that he had been blessed with "a flute from the flutes of
Dawood." (Bukhari Vol. 2 Pg 755)
Note: The word 'mizmar' (flute) has not been used in its literal
meaning. Hadhrat Dawood (a.s.) used to recite the Zabur in an
extremely beautiful voice. Thus his voice has been described as a
flute in the Hadith.
The question however is that the word used in the Hadith for 'reading
in a melodious voice' is that of 'taghanni'. The literal translation
of this word is 'to sing'. On the contrary we have been prohibited in
the Hadith to sing and read the Qur'aan. Althoughit is understandable
that the word 'taghanni' has been used figuratively, why has a simpler
or moreclearer word not been used?
A similar question was posed to the famous Muhaddith, Ibn al-Arabi
(r.a.) to which he replied: "The Arabs used to sing when they mounted
their camels, when they sat in their assemblies and in most of their
conditions. Thus when the Qur'aan was revealed, Rasulullah (s.a.w.)
desired that the Qur'aan should be their habit rather than singing."
(Sharh-us-Sunnah Vol. 4 Pg 486)
In other words, the Arabs were so infatuated with singing that singing
and music was found in basically every aspect of their lives. Thus
when the Qur'aan was revealed, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) desired that their
habit of singing be substituted by the recitation of the Qur'aan. This
explanation may be substantiated by the following Hadith narrated by
Hadhrat Zaid Ibn Arqam(r.a.): "While Nabi (s.a.w.) was walking through
an alley in Medina, he passed a youth that was singing. Nabi (s.a.w.)
said to him: 'Woe to you, O youth. Whydo you not recite the Qur'aan in
a melodious voice?" (Ahkaam-ul-Qur'aan of Mufti Muhammad Shafe).
Note: The word 'taghanni' has been used in this Hadith as well. Hafiz
Ibn Hajr (r.a.) quotes from Ibn-Ambari that it means to take pleasure
and delight just as the singers take pleasure in music. Thus the word
music (taghanni) has been used because the same pleasureis experienced
(i.e. when reciting the Qur'aan) as is experienced when listening to
music. (Fath-ul-Bari Vol. 9 Pg 62)
It is for this reason that Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (r.a.) and Allamah Anwar
Shah Kashmir (r.a.) have regarded excessive recitation of the Qur'aan
asan excellent cure for music.
Hadhrat Shah Saheb explains: "When a man forms a habit of music it
overpowers him until he isunable to refrain from it. That is why you
will see the singer always humming to himself. Thus Nabi (s.a.w.) has
taught him that the means for refraining from music is that he make
the Qur'aan his hum and music until the Qur'aan overpowers him just as
music had overpowered him." (Faiz-ul-Bari Vol. 4 Pg 269)
CONCLUSION
Let alone Muslims, even non-Muslims often marvel at the sweetness and
beauty of the Qur'aan, its rhythm, choice of words etc. This sweetness
is further enhanced by reciting the Qur'aan in a sweet voice as
mentioned in the Hadith. In the light of the above, it may be
concluded that excessive reading and listening to the Qur'aan is an
excellent cure for the ailment of music.