Jumma Prayers - the first and second “hours” on Friday begin

In the hadeeth about thevirtue of coming early toJumu'ah prayer it
says that the one who comes in the first "hour" will have a reward
like that of one who sacrifices a camel, and the one who comes in the
second "hour" will have a similar reward. I hope that you can tell me
when the first "hour" begins and ends, so that the second "hour"
begins.
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever comes (to the mosque) in the first hour, it is as if he
sacrificed a camel. Whoever comes at the second hour, it is as if
hesacrificed a cow. Whoever comes at the third hour, it is as if he
sacrificed a horned ram. Whoever comes at the fourth hour, it is as if
he sacrificed a chicken. Whoever comes at the fifth hour, it is as if
he sacrificed an egg. Then when the imam comes out, the angels come in
to listen to the reminder (khutbah)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari,841; Muslim, 850
The scholars differed as to the definition of thesehours. There are
three opinions.
1 – That they start when dawn breaks
2 – That they start when the sun rises. This is the view of
al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad, and others.
3 – That these 'hours' all fall within one period of time, which is
after the sun has passed its zenith.This is the view of Maalik, and
was favoured by some of the Shaafa'is.
The third view is weak, and was refuted by many.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is well known that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) used to go out to offer the Jumu'ah prayer straight after
the sun passed its zenith, as do all imams in all regions. That is
after the end of the sixth hour, which indicates that the one who
comes after thesun has passed its zenith has no share of guidance and
virtue, and no reward will be recorded for him at all, because he has
come after the scrolls (of the recording angels) have been rolled up.
The mention of these hours is intended only to encourage people to
come early and attain the reward of being in the first row and waiting
for the prayer, and keeping busy with naafil prayers, dhikr andthe
like. None of that can be achieved by going to the mosque after the
sun has passed its zenith, and there is no virtue in doing so, because
the call to prayer is given at that time and it is haraam to delay
responding to it. End quote.
Al-Majmoo', 4/414
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the view of Maalik that goes against these reports: it
is mustahabb to performJumu'ah prayer just afterthe sun has passed its
zenith. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used
to pray Jumu'ah early, and when the imam comes out the scrolls (of the
recording angels) are rolled up, and no reward is writtendown for the
one who comes to Jumu'ah prayerafter that, so what virtuecan there be
in such a person? End quote.
Al-Mughni, 2/73
The correct view is the second one, which says that these hours begin
when the sun rises, and the time between sunrise and the second adhaan
should be divided into five parts, of which each one is what is meant
by the word saa'ah (lit. "hour") in the hadeeth.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked:
When does the first hourof Friday begin?
He replied:
The hours which were mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) are five. He said: "Whoever comes (to the mosque)
in the first hour, it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever comes at
the second hour, it is as if hesacrificed a cow. Whoever comes at the
third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram. Whoever comes at
the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a chicken. Whoever comes at
the fifth hour, it is as if he sacrificed an egg. Then when the imam
comes out, the angels come in to listen to the reminder (khutbah)." So
the time between sunrise and theimam's arrival is divided into five
parts, each of which may be equivalent to what we know as an hour
(sixty minutes), or it may be more or less, because time changes. So
there are five hours between sunrise and the imam's arrival for the
prayer, starting at sunrise. It wasalso said that it begins atthe
break of dawn, but the first view is more correct, because the time
before sunrise is the time for Fajr prayer.

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The light of the truth andthe fire of misconception

We live in a disturbed world. We encounter waves upon waves of
darkness. One who searches for the truth will struggle to see it,
except for he upon whom Allaah bestows His mercy and guides to it.
There are a multitude of television channels that people are exposed
to today, to the extent that the average universitygraduate watches
six hundred (600) hours of television annually.Eighty percent (80%) of
teenagersconsider television as their main source of information, to
say nothing of the effects of the internet. This is how great the
effect of this device is on them, to the point that one of those
surveyed stated that he flips between fifty two (52) television
channels daily.
Add to this other means, whether, text, audio or video, that influence
people's minds, and we come to realise that there is an immense
negative effect.
It is a common tool that has always been used by the enemiesof Islam.
They do not touch upon any aspect of our religion except that they
arouse misconceptions regarding it, and this represents a round in the
battle between the followers of the truth and thefollowers of
falsehood.
Man's natural disposition is to follow Islam as Allaah Says (what
means): "So direct your face [i.e., self] toward the religion,
inclining to truth. [Adhere to] theFitrah [i.e., natural disposition]
ofAllaah upon which He has created[all] people…" [Quran 30: 30] This
is what the enemies of Islam have launched a war against, in an
attempt to divert people from our religion. In a Sacred Hadeeth, the
Prophet narrated that Allaah Says: "I have created people upon natural
disposition (Islam), but the devils then divert them from their
religion and deem lawful for them what I have prohibited and command
them to associate with Me that for which I have not sent down
authority."
The situation has stemmed into people being divided into two groups:
those who believe and those who disbelieve. This is the wisdom of
Allaah, as He Says (what means): "And if your Lord had willed, He
could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to
differ." [Quran 11: 118] A group of peoplewill go to Hell and a group
will goto Paradise. This is based on His ultimate wisdom. Hell will be
filled, as Allaah Says (what means): "…And the word of your Lord is to
be fulfilled that: 'I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all
together.'" [Quran 11: 119] Allaah has addressed both Hell and
Paradise and informed them that He will admit into each enough
inhabitants to fill them.
Allaah has distinguished the people of the truth from those
offalsehood saying (what means): "Not equal are the blind and the
seeing. Nor are the darkness and the light. Nor are the shade and the
heat. And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allaah causes
to hear whom he wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.
You [O Muhammad] are not but a warner." [Quran 35: 19-23]
This propagation of misconceptions through satellite television
channels, radio stations, magazines and newspapers is such a dangerous
development that it could lead tomass confusion and disorder; it may
thereby kill people's hearts so that they may no longer possess the
ability to distinguish the truth.
It is the will of Allaah that he established proof against mankind by
revealing His books and sending His messengers, the Quran being the
last and final proof against His creation. Allaah Says (what means):
"And thus Wehave revealed to you an inspiration of Our command [i.e.,
the Quran]. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but
We have made it a lightby which We guide whom We will of Our
slaves..." [Quran 26: 52]
It is the light of guidance and therescue for those who are exposed to
such misconceptions. Allaah Says (what means): "Allaahis the Light
[i.e., the source and bestower of light and enlightenment] of the
heavens and the earth. The example of Hislight [i.e., guidance] is
like a nichewithin which is a lamp. The lamp is within glass, the
glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from[the oil of] a
blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil
would almost glow even if untouched by fire…" [Quran 24: 35]
These misconceptions and falsehoods which the disbelieverspropagate
are described by Allaah as (what means): "But the disbelievers – their
deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is
water until, when he comes to it, he finds it nothing but finds Allaah
before him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allaah is Swift
in Account. Or [they are] like darknesses within a deep sea which is
covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds –
darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand
[therein], he can hardly see it. And for he for whom Allaah has not
granted light – for him there is no light." [Quran 24: 39-40]
Some people are deafened to hearing the truth and blinded from seeing
it, they can never be guided to it. There are, however, others for
whom Allaah opened their hearts and guided to the truth; these people
acknowledged and accepted this and are alert to what Allaah has
revealed. Such people can clearly see the truth and easily
recogniseit, and this is the light that Allaahaddressed in the
abovementioned (thirty-fifth) verse of chapter An-Noor.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim stated:"Belief is complete light, and produces
light, and the abode of this light is the slave's heart and soul;
disbelief is utter darkness and leads to darkness, the place of which
is also in the heart and soul… When one whose heart is filled with
light reads the Quran, he feels as if its meanings were written in his
heart."
One of the ways of Allaah is His decree that conflict would
alwaysexist between the followers of the truth and those of falsehood,
as He Says (what means): "…And ifit were not for Allaah checking
[some] people by means of others, the earth would have been
corrupted…" [Quran 2: 251] This is something that is continuous, but
the final victory and good end will be in favour of the believers, as
Allaah Says (what means): "Allaah has written [i.e., decreed]: 'I will
surely overcome, I and My messengers' …" [Quran 58: 21]
Allaah willing, nobody can mislead with a misconception one whose
heart is pure and upon the sound nature on which he was created. When
a misconception presents itself to a believer whose heart is filled
with light that he derives from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of
the Messenger such a believer will strike truth upon the falsehood and
it destroys it, causing it to vanish.
True happiness and guidance lies in following the way of the Messenger
and real misery is the fruit of differing from his way. Imaam Ibn
Taymiyyah said: "The message (of Muhammad ) is light and life for the
universe, and is the way to its reformation. If life and lightare
missing, life becomes dark and cursed, except for the parts of it on
which the message was revealed. Likewise is the case for the slave:
unless the light of the message has risen in his heart and has
affected him, he will live in darkness until death."
The door of misconception was closed during the time of the Prophet
and during the caliphate of Abu Bakr but it was burst open by the
assassination of 'Umar . It was then that religious innovations began
to appear, andthe companions of the Messenger who had remained
resisted them resiliently. Things have continued to deteriorate from
that time until misconceptions have prevailed.
Allaah with His comprehensive Knowledge knew that such misconceptions
would appear, which is why He has instilled refutations for them in
the Quran. For example, a man once approached one of the Companions
holding a bone of a dead person and then crushed it in front of him,
asking:"Can your Lord revive this after what I have just done to it?"
Allaah then revealed the following verses (which mean): "Does man not
consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop – then at once
he is aclear adversary. And he presents for Us an example and forgets
his[own] creation. He says: 'Who willgive life to bones while they are
disintegrated?' Say: 'He will give them life who produced them the
first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.'" [Quran 36: 77-79]
Also, the disbelievers claimed that the Prophet was receiving and
relating the Quran from a non-Arab carpenter in Makkah, so Allaah
revealed the following verse (which means): "And We certainly know
that theysay: 'It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the
Prophet ].' The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this
[recitation, i.e., Quran] is in a clear Arabic language." [Quran
16:103]
The enemies of Islam have not left a single field except that theyhave
aroused misconceptions regarding it, even when it comes to Allaah, an
example of which is the claim of the Christians that Allaah is one of
three (i.e., the concept of trinity).
An important contemporary example of mass misconception is
globalisation, and this is something that we must all combat. Under
the pretext of this, everything is allowed, including television
channels thatpropagate Christianity and attack Islam, the Quran and
the Messenger and some of theseattacks are claimed, deceitfully
ofcourse, to be based on authentic prophetic narrations from
Al-Bukhaari. People therefore watch this and complain of thereby
becoming confused.
It is important, therefore, that a Muslim distances himself from
misconceptions and refuses to expose himself to them; he must leave
the matter of refuting misconceptions and debating with those who
propagate them to the scholars. How can a Muslim who believes in
Allaah and the Last Day attend gatherings or locations in which
misconceptions are discussed and expose his eyes to the prohibited
matters that occur in them and then complain of beingconfused? When
one watches anyof the multitudes of satellite television channels that
propagate misconception, he is committing a prohibition, because
Allaah Says (what means): "And when you see thosewho engage in
[offensive] discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them
until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause
you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the
wrongdoing people." [Quran 6: 68]
Imaam Ash-Shawkaani said: "This verse includes a stern reminder to
those who undermine sitting with innovators who play with the words
found in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah and who distort the correct
usage of words. The very least that one is required to do regarding
such people is to abandon sitting withthem, which is an effortless
action."
We have seen some of these cursed gatherings, refuted falsehood and
supported the truth on many occasions to the best of our ability, but
even thosewho are well founded upon knowledge have problems when they
sit with the people who propagate such filth. Therefore, ifa common
man allows such people to talk and sits and listensto them, he will
certainly becomeconfused.

The Key to Paradise

Imagine: There is a path to Paradise and as we move along the path,
with the very first step we find a huge signboard on which the
following is written:"Hijaab…the key to Paradise." Naturally, in order
to gain entry to Paradise, we have to know themerits and
characteristics of Hijaab (Islamic covering).
Hijaab fosters piety
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {O children of Adam, We have
bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as
adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that isbest. That is
from the signs of Allaah that perhaps they will remember.} [Quran
7:26]
It means that Allaah The Almighty sent two types of clothing: clothing
that covers your 'Awrah (private parts) and clothing that adorns and
beautifies you. The clothing of righteousness is the best. In other
words, religious prudence and fearing Allaah The Almighty provide the
best clothing that man can adorn himself with. Thatis because inner
purity is better than outer beauty, and the best clothing of man is
obedience to his Lord. There is no good in the one who disobeys Allaah
The Almighty.
Hijaab purifies the heart
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And when you ask [his wives]
for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for
your hearts and their hearts.} [Quran 33:53] It was narrated on the
authority of 'Aa'ishah that 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab said, "O Messenger
of Allaah, when righteous and dissolute men [both] may enter upon your
wives, it would be better to orderthem to be veiled." On this
occasion, the verse of Hijaab was revealed, {And when you ask [his
wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer
for your hearts and their hearts.} [Quran 33:53] This verse proves
that Hijaab is a barrier between the desires of the souls and
temptation of the hearts. It cuts the aspirations of those whohave
diseased hearts. So, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Then do
not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease
should covet.} [Quran 33:32]
Hijaab generates bashfulness
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
said: "Bashfulness is part of faith, and faith leads to Paradise."
[At-Tirmithi] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] There is no doubt that Hijaab makes
the woman realize her value in Islam and encourages her not to do
anything against the obligations of Islamic ethics and appearance.
Therefore, Hijaab leads the woman gradually to developing bashfulness
which itself requires her to wear Hijaab. In this way, every act of
worship leads the Muslim to another one. Our Mother 'Aa'ishah said,
I used to enter the house where the Prophet and my father were buried
putting aside my garment, saying that it is [only] my husband and
father. When 'Umar was buried there, I never entered except wearing
mygarment out of shyness of 'Umar . [Ahmad] [Al-Haakim:
Saheehaccording to the conditions stipulated by Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
Hijaab is a call to Sitr (covering and protection)
The Prophet said: "Any woman who takes off her clothesanywhere other
than her husband's house violates the Sitr (concealment and
protection) bestowed on her by Allaah The Almighty." [Ahmad]
[Al-Albaani: Saheeh] The woman who observes her Hijaab has attained
covering from Allaah The Almighty in this life and in the Hereafter
and she will be among the dwellers of Paradise which is the abode of
covering.
Hijaab is a Part of Fitrah
Hijaab and covering are part of the Fitrah (innate disposition) of the
woman. She, by nature, does not like anyone to look at her. Sometimes
a bashful Muslim woman may feel shy of her husband whom Allaah The
Almighty made lawful for her. Man's innate disposition calls himto
cover, whereas an animal's nature tends to nudity.
Hijaab is an act of worship
Hijaab is an act of worship offered to Allaah The Almighty since He is
the One who ordered the woman to wear it. Allaah TheAlmighty Says
(what means): {Andto wrap [a portion of] their head-covers over their
chests.} [Quran 24:31] The Muslim woman,who submits to the commands of
Allaah The Almighty, is the onewhose heart is filled with love
forAllaah The Almighty. The issue of Hijaab is not irrelevant to the
Sharee'ah (Islamic legislation) of Allaah and His laws in the
universe; rather, it is an issue that is firmly connected with the
creed and Sharee'ah at the same time.
Hijaab takes you to a good end
One of the righteous predecessors said, "If you want to know your
position in the sight of Allaah, see where He has placed you." If
Allaah has placed the Muslim woman in obedience and wearing Hijaab,
this would be her ultimate status in His sight. The Prophet said:
"'When Allaah wants to do good for one of his slaves, He utilizes
him." People asked, "How does Allaah utilize him?" He replied: "He
guides him to do a righteous deed before he dies, then takes away his
soul while performing it." [At-Tirmithi] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] Thus, if
Allaah The Almighty guides you, O pure sister, to wear Hijaab until
the last moment of your life, He would be utilizing you, and you
should prostrate in gratitude to Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab shields from sins
The Prophet said: "There are two groups of people who will enter Hell
but I have not seen them. One of them is a woman who is dressed but
appears to benaked." [Muslim] A woman who wears Hijaab keeps herself
away from the punishment of Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab is the symbol of the Muslim woman
As-Suddi reported that dissolute men used to annoy and abuse women
when they went out at night. If they found a woman wearing Hijaab,
they would leave her and say that she is a free woman; if they found
herwithout Hijaab, they would say that she is a bondmaid and would
harm her. On this occasion, Allaah The Almighty Revealed (what means):
{O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the
believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer
garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be
abused. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 33:59]
Hijaab is chastity
Allaah The Almighty addressed older women, whom men no longer desire,
Saying (what means): {And women of post-menstrual age who have no
desire for marriage -- there is no blame upon them for putting aside
their outer garments [but] not displaying adornment. But tomodestly
refrain [from that] is better for them. And Allaah is Hearing and
Knowing.} [Quran 24:60] It means that there is no blame or sin upon
them to put aside some of their clothes, such as the upper garment and
Jilbaab(garment worn over the clothes when going out), and appear
before men with their usual clothes that do not attract attention or
arouse sexual desires. So, the condition is that "{…not displaying
adornment}" for men to look at. After that Allaah The Almighty Says
(what means): {But to modestly refrain [from that] is better for
them}" meaning that covering themselves by wearing the Jilbaab and the
clothes of young women seeking comprehensive covering and chastity
would be better for them, and more honorable and purer in the sight of
Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab is an address to every believing woman
Allaah The Almighty does not tell anyone to wear Hijaab except every
believing woman who believes in Him and the Last Day. Allaah The
Almighty Says (what means):
پœ {…and women of the believers} [Quran 33:59]
پœ {And tell the believing women…} [Quran 24:31]
This shows that this address is directed to a sincere believing woman
whose heart has been touched by faith and who submits to the command
of Allaah The Almighty.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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Is Music Haram?

An article regarding Islamic Nasheed is located at the bottom of this article.
Evidence of prohibition in the Qur'aan and Sunnah:
Allaah says in Soorat Luqmaan (interpretationof the meaning):
"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing)
to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah..." [Luqmaan 31:6]
The scholar of the ummah, Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: this means singing. Mujaahid(may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
this means playing the drum (tabl). (Tafseer al-Tabari, 21/40).
Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this aayah
wasrevealed concerning singing and musical instruments (lit. woodwind
instruments).(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/451).
Al-Sa'di (may Allaah havemercy on him) said: this includes all manner
of haraam speech, all idle talk and falsehood, and all nonsense that
encourages kufr and disobedience; the wordsof those who say things to
refute the truth and argue in support of falsehood to defeat the
truth; and backbiting, slander, lies, insults and curses; the singing
and musical instruments of the Shaytaan; and musical instruments which
are of no spiritualor worldly benefit. (Tafseer al-Sa'di, 6/150)
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The interpretation
of the Sahaabah and Taabi'in, that 'idle talk' refers to singing, is
sufficient. Thiswas reported with saheeh isnaads from Ibn 'Abbaas and
Ibn Mas'ood. Abu'l-Sahbaa' said: I asked Ibn Mas'oodabout the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning), '"And of mankind is he who purchases
idle talks' [Luqmaan 31:6]. He said: By Allaah, besides Whomthere is
no other god, this means singing - and he repeated it three times. It
was also reported with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be
pleased with them both) that this means singing. There is no
contradictionbetween the interpretation of "idle talk" as meaning
singingand the interpretation of it as meaning stories of the Persians
and their kings, and the kings of the Romans, and so on, such as
al-Nadr ibn al-Haarith used to tell to the people of Makkah to
distract them from the Qur'aan. Both of them are idle talk. Hence Ibn
'Abbaas said: "Idle talk" is falsehood and singing.Some of the
Sahaabah said one and some said the other, and some saidboth. Singing
is worse and more harmful than stories of kings, because it leads to
zinaa and makes hypocrisy grow (in the heart); it is the trap of the
Shaytaan, and it clouds the mind. The way in which it blocks people
from the Qur'aan is worse than the way in which other kinds of false
talk block them, because people are naturally inclined towards it and
tend to want to listen to it. The aayaat condemn replacing the Qur'aan
with idle talk in order to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah
without knowledge and taking itas a joke, because when an aayah of the
Qur'aan is recited to such a person, he turns his backas if he heard
them not, as if there were deafnessin his ear. If he hears anything of
it, he makes fun of it. All of this happens only in the caseof the
people who are most stubbornly kaafirs and if some of it happens to
singers and those who listen to them, they both have a share of this
blame. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/258-259).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"[Allaah said to Iblees:] And befool them gradually those whom you can
among them with your voice (i.e. songs, music, and any other call for
Allaah's disobedience)..." [al-Israa' 17:64]
It was narrated that Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:"And
befool them gradually those whom you can among them with your voice" -
his voice [the voice of Iblees/Shaytaan] is singing and falsehood. Ibn
al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This idaafah
[possessive or genitive construction, i.e., your voice] serves to make
the meaning specific, as with the phrases [translated as] "your
cavalry" and "your infantry" [later in the same aayah]. Everyone who
speaks in any way that is not obedient to Allaah, everyone who blows
into a flute or other woodwind instrument, or who playsany haraam kind
of drum, this is the voice of the Shaytaan. Everyone who walks to
commit some act of disobedience towards Allaah is part of his [the
Shaytaan's] infantry, andanyone who rides to commit sin is part of his
cavalry. This is the view of the Salaf, as Ibn 'Abi Haatim narrated
from Ibn 'Abbaas: his infantry is everyone who walks to disobey
Allaah. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do you then wonder at this recitation (the Qur'aan)?
And you laugh at it and weep not,
Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing)"
[al-Najm 53:59-61]
'Ikrimah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:it was narrated from Ibn
'Abbaas that al-sumood [verbal noun from saamidoon, translated here as
"Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements
(singing)"] means "singing", in the dialect of Himyar; it might be
said "Ismidi lanaa" ['sing for us' - from the same root as
saamidoon/sumood] meaning "ghaniy" [sing]. And he said (may Allaah
have mercy on him): When they [the kuffaar] heard the Qur'aan, they
would sing, then this aayah was revealed.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning) "Wasting your (precious) lifetime in
pastime and amusements (singing)" - Sufyaan al-Thawri said, narrating
from his fatherfrom Ibn 'Abbaas: (this means) singing. This is Yemeni
(dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana [sing to us]. This was also the
view of 'Ikrimah. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
It was reported from Abu Umaamah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Do not sell singing slave women, do not buy them and do not
teach them. There is nothing good in this trade, and their price is
haraam. Concerning such things as this the aayah was revealed
(interpretation of the meaning): 'And of mankind is he who purchases
idle talks (i.e. music, singing) to mislead (men) from the path of
Allaah...' [Luqmaan 31:6]." (Hasan hadeeth)
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk,
alcohol and musical instruments..." (Narrated by al-Bukhaarita'leeqan,
no. 5590; narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 91).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This is a saheeh
hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, where he quoted it as
evidence and stated that it is mu'allaq and majzoom. He said: Chapter
on whatwas narrated concerning those who permit alcohol and call itby
another name.
This hadeeth indicates intwo ways that musical instruments and
enjoyment of listening to music are haraam. The first is the fact that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "[they]
permit" which clearly indicates that the things mentioned, including
musical instruments, are haraam according to sharee'ah, but those
people will permit them.The second is the fact that musical
instruments are mentioned alongside things which are definitely known
to be haraam, i.e., zinaa and alcohol: if they (musical instruments)
were not haraam, why would they be mentioned alongside these things?
(adapted from al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 1/140-141)
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:This hadeeth indicates that ma'aazif are haraam, and ma'aazif
means musical instruments according tothe scholars of (Arabic)
language. This word includes all such instruments. (al-Majmoo',
11/535).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: And concerning the
same topic similar comments were narrated from Sahlibn Sa'd
al-Saa'idi, 'Imraan ibn Husayn, 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr, 'Abd-Allaah ibn
'Abbaas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Umaamah al-Baahili, 'Aa'ishah Umm
al-Mu'mineen, 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib, Anas ibn Maalik, 'Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Saabit and al-Ghaazi ibn Rabee'ah. Then he mentioned it in
Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, and it indicates that they(musical instruments)
are haraam.
It was narrated that Naafi' (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ibn
'Umar heard a woodwind instrument, and he put his fingers in his ears
and kept away from that path. He said to me, O Naafi', can you hear
anything? I said, No. So he took his fingers away from his ears and
said: I was withthe Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and he heard something like this, and he did the same thing.
(Saheeh Abi Dawood). Some insignificant person said that this hadeeth
does not prove that musical instruments are haraam, because if that
were so, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) would have instructed Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah bepleased with
them both)to put his fingers in his ears as well, and Ibn 'Umar would
have instructed Naafi' to do likewise! The response to this is: He was
not listening to it, but he could hear it. There is a difference
between listening and hearing. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah) (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said:Concerning (music) which a person does
notintend to listen to, there is no prohibition or blame, according to
scholarly consensus. Hence blame or praise is connected to listening,
not to hearing. The one who listens to the Qur'aan will be rewarded
for it, whereasthe one who hears it without intending or wanting to
will not be rewarded for that, because actions are judged by
intentions. The same applies to musical instruments which are
forbidden: if aperson hears them without intending to, that does not
matter. (al-Majmoo', 10/78).
Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:the
listener is the one who intends to hear, which was not the case with
Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both); what happened in his
case was hearing. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) needed to know when the sound stopped because he had moved away
from that path and blocked his ears. So he did not want to go back to
that path or unblock his ears until the noise had stopped, so when he
allowed Ibn 'Umar to continue hearing it, this was because of
necessity. (al-Mughni, 10/173)
(Even though the hearing referred to in the comments of the twoimaams
is makrooh, it was permitted because of necessity, as we will see
below in the comments of Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him).
And Allaah knows best).
The views of the scholars(imaams) of Islam
Al-Qaasim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:Singing is part of
falsehood. Al-Hasan (mayAllaah have mercy on him) said: if there is
music involved in a dinner invitation (waleemah), do not accept the
invitation (al-Jaami by al-Qayrawaani, p. 262-263).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:The
view of the four Imaams is that all kinds of musical instruments are
haraam. It was reported in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that there
would be among his ummah those who would allow zinaa, silk, alcohol
and musical instruments, and he said that they would be transformed
into monkeys and pigs... None of the followers of the imaams mentioned
any dispute concerning the matter of music. (al-Majmoo', 11/576).
Al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:The four madhhabs are
agreed that all musical instruments are haraam. (al-Saheehah, 1/145).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The madhhab of Abu
Haneefah is the strictest in this regard, and his comments are among
the harshest. His companions clearly stated that it is haraam to
listen to all musical instruments such as the flute and the drum,
eventapping a stick. They stated that it is a sin which implies that a
person is a faasiq (rebellious evil doer) whose testimony should be
rejected. They went further than that and said that listening to music
is fisq (rebellion, evildoing) and enjoying it is kufr (disbelief).
This is their words. They narrated in support of that a hadeeth which
could not be attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). They said: he should try not to hearit if he passes by
it or it is in his vicinity. Abu Yoosuf said, concerning a house from
which could be heard the sound of musical instruments: Go in without
their permission, because forbidding evil actions isobligatory, and if
it werenot allowed to enter without permission, people could not have
fulfilled the obligatory duty (of enjoining what is good and
forbidding what is evil). (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/425).
Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about playing
the drum or flute, if a person happens to hear the sound and enjoy it
whilst he is walking or sitting. He said: He should get up if he finds
that he enjoys it, unless he is sitting down for a need or is unable
to get up. If he is on the road, he should either go backor move on.
(al-Jaami' byal-Qayrawaani, 262). He (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "The only people who do things like that, in our view, are
faasiqs." (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/55).
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Among the types
of earnings which are haraam by scholarly consensus are ribaa, the fee
of a prostitute, anything forbidden, bribes, payment for wailing over
the dead and singing, payments to fortune-tellers and those who claim
to know the unseen and astrologers, payments for playing flutes, and
allkinds of gambling. (al-Kaafi).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining theview
of Imaam al-Shaafa'i: His companions who know his madhhab (point of
view) stated that it is haraam and denounced those who said that he
permitted it. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/425).
The author of Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, who was one of the Shaafa'is,
counted musical instruments such as flutes and others, as being munkar
(evil), andthe one who is present (where they are being played) should
denounce them. (He cannot be excused by the fact that there are bad
scholars, because they are corrupting the sharee'ah, or evil faqeers -
meaning the Sufis, because they call themselves fuqaraa' or faqeers -
because they are ignorant and follow anyone who makes noise; they are
not guided by the light of knowledge; rather they are blown about by
every wind. (Kifaayat al-Akhbaar, 2/128).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard tothe
view of Imaam Ahmad, his son 'Abd-Allaah said: I asked my father about
singing.He said: Singing makes hypocrisy grow in the heart; I do not
like it. Then he mentioned the words of Maalik: the evildoers
(faasiqs) among us do that. (Ighaathat al-Lahfaan).
Ibn Qudaamah, the researcher of the Hanbali madhhab - (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: Musical instruments are of three types which are
haraam.These are the strings andall kinds of flute, and thelute, drum
and rabaab (stringed instrument) and so on. Whoever persists in
listening to them, his testimony should be rejected. (al-Mughni,
10/173). Andhe said (may Allaah havemercy on him); If a person is
invited to a gathering in which there is something objectionable, such
as wine and musical instruments, and he is able to denounce it, then
he should attend and speak out against it,because then he will be
combining two obligatory duties. If he isnot able to do that, then he
should not attend. (al-Kaafi, 3/118)
Al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:The scholars of all
regions are agreed that singing is makrooh and should be prevented.
Although Ibraaheem ibn Sa'd and 'Ubayd-Allaah al-'Anbari differed from
the majority, (it should be noted that) the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Adhere to the majority."
And whoever dies differing from the majority, dies as a jaahili.
(Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 14/56). In earlier generations, the word
"makrooh" was used to mean haraam, then it took on the meaning of
"disliked". But this is to be understood as meaning that it is
forbidden, because he [al-Tabari] said "it should be prevented", and
nothingis to be prevented except that which is haraam; and because in
the two hadeeths quoted, music is denounced in the strongest terms.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) is the one who narrated this
report, then he said: Abu'l-Faraj and al-Qaffaal among our companions
said: the testimony of the singer and the dancer is not to be
accepted. I say: if it is proven that this matter is not permissible,
then accepting payment for itis not permissible either.
Shaykh al-Fawzaan (mayAllaah preserve him) said: What Ibraaheem ibn
Sa'd and 'Ubayd-Allaah al-'Anbari said about singing is not like the
kind of singing that is known nowadays, for they would never have
allowed this kind of singing which is the utmost in immorality and
obscenity. (al-I'laam)
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not
permissible to make musical instruments. (al-Majmoo', 22/140). And he
said: According to the majority of fuqahaa', it is permissible to
destroy musical instruments, such as the tanboor [a stringed
instrument similar to a mandolin]. This is the view of Maalikand is
the more famous of the two views narrated from Ahmad. (al-Majmoo',
28/113). And he said: ...Ibn al-Mundhir mentioned that the scholars
were agreed that it is not permissible to pay people to sing and
wail... the consensus of all the scholars whose views we have learned
about is that wailing and singing are not allowed. Al-Shu'bi,
al-Nakha'i and Maalik regarded that as makrooh [i.e., haraam]. Abu
Thawr, al-Nu'maan -Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have mercy on him) - and
Ya'qoob and Muhammad, two of the students of Abu Haneefah said: it is
not permissible to pay anything for singing andwailing. This is our
view.And he said: musical instruments are the wine of the soul, and
what it does to the soul is worse than what intoxicating drinks do.
(Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 10/417).
Ibn Abi Shaybah (may Allaah have mercy on him) reported that a man
broke a mandolin belonging to another man, and the latter took his
case to Shurayh. But Shurayh did not award him any compensation -
i.e., he did not make the first man pay the cost of the mandolin,
because itwas haraam and had no value. (al-Musannaf, 5/395).
Al-Baghawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in a fatwa that it is
haraam to sell all kindsof musical instruments such as mandolins,
flutes, etc. Then he said: If the images are erased and the musical
instruments are altered, then it is permissible to sell their parts,
whether they are silver, iron, wood or whatever. (Sharh al-Sunnah,
8/28)
An appropriate exception
The exception to the above is the daff - without any rings (i.e., a
hand-drum which looks like a tambourine, but without any rattles) -
when used by women on Eids and at weddings.This is indicated by saheeh
reports. Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:But the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made allowances
for certain types of musical instruments at weddingsand the like, and
he made allowances for women to play the daff at weddings and on other
joyful occasions. But the men at his time did not play the daff or
clap with their hands. It was narrated in al-Saheeh that he
said:"Clapping is for women and tasbeeh (saying Subhaan Allaah) is for
men." And he cursed women who imitate men and men who imitate women.
Because singing and playing the daff are things that women do, the
Salaf used to call any man who did that a mukhannath (effeminate man),
and they used to call male singers effeminate - and how many of them
thereare nowadays! It is well known that the Salaf said this.
In a similar vein is the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her), when her father (may Allaah be pleased with him) entered
upon her at the time of Eid, and there were two young girls with her
who were singing the verses that the Ansaar had said on the day of
Bu'aath - and any sensible person will know what people say about war.
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Musical instruments
of the Shaytaan in the house ofthe Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)!" The Messenger of Allaah had turned
away from them and was facing thewall - hence some scholars said that
Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) wouldnot tell anybody off in
front of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), but he thought that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) wasnot paying attention to what was
happening. And Allaah knows best. He (the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him)) said:"Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr, for every
nation has its Eid, and this is our Eid, the people of Islam." This
hadeeth shows that it was not the habit of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions to gather tolisten
to singing, hence Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq called it "the musical
instruments of the Shaytaan". And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) approved of this appellation and did not deny it
when he said, "Leave them alone, for every nation has its Eid and this
is our Eid." This indicates that the reason why this was permitted was
because it was the time of Eid, and the prohibition remained in effect
at times other than Eid, apart from the exceptions made for weddings
in other ahaadeeth. Shaykh al-Albaani explained thisin his valuable
book Tahreem Aalaat al-Tarab (the Prohibition of Musical Instruments).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of
young girls singing at Eid, as stated in the hadeeth: "So that the
mushrikeen will know that in our religion thereis room for
relaxation." There is no indication in the hadeeth about the two young
girls that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
listening to them. The commands and prohibitions have todo with
listening, not merely hearing, just as in the case of seeing, therules
have to do with intentionally looking and not what happens by
accident. So it is clear that this is for women only. Imaam Abu 'Ubayd
(may Allaah have mercy on him) defined the daffas "that which is
played by women." (Ghareeb al-Hadeeth, 3/64).
An inappropriate exception
Some of them make an exception for drums at times of war, and
consequentially some modern scholars have said that military music is
allowed. But there is no basis for this at all, for a number of
reasons,the first of which is that this is making an exception with no
clear evidence, apart from mere opinion and thinking that it is good,
and this is wrong. The second reason is that what the Muslims shoulddo
at times of war is to turn their hearts towards their Lord. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They ask you (O Muhammad) about the spoils of war. Say: 'The spoils
are for Allaah and the Messenger.' So fear Allaah and adjust all
matters of difference among you..." [al-Anfaal 8:1]. But using music
is the opposite of this idea of taqwa and it would distract them from
remembering their Lord.Thirdly, using music is one of the customs of
the kuffaar, and it is not permitted to imitate them, especially with
regard to something that Allaah has forbidden to us in general, such
as music. (al-Saheehah, 1/145)
"No people go astray after having been guided except they developed
arguments amongst themselves." (Saheeh)
Some of them used the hadeeth about the Abyssinians playing in the
mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as
evidence that singing is allowed! Al-Bukhaari included thishadeeth in
his Saheeh under the heading Baab al-Hiraab wa'l-Daraq Yawm al-'Eid
(Chapter onSpears and Shields on the Day of Eid). Al-Nawawi (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said:This indicates that it is permissible
to play with weapons and the like in the mosque, and he applied that
to other activities connected withjihaad. (Sharh Muslim). But as
al-Haafiz ibn Hajar(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: whoever speaks
about something which is not his profession will come up with weird
ideas such asthese.
Some of them use as evidence the hadeeth about the singing of the two
young girls, which we have discussed above, but we will quotewhat Ibn
al-Qayyim (mayAllaah have mercy on him) said, because it is valuable:
I am amazed that you quote as evidence for allowing listening to
sophisticated songs the report which we mentioned about how two young
girls who were below the age of puberty sang to a young woman on the
day of Eidsome verses of Arab poetry about bravery in war and other
noble characteristics. How can you compare this to that? What is
strange is that this hadeeth is one of the strongest proofs against
them. The greatest speaker of the truth [Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq] called
them musical instruments of the Shaytaan, and the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that
appellation, but he made an exception in the case of these two young
girls who had notyet reached the age of responsibility and the words
of whose songs could not corrupt anyone who listened to them. Can this
be used asevidence to allow what you do and what you know of listening
(to music) which includes (bad) things which are not hidden?! Subhaan
Allaah! How people can be led astray! (Madaarij al-Saalikeen, 1/493).

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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