MUSIC AND ITS EFFECTS [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

It
is no secret that the songs music and films depend upon sex-appeal for their success. The
more sexy a song the more its sale; the more suggestive a music, the more its market
value. And also it is no secret that building the character of the children begins from
their very tender age. If they are exposed to obscense songs sexy music and suggestive
dances in their childhood, their entire outlook on the matters of sex morality and
marriage-sanctity will become jaundiced. They will lose the capacity to distinguish
between moral and immoral modesty and immodesty chastity and promiscuity.

Some
people think that the children do not understand these things! Such people are wrong.

Thus,
by listening to the songs and seeing the dance on television, we ruin the moral
uprightness of our children. If we believe that the children are given to us by Allah as a
trust and that we are responsible to give them such a training that they become good
Muslims and virtuous servants of Allah, then we must abstain from songs and music; and
must keep them safe from the evil influence of these sinful habits. You will find this
subject adequately explained in the Appendix.

(8)
THE QUR’AN ON MUSIC

After
briefly explaining the evil effects of Music and dance, now time has come to give here
some of the ayats of the Qur’an and some of the traditions of the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.) and Imams (a.s.) on this subject.

Here
are four Ayats of the Qur’an which forbid the Muslims from indulging into music.

"So
abstain from the pollution of the idols and abstain from false vain words." 22:30.

The
Arabic word "Zoor" has several meanings which include falsehood and the musical
expressions. According to Imam Jafer Sadique (a.s.) "pollution of the idols"
means Chess; and "Vain words" means music.

See
how ‘Music’ has been joined in this Ayat with the pollution of idols"; only
then you can appreciate the seriousness of the sin of the Music.

"And
of the people there is he who buys a ‘vain talk’ so that he may lead others
astray from the path of Allah without (real) knowledge and takes it (the revelation of
Allah) for a mockery; for these shall be a disgracing chastisement (punishment)."
31:6.

‘Lahw’
means any thing which diverts the mind from serious thinking. "Vain talk" has
been interpreted by the Imam as some talk sound or thing which diverts the attention of
man from the ultimate aim of his creation; in other words makes him forget Allah and His
commands. For example, fictions romantic stories, and such useless talks. "It
includes ‘Music’, intoxicants and all such diversions." (Tafseer As-Safi)

Imam
Muhammad Baquir (a.s.) said: Music is among the things for which Allah has promised the
Fire (of Hell). Then he recited the above Ayat. (Kafi; Wasael us Shia; Tafseer As-Safi)

"Indeed
successful are the believers those who in their prayer are humble and those who keep
themselves aloof from Vain (words and deeds)." (23:1-3).

‘Laghw’
(Vain words and actions): The first Imam Ali (a.s.) said that "all that is void of
the remembrance of Allah is ‘Laghv’. According to other authentic traditions of
Imams, ‘Laghv’ means all useless entertainment, wasteful of times among which
music has been specifically mentioned. Also included in this term are vain games played
just to while away the time.

"And
the servants of the Merciful Allah are those...................... who bear not witness to
what is false, and when they pass by what is vain they pass with dignity". (25:72).

The
words ‘Zoor’ and ‘Laghv’ have been explained earlier. According to the
traditions of Imams (a.s.), the first part may also be translated in this way: "who
do not witness what is vain"! and accordingly, it has been interpreted in the
exegesis of the Qur’an as "do not listen to music."

The
following two traditions explain the second part:

Imam
Jafer Sadique (a.s.) asked some of his companions: "Where are you staying?"

They replied: "With so and so, who has singing and dancing girls.

Imam said: "You should have dignity."

They thought that Imam (a.s.) had advised them to treat that man generously. But they were
not sure; so they returned to the Imam and requested him to explain his meaning to them.

Imam
said: "have not you heard Allah saying when they pass by what is vain they pass with
dignity’ ?

Imam
meant that you should not stay with a man who has singing and dancing girls.

Second
tradition: Muhammad bin Abi Ibad was known to indulge in music and liquor. He once asked
Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.) about listening to music.

Imam
said: Some people in Hijaz have their own view about it; but that view is absolutely
wrong. Have you not heard the word of Allah ‘when they pass by what is vain they pass
in dignity’?"

I
think this much should be enough for a follower of, Muhammad (s.a.w.) and Ahul ul Bait
(a.s.).

(9) SOME TRADITIONS ON MUSIC

After
Ayats of the Qur’an, I mention here some of the traditions of the Holy Prophet of
Islam (s.a.w.) and Imams (a.s.) about musical sound, musical instruments, and musical
parties.

1.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "When my Ummat (followers) will acquire fifteen
habits they will be visited by disasters:

1)
When the booty will be treated as personal property;

2)
and trust will become like a booty of war;

3)
and charity will be (disliked) like a loss;

4&5)
and man will obey his wife and disobey his mother;

6&7)
and will be generous to his friend and tyrant to his father;

8)
and voices will be high in the mosques;

9)
and a man will be respected as a safeguard against his evil;

10)
and the leader of the people will be the worst of them;

11)
and men will wear silk;

12)
and people will keep singing and dancing girls;

13)
and will keep musical instruments;

14)
and will drink intoxicants;

15)
and fornication will increase;

at
that time expect red storms or depression of land-mass or changing your faces like the
image of animals and the victory of your enemy upon you; and then you will not be helped
(by Allah)."

2.
The Holy Prophet of Islam describing the signs of the Day of Judgment said: "Verily
amongst the signs of the Hour is that people will neglect prayers (will not pray in the
preferred time)! and will follow their desires, and will incline towards their own
preferences..................... In those days, there will be people who will learn the
Qur’an for other than Allah (i.e.; for earning worldly benefits), and will treat the
Qur’an as musical instrument (as is happening today in Islamic countries where
Qur’an is recited on the radios just to entertain the listeners); and there will be
people who will study religion for other than Allah (for earning prestige or wealth as is
happening today when the main purpose of study of religion is to be come a good orator, so
that higher and higher fees may be demanded from the audience), and number of illegitimate
children will increase, and people will sing the Qur’an,.......... and will adore
musical instruments, and will dislike enjoining the good and forbidding the
evil,.............These are the people who will be called unclean and dirty in the kingdom
of heaven."

3.
Imam Jaffer Sadique (a.s.) said: "Music is the nest of hypocrisy."

4.
Also he said: "Music is the worst of the sounds."

5.
Imam Jafer Sadique (a.s.) said: The place where music is performed, Allah does not look at
its participants (with mercy).

6.
Also the Imam (a.s.) said: "Listening to music and vain (sounds) grows hypocrisy as
the water grows the plants.

7.
Hassan (a companion of Imam Jafer Sadique a.s.) said: There was a man in my neighbourhood
who had singing girls; and he always remained immersed in music and dance. When I went to
W.C., I used to stay a bit longer (to listen to those sounds). When I want to Imam Jafer
Sadique (a.s.), he told me: O Hasan, Verily the ear, and the eye and the heart, all of
them will he asked. The ear and what it listened to, the eye and what it looked at and the
heart and what it intended."

Hasan
says: When I heard that Ayat of the Qur’an, it was as though I had never heard it
before. Then I repented (from my sin of listening to music) and made a convent with Allah
not to do it again.

The
Imam (a.s.) said: "Stand up have bath and pray to Allah as much as you wish. How bad
would have been your position if you had died with this habit. Repent before Allah and ask
His forgiveness for every evil because Allah does not dislike but evil, leaves evil for
evil people; because for every thing are its people.

In
a list of major sins which he sent to Caliph Mamun Rashid, Imam Ali Ar-Ridha (a.s.)
mentioned the participation in the musical gatherings.

MUSIC AS PER THE COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY
PROPHET (S.A.W.)

Caliph
Omar heard the sound of a flute of a sheperd and he hastily plugged his ears with his
finger and turned his mouth to a different path saying : "The Prophet (s.a.w) heard
the sound of a sheperd once when I was with him. He did not like it."

Abu
Aamah reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) that Holy Prophet (s.a.w)
prohibited trade in singing slave maids and training them for singing and said that their
sale proceeds were unlawful.

On
the authority of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) Hazarat Ayesha narrates that the Prophet
(s.a.w.) said that Almighty Allah has made unlawful the trade in singing slave maids,
their training and listening to their songs.

Abdur
Rahman bin Auf narrates that the Holy Prophet said that Almighty Allah has forbidden two
nonsensical and wicked voices, one is melody and the other is the cry in distress.

Akramah
reports the words of Ibne Abbas that the Prophet (s.a.w.)

said
that Almighty Allah has raised me to destroy flute and the drum.

Sahl
Bin Saad narrates that Holy Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Submersion below the surface of
the earth, raining of stones from the sky and multilation of figures shall come about in
my ummat."

The
companions asked, "O the Prophet of Allah when shall it happen.?"

The
Prophet (s.a.w) there upon said:" When musical instruments shall be in abundance and
there shall be a large number of the singing girls and shall be unlawful."

Abu
Talib Tibri says that Imam Malik condemned music and forbid listening to it and said
:"If you buy a slave maid and afterwards you find her to be singing girl, it shall be
lawful for the buyer to restore her to the seller."

Imam
Safii said that music was an abhorant sport. It was just like a filty thing and the one
who listening to excessive music was a fool. His evidence shall be rejected.

Abu
Tayyab says : Shafii declared music as abhorrent.

Tradition
on abhorence of music has also come down from Ahmad Bin Hambal.

Abu
Tayyeb Tibri says that Imam Abu Hanifa considered music as abhorrent and held singing as
sin. The same is the view of all the scholars of Kufa like Ibrahim, Shahabi, Hammad,
Soufian Thousi and other. There is no difference even among the scholars of Basarah in
respect of its being abhorrent and forbidden.

This
was the reaction of the companions towards the ordinary music of past times. How forceful
would have been their condemnation of music, musical bands and dance of today.

MUSIC IN THE LIGHT OF TRADITIONS

Holy
Prophet (s.a.w) said, "I forbid you to dance and to play the flute, the drum and the