Because they're "un-Islamic." Islamic law forbids music (cf. 'Umdat al-Salik r40.1), although this law has of course often been ignored. There is some terrific music created in the Islamic world. And of course there was beginning in the Fifties an Islamic vogue in American jazz, with prominent musicians -- Art Blakey (Abdullah ibn Buhaina), Yusef Lateef -- converting to Islam. Of course music can be and has been used as a vehicle for da'wah: this excellent 1970 recording takes its name from an imprecation against the unbelievers in Qur'an 2:18.
But the law remains -- it has never been reformed or rejected by any significant Islamic authority. Consequently it can always be reasserted, as here.
From AFP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A homemade bomb blew up three video and music shops in a market in northwest Pakistan where hardliners believe the businesses are un-Islamic, police said Sunday.The blast happened late Saturday in Swabi, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Peshawar, the capital of the deeply conservative North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, they said.
“It destroyed one shop and partially damaged two others, but there were no casualties as the market was closed,” local police chief Fazal Elahi Badshah told AFP.
The blast occurred in the Gulzada Market, which has some 80 shops of CDs, DVDs, tape recorders and also houses groups of bands usually hired to perform in wedding ceremonies, residents said.
Islamic hardliners who say music and movies are un-Islamic have dubbed the shopping complex the “Hell market,” they said, adding that some shopkeepers had received warning letters in the past.
The province has seen previous attacks on video and music shops blamed on extremists emulating the ultra-orthodox Taleban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.
Blakey a Muslim? That's disappointing. Geez I hope Bobby Timmons didn't convert too. "Moanin'" is one of my all-time faves.
On the other hand, Islam can have Lateef. Cannonball Adderley's years with Joe Zawinul were awesome, but things started going downhill when Lateef joined the band.
Speaking of Zawinul, I think an edict should be issued barring groups with insufficient talent from covering "Birdland". I'm talking high school bands, wedding bands, hotel bands and the like.
Isn't this an excellent point of attack against Islam? Point out repeatedly to Muslims what their holy texts say about the necessity of abjuring music and its enjoyment. You like Lata Gee? Un-Islamic! The most revered scholars say so, and they are never wrong!
What human can live without music? On this point alone (there are, as we know, so many others), Islam is starkly evident as the most anti-human invention in a long, sorry history of truly rotten anti-human ideas.
Some-one, (I don't know who) said that the weak hate pleasure, and try to suppress any enjoyment of it.
It's the strong who allow themselves to enjoy pleasure.
Happy life is un-islamic.
islamic music -- BLOW OUT SALE! One day only while supplies last.
Pakistan means 'Holy land',I believe. Only thing holy about it is-bullet holes-not to mention bomb
craters, burnt out buildings,rubbish,squalor,filth of every kind along with flies,dust and Death Cult of Islam.
By the time market traders are banned & bombed for putting cucumbers next to tomatoes-an indecent & unislamic display [tomatoes need to veiled in case cucumbers get an erection]-Pakistan will be even more of a Hellhole than it is now.SOUND THOSE TRUMPETS INFIDELS!
Concerning that hideous word "un-Islamic," I learned yesterday from reading that in the Nazi Era when books were burned in 1933 these books were considered "un-German." I kid you not! The many parallels between today's Muslims and the not-too-distant past Nazi's are many and spot on.
No, "Pakistan" means "Land of the Pure People." LOL - is that a kneeslapper, or what?
Speaking of great Islamic music, anyone familiar with the DVD Alabina? Really fantastic stuff in Arabic and Spanish.
Look at it this way: If the intolerance, violence and intellectual stagnation in Islam doesn't convince people it's bad news, then maybe trying to supress music, great music that the Arabs really know how to create, will do so.
Maybe they should put some pineapples between the cucumbers and tomatoes to act as a chaperone.
“What human can live without music? On this point alone (there are, as we know, so many others), Islam is starkly evident as the most anti-human invention in a long, sorry history of truly rotten anti-human ideas.” –Dane
Indeed, but the imams are right, Music is un-Islamic since the “prophet” Muhammad didn’t like it. Music has its divine spark and humanistic soul, so naturally the devil hates it.
I bought a CD way back in 1999 called "Hamza al Oud," it's great! This "Hamza" is an African Muslim. I believe the instrument he plays is the "Oud." I would recommend this CD to anyone, it's very nice, a pleasure to listen to.
its not the music in general, its the free will expression contained within what is being sold there. That music that is not straight from the Mosque...and music being such a power vehicle to express creative thought, the Murder Cult devotees instantly recognize it's power to sway thoughts & attitudes away from the borg-o-slam resistance is futile/submit or die fascism.
Just like the Nazis and the book burnings of anything deemed a threat against the thousand year reich, The Murder Cult is taking matter into their own hands because the entire society isn't within their oppressive grip [yet] within Pakistan.
Music is un-Islamic.
Murder is very Islamic.
Movies are un-Islamic.
Beheadings are deeply Islamic.
Free speech is un-Islamic.
"Honour" killings are truly Islamic.
Hatred is ingrained in Islam.
Etc,etc........
Sighhhhhhhhh.
What a woefully dispicable group of misfits.
No wonder the Muslim areas around the world exist in a state of uncivilised barbary.
my post disappeared? l will redo it again. former good music maker, Cat Stevens, now muslim in iran, still sings, and has his daughters sing, of course it is not the same, really bad now, and most likely why they ban music song by when islamist. they just cant sing well it seems, just look at Cat stevens, oh l remember my older brother bringing Cat Steven's music home and we just loved it. oh well.. ban music
in cesspoolstan, the more muslim clerics make life more miserable for muslims, the more the people realize islam sucks.
Freedom, that is a great list of contrasts! How right you are.
Correction: It's "Hamza El Din: Al Oud." An East African Muslim musician. I guess they don't muzzle 'em in Africa as much as in the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan.
Ya know what I think? I think 7th Century Arabs were lousy musicians who could not play a note or carry a tune. Mohammed was so sick of their awful attempts to make music that he told them that if they could not get it together, he would ban music. Which out of frustration and anger, he did.
I base that comment on Arab music, which I have heard.
The only Arab inspired song of ant merit is "Ahab the Arab."
darcy
I like to call Pakistan the land of pure s***. They think they share their heritage with the Arabs. Look at how they repress their own traditions.
"You Need Beethoven to Modernize"
http://www.meforum.org/article/407
And have you ever hear Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) sing? He now sounds awful and his music is so degenerated: the clear sign of Islam's destructive force on musical creativity and on the human soul.
Islamic law forbids music?
Better hope no one with this idea sees the PBS series "America at a Crossroads".
The "coolest" Muslim kid in the Netherlands is a rapper who is creating a music video to distribute to all schools in the Netherlands.
Why civilized Western European nations have allowed the Barbarians to take over, I don't know. Any theories, anyone? Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands doesn't have the country's flag flying at schools anymore because it might offend Muslims. How could she? What the h- is happening??
Darcy,
One reason is the Europeans are disappearing because they won't have enough children to maintain the population. Hence, they need workers to support the welfare state.
A more basic reason is that they were cowed by the PLO's terrorist attacks throughout Europe in the 1970s and 1980s.
Demographics and terrorism - a deadly mixture.
One of the unorthodox aspects of the Nation of Islam is its permitting the use of music even at some of its gatherings.
Surely the prohibition on music ought to be made more widely known, especially among those who are targetted for campaigns of Da'wa.
Amongst other such gory news from Pakistan, we also find out such interesting factoids like :
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?175839
Apparently, the French and the Germans are anxious to arm these very same people:
"Germany in talks with Pakistan over sale of three submarines - Sunday April 22, 2007 (0608 PST)"
QUOTE
Berlin: A German defense consortium is involved in talks with the Pakistani navy over the construction of three conventional submarines, the Berlin-based Neues Deutschland cited a confidential document of the German Finance Ministry.
The German government is ready to vouch for the submarine deal with one billion euros....
News reports said earlier that French and German defense firms are vying to sell Pakistan at least three new submarines, in a contract that could be worth up to 1.5 billion US dollars.
UNQUOTE
Why arm a jihadi state?
More on Islam and jazz in the '50s can be found in Dizzy Gillespie's autobiography, To Be or Not to Bop, specifically on pp. 291-94.
Dizzy notes many followed it for "social rather than religious reasons." In particular, he says many were attracted to the prospect of taking on a new identity that they hoped would allow them to dodge discrimination against black people:
Page 291:
According to Dizzy, this also apparently allowed some liberties in stating one's race on the police-issued cabaret cards.
Clearly, as in the case of Pharoah Sanders (who also had an album called Tauhid), some in jazz have taken it very seriously. But I haven't heard of any yet who have completely sworn off music, as Cat Stevens initially did.
The very idea of music being demonized by Islam should be the equivalent to a trumpet charge for all Westerners. There is so little joy in the Muslim world -- little wonder they are so ready to murder others while murdering themselves.
I listened to the sample from the album, "Night Silence Desert" -- wow. Thank you, Robert. The music is terrific!
Yes, the music can be used for da'wa, I guess. But, then again, it could also be used in another way. There are certain tunes (call to prayers, etc.), could such tunes not be parodied? ok, ok, a gentle parody...does the term "klezmer" ring a bell? (eh, eh, eh)
Maybe it's a rival music group blowing up the competition. Kind of like 50-Cent and Ja Rule, or 2 Pac and NOtoious BIG. You people ignore the stuff you have in this filthy culture and choose to find the most distant of example whereas a plethora of them exists in your own backyard.
Music is a part of the human SOUL, it is part of humanity on a genetic level , therefore it is no suprise that ISLAM forbids it. "Islam" robs the human soul/spirit of everything it means to be human and replaces it with a mindless godless, souless bloodthirsty ROBOT!.
I'd rather die than live in a world without Joy or music. on second thought i'd rather Islam and all it's evils die rather than live in a world without music or joy. lol
Islam is ANTI humanity!!
None of this matters as I have been entertained by Shia Muslims reinacting "the story" of Yazid with with singing and music in a sort of Japanese theater type productions as they were on pilgrimage to Iraq.
Muslims pick and choose just what they want and most want music.
To waste time because a few anal Islamists are blowing up shops is to miss the point when these Cindy Sheehan protestors get music stopped they will be blowing up something else.
This is what they do and will do until they are dead.
Anybody ever hear "Spirits of Our Ancestors" by Randy Weston? It's a great album featuring Pharoah Sanders and Dizzy Gillespe with arrangements by Melba Liston. Weston's years in Morocco come through clearly in the music. More pre-Islamic than Islamic though - go figure...
Also, Shafi Hadi (Curtis Porter) was a convert who's playing I always liked - especially with Mingus.
Always found Yusuf Lateef's "Love Theme From Spartacus" fine, but unintentionally ironic.
Considering the anti-freedom message of the Koran.
And anti-art message of Mohammad and anti-music message of his Caliphate followers.
Enjoy the tune, ignore the instrument.
I remember reading about a terrorist who's ambition was to become a suicide bomber in Iraq. This fanatic said he hated music and that he looked forward to a world without music.Welcome to the twisted world Islam.A world where violence and hate are good while joy and love are evil.
Hugh, The Nation of Islam must permit music because music is an integral part of African-American culture. Hpw could they deny their followers that?
Islamic orthodoxy is like a cloud over the human spirit, but sometimes the soul breaks through and shines.
The point is they will let music be heard , but only the music the islamists allow! The clothes they allow, the marrage, the shop with the goods they allow. This is Nazi Germany all over again, and half the world is asleep. Watching America at the crossroads the other night, it seemed that the islamists attacked everything first. While claiming they were the first to be repressed. Now I'll say wake up world.
Yes, it's definitely Nazi Germany again and it's shocking how ignorant and stupid so many Americans are and how many are ostriches, their heads in the sand.
I believe it's going to take another huge Muslim attack the scale of 9/11 to wake these morons up.
A damn good reason to fight them. I will not part with my music willingly, not even the Cat Stevens songs.
YouTube features a number of Kurdish wedding music, dances (some of it could go on for hours, I guess); also some Lebanese wedding music; even some Persian music. To the extent that it's celebratory, I guess it defies Islam (and the bleakness of the generally dark, Islamic view of things.)
Crusadertothecore--there is a HUGE difference between rappers engaging in personal feuds, and zealots attempting to destroy music altogether because their religious beliefs mandate it. Get a clue already. You won't be seeing any music stores in America blown up like this--unless a Muslim does it.
This article is also a great counter to An American's ludicrous assertion yesterday that Islamic countries have a lot in common with America in terms of "freedoms of expression".
Marisol and Jan:
Ah, "Tauhid" and "Spirits of Our Ancestors" -- two all-time classics.
Thanks for reminding me of them. Now I have this afternoon's playlist.
Yrs
R
"Islamic law forbids music?
...
The "coolest" Muslim kid in the Netherlands is a rapper who is creating a music video to distribute to all schools in the Netherlands."
Yes, strictly speaking Islam forbids music, especially as the humanistic art form that has developed in the West, and that means for instance, instrumental and classical music, love songs, all sorts of popular music, rock & roll, show music, dance music etc.
“Going strictly by the text of the Qur’an, for me the term lahv al-hadith appearing in verse 6 of chapter 31 (Luqmaan) is sufficient to believe that God forbids music among other, as well. The words lahv al-hadith imply such a thing as may allure and absorb a listener completely and make him heedless of everything else around him. Lexically, there seems nothing derogatory in these words, but in custom and usage they apply to evil, useless and vain things, which include: time killing gossip, nonsensical talk, joking and jesting, fictitious legends and tales, singing and merry-making etc…..”
http://www.jamaat.org/qa/music.html
Of course, not everyone who calls him/herself a Muslim goes along with this and indeed some imams/mullahs (like Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini even) would allow military marches and of course singing that extols jihad (i.e., propaganda “music”). I’m not surprised that rap might be used by Islamicists. Rap, IMO, is really a music substitute for the melodic challenged who want to deliver a message or obscenity with monotonous motivs and rhythms repeated ad nauseam. Here’s an example of Islamic rap:
"The revolution's gonna shine
Shine its light on Palestine
Armageddon round the corner kid I'm cockin' my nine
Israelis fightin' coz they think its theirs I'm fightin' coz I know it's mine
I'ma kill Sharon that devil's mine."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/108750_muslimrap.shtml
Not exactly The Sound of Music, which per Islam could get a Muslim girl her bloody head on the grass. What a virulent plague this cult is.
Instead of a heart that beat in a rhythm, it was a turbine like organ that did not make a rhythmic thump in our chests, there might not be music as we know it. 4/4 time is a very common musical beat, similar to the heart. Music and rhythm is God's (not Allah's) creation.
I would think the posting I made last time about shariah in Pakiland would apply to this as well:
-- The Pak government is behind closed doors going to cave right in. The vast majority of their gov't and the ISI no doubt agree with him. To properly deal with Pakis, some of the wrtings I made last time might be useful as opposed to expecting the Pakis to take this seriously:
-The interesting thing is, if India and Pakistan would ever just agree to let all the states in India, including kashmir, and all the provinces in pakistan, choose for themselves which country they want to be a part of, India would end up with all its original land plus well over half of pakistan's land. Balochistan, Pak-held kashmir and Sindh would all end up with India.
Granted, it would mean India would end up with new muslim states in the form of balochistan, sindh and PoK, but these are by and large muslims only in the most liberal and nominal sense, and largely pro-indian and pro-american in nature. India would be able to immediately go about de-islamisizing these peoples and making them once again prosperous states, safe for religous minorities, (a prime case being the 1.5 million hindu sindhis still in pakiland and the exiled hindu sindhis). Especially since decades of persecution and massacres have convinced these peoples the idea of "muslim brothers" united as one is just bulls***, a smokescreen used by muslims of a dominant group, i.e. arabs and arabized people like Pak "punjabs" to torture, steal from and kill subjected muslims at will. All while trying to unite them against kuffars to distract them from the problems they cause.
Well, for starters, encouraging them to emphasize their own culture as opposed to the islamic one. Remember, as people who've left islam entirely, like Ibn Warraq and Anwar Shaikh confirm, one reason why muslims are now leaving islam at such high rates is that it does not encourage any respect for cultures and heritages unrelated to islam. That's why Iranians, Turks, Indian Muslims, Malaysian Muslims, and Algerian Amazigh among others are often keen to leave islam entirely in large groups at a time. Moreover, as Hugh has also noted, in Darfur, if Christian Missionaries were properly encouraged there, the amount of converts from islam would be huge. As it is, I've heard a prominent islamic leader, (I forget the exact source), note with fear how several million muslims leave Africa per year, and many of them are probably black muslims in Sudan, Chad, Niger and elsewhere who've had to tolerate mistreatment and all sorts of crap from Islamic Arabists quick to pronounce takfir on them.
Hence, the point about Pakistan is , as Indians I've talked about it to confirm, that for the Sindis, Baloch and peoples of PAK-held Kashmir, they have a stronger loyalty to their cultural heritage that is stronger than whatever loyalty they have to islam. Among the Baloch, for example, there are a great many people who though identified as muslims are basically atheist or agonistic. And the borderline genocidal treatment of them by Islamist Pakis has only made their loyalty to their culture over the islamic umma stronger. Peoples like the Baloch, Sindhis and Pak-held kashmiris indeed have appeared to figure out that Islam, or at least, miltant, politicized islam, itself is respnsible for their mistreatment, that Paki "Punjabs" are about as purely and hideously muslim as you can get. Hence, India and America should be looking at these provinces exactly like they should Darfur and Southern Sudan. -
Of course, this is just a start; India much like lmost every non-muslim state, save few excetpions like Ethiopia, China, Kenya and Burma, has to start treating jihad expansionist the way they deserve to be treated. Clearly it is not going to be realistic to expect India or most non-muslim states to ever take such measures as deporting muslim citizens, denying them voting or other basic rights or banning any more muslims from ever coming it. But outlawing madrasssas, any mosques receiving any funding from the middle east and shutting down and declaring as hate speech Al-Jazeerah and all other Arabist networks is, I'd hope, a reasonable start. This of course holds true for both India's current land and any future territory India would ever get from Pakis. --
Clearly, you're only messing with yourself if you believe the Paki leadership is not at least consenting to the increasing talebanic activities and likely giving them protection and figthing alongside the military wing of the Taleban, using their military force to coerce the locals into bending toward their islamic will.
During my first visit to an Islamic country I arrived late at night and checked into the upper floor hotel room after midnight. It was warm so I opened the window. A few hours later a deafening blast of sound knocked me out of my bed. I thought it was a civil-defense siren. In a panic I looked outside and realised I was directly across from a mosque and the loudspeaker on the miniret was level with my window. This panic-inducing blast was the imam "singing" his islamic chant to call the faithful to morning prayer. To me, it sounded like a tortured howl from a wounded animal. No wonder music is discouraged if this is the norm.
Art Blakey converted to islam?
It's a little pity, but as long as I can't perceive it in my "Jazz Messengers" collection I don't care.
In fact, if islam expressed itself through music, literature, or any other form of art plus science, technology, or philosophy I wouldn't mind it at all.
Speaking of the apparently more moderate Islam of 50 years ago, I have an old jazz LP of the great jazz flutist, Herbie Mann (1930-2003), Herbie Mann at the Village Gate, from 1962.
Among the musical personnel is one Ahmad Abdul-Malik, playing upright bass, described by Willis Conover who wrote the liner notes as: "Bassist Ahmad Abdul-Malik, fiercely blackbearded, strong, solid, swift, and the gentlest of men, is of Sudanese ancestry."
Also there is on the album "Percussionist Chief Bey, white-robed and pillbox-hatted, who has to tell cabdrivers not to take him to the UN, is from Dakar."
I remember reading (though I can't find the source now) that Herbie joked that if someone only heard him play (particularly during his "Middle Eastern" phase evidenced most by his Impressions of the Middle East album), they might think he was a Muslim.
Not just Blakey. Gigi Gryce too. Not just in
America, Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim).
Nope, I don't get the serious ones, as serious
Islam is anti-music. Dizzy became a Bahai, which
isn't too bad.
There seems to be less of that nowadays.
Interesting...when one does a Google search on the reference, it seems that only Spencer is referencing this particular item as banning music. What it actually says is something that will happen at the end of days, and hopefully I don't think that Spencer is trying to hint that this is the end of the world from an Islamic perspective. This is an issue in Islam, one that is debated constantly, and there is no steadfast "rule" saying so. Spencer would have you believe that this is exactly what is written, so there! But this is not entirely true. Such explanations have been presented, but they are constantly being debated. Currently the argument is drifting towards tajweed: is it singing? It qualifies as "making the heart move" so therefore is it not singing? This is a debate within the religion, not as Spencer chooses to describe it for y'all as "follow the religion" or "don't follow".
Just doing some thinking...
(Comment on the tag, don't look up [like I really have to say that]--maybe another Muslim bash would work out well at the end!)
An American,
"This is an issue in Islam, one that is debated constantly, and there is no steadfast "rule" saying so."
It is stupid and regressive for this issue to be under debate at all. Music is good, period. No religion should tell its followers not to play and enjoy music, and "debating" this is preposterous, backward, and indicative of the general disease of the mind, heart and soul that Islam nourishes.
Next!
Un American
For Pakistan, it has a historical precedence as far as they go - not only Mohammed's ban on music, but the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb banned it as well. Therefore, it's not at all surprising that they should want to do the same.
"An American",
So. I did a Yahoo search on "'Umdat al-Salik r40.1", expecting (not), from your assertion above, that only Robert Spencer would reference the 'Umdat al-Salik ("Reliance of the Traveler") as banning music.
Imagine my surprise to see, on Indymedia, a long article about Shariah which includes a discussion of 'Umdat al-Salik on music. All of the following is directly copied and pasted from that Indymedia article:
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2004/11/106453.shtml
"...the “Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law”. In Arabic it is referred to as the Umdat al-Salik and was authored by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (d. 1368 A.D.). The English translation was edited and translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller. The book is published by Amana Publications, Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.. I will be excerpting from the revised 1994 edition. The book is available for sale at http://www.amana-publications.com. It is also available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0915957728/qid=1083543579/.
The book is self-described as follows:
This work is the first translation of a standard Islamic legal reference in a European language to be certified by al-Azhar, the Muslim world’s oldest institution of higher learning. It presents an explanative interpretation of ‘Umdat as-salik, a classic Sunni manual of Sacred Law by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (d. 769/1368) that comprises the legal work of Imam Nawawi, the great thirteenth-century Shaf’I hadith scholar and jurisprudent. Ibn Naquib’s famous handbook carefully summarizes the conclusions of Nawawi’s legal encyclopedia al-Majmu’ on all aspects of practicing Islam, from prayer, marriage, jihad, and inheritance to the other facets of Islamic life. [from the rear cover of the book – letter writer’s note]
On the Amana Publications website, the book is described as follows:
'Umdat al-Salik wa 'Uddat al-Nasik (Reliance of the Traveller and tools of the Worshipper) is a classic manual of fiqh. ...
..."There is no doubt that this translation is a valuable and important work, whether as a textbook for teaching Islamic jurisprudence to English speakers, or as a legal reference for use by scholars, educated laymen, and students in this language."
Dr. Taha Jabir al-'Alwani, International Institute of Islamic Thought
(Herndon, VA; December 1990)
"...We certify that this translation corresponds to the Arabic original and conforms to the practice and faith of the orthodox Sunni community (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'a)."
al-Azhar, the Muslim world's most prestigious institution of higher Islamic learning (Cairo; February, 1991)
...
"...We have here in English an authoritative compendium of Muslim Law. All this makes it a valuable resource and reference, which anyone interested in Islam will want to have in his/her library."
Dr. John A. Williams, The Muslim World (85.1-2, 1995)
This is an impressive piece of work...We recommend it to all English-speaking Muslims, and to anyone who is interested in Islamic Law."
Dr. Mokrane Guezzou, Muslim World Books Review, MWBR (15.3, 1995)
The reference for the above descriptions is: http://www.amana-publications.com/amana_bestsellers.shtml.
However, there may be someone who is reading this who is thinking that perhaps this legal reference is not truly representative of Islamic Sacred Law and the writer is providing us with incorrect and misleading information. To anticipate such a reaction here are the first few paragraphs from the introduction to the book (pp. vii-viii):
The four Sunni schools of Islamic law, Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, and Hanbali, are identical in approximately 75 percent of their legal conclusions, while the remaining questions, variances within a single family of explainers of the Holy Koran and prophetic sunna, are traceable to methodological differences in understanding or authentication of the primary textual evidence, differing viewpoints sometimes reflected in even a single school. The present volume, “Umdat al-salik [The reliance of the traveler], represents one of the finest and most reliable short works in Shafi’i jurisprudence, a school with perhaps fewer scholarly differences on rulings than others because its main resource is the recension of Imam Nawawi, the great thirteenth-century Shafi’i hadith scholar and jurisprudent who upgraded the work of previous generations in terms of the authenticity and application of hadith evidence...
"...19. Musical instruments are unlawful
pp. 774-775
r40.0 MUSIC, SONG, AND DANCE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
r40.1 (Ibn Hajar Haytami:) As for the condemnation of musical instruments, flutes, strings and the like by the Truthful and Trustworthy (Allah bless him and give him peace), who
“does not speak from personal caprice: it is nothing besides a revelation inspired” (Koran 53:3-4),
let those who refuse to obey him beware lest calamity strike them, or a painful torment. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
(1) “Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments, flutes, strings, crucifixes, and the affair of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance.”
(2) “On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will pour molten lead into the ears of whoever sits listening to a songstress.”
(3) “Song makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water does herbage.”
(4) “This community will experience the swallowing up of some people by the earth, metamorphosis of some into animals, and being rained upon with stones.” Someone asked, “When will this be, O Messenger of Allah?” and he said, “When songstresses and musical instruments appear and wine is held to be lawful.”
(5) “There will be peoples of my Community who will hold fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments to be lawful ….”
All of this is explicit and compelling textual evidence that musical instruments of all types are unlawful (Kaff al-ra’a’ ‘an muharramat al-lahw wa al-sama’ (y49), 2.269-70). "
For Un American
Here are the Quranic references to music:
"The very idea of music being demonized by Islam should be the equivalent to a trumpet charge for all Westerners. "
Don't you believe it! I told a keen amateur musician about this aspect of islam, hoping to get her interested, and she just said "oh, but that's just a few fundamentalists!"
Sigh...
As a Singer and Guitarist of Rock 'N' Roll, Pop, and Country Music of 40 years time and I am a believer in FREEDOM OF SPEECH,FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS,PROPERTY RIGHTS, RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATION,AND THE RIGHT OF PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS INCLUDING MUSIC, ART, THEATRE, & MOVIES!
Let's vote with our dollars and travel plans by boycotting Muslim countries and all their goods that do not support these freedoms by boycotting them and supporting the Western Democracies that do support and sustain these human rights values!
The only way to get politicians who will represent the average working and middle class citizen instead of Big Oil & Their Muslim Buddies or Multinational Corporations is to pass 5 U.S. Constitutional Amendments:
#1. Balanced Trade: every country who sells in the U.S. should buy equal amount of products from the U.S.A.
#2. Public Financing of All Political Elections:(Federal,State, County,City or Township) with no personal or outside contributions, (see www.just6.org )
#3 National Refererendum Vote: (for Federal, State, County, City, & Township)4 times a year where citizens can over ride The President, Congress, & The Supreme Court and any politician with a 2/3 majority!
#4 Environmental & Worker's Human Rights Amendment-Enforce all worker rights in a worldwide trading partner to unionize, have
health and safety standards, human rights standards, and enforce all world standards for environmental manufacturing and disposal of hazardous materials with loss of trade for non-compliance!
#5. No Child Or Adult shall be entitled to citizenship, or ownership of business, property, or financial assets until proven to be a legal resident alien or U.S. citizen or by being the child of at least one legal U.S. citizen or legal Resident Alien.
Until then we have Government Of The Rich, By The Rich & For The Rich ruining the U.S.A.!!!
And unfortunately, many of the Rich are running our country straight into the hands of illegal immigrants and Islamists -- because it's profitable.
This Muslim shariah ban on music and singing is bizarre! I knew Muslims didn't use music in worship, but I didn't know that the letter of their religious law forbade music OUTSIDE of the mosque. (A ban which, as was pointed out above, has historically often been ignored - how could it not be? As well try to stop the birds from singing!).
Some strict Christian sub-groups (e.g. the Amish) don't allow musical instruments but they sing a capella in worship and for fun. Some strict Scots Presbyterians thought it wasn't OK to use musical instruments in church or to make up new hymns, so in worship they only permitted group singing of the Psalms - but they sure used musical instruments and secular song outside of church.
Jews and Christians have been singing and making music in worship and everywhere else since forever - indeed, the traditional Christian imaginings of paradise (see for example Dante, Purgatorio and Paradiso) involve lots of singing. Dante's saints in glory...dance. The Psalms - Tehillim, 'Praises' - are full of injunctions to 'sing to the LORD', and references to musical instruments.
So far as I know, all other belief systems (except Islam) actively encourage singing, dancing and playing of instruments. African proverb: "If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing".
I propose an experiment. All these jihadis in detention: start piping into their cells the pick of Mozart, Bach, Faure, Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Hildegard of Bingen, classical Indian raga, African a capella gospel choirs, Taize chants, all the most exquisitely ravishing human music we've got from all over the world. Focus heavily on the love songs, the lullabies, the gentle contemplative or joyous celebratory stuff. Play it at them, at a moderate volume, for significant portions of the day, every day. Then wait for the ridiculous howls of 'Torture! Brainwashing!'.
Then publicise THAT - and let people see how inhuman/ antihuman the shariah is, since it teaches people to hate and fear what for most humans on this planet is a source of purest joy.
Just adding a further thought.
Anybody here know whether the Muslim countries have national anthems (and what they say, and what the tunes are like?).
I know the 'Palestinians' have got one; what are Hamas and the other Islamists going to do about THAT, if music is to be banned?
Hint to Hugh - perhaps you could provide us here with text, translation of [and commentary upon?] the 'Palestinian' 'national' anthem. Alongside the texts of the Israeli official and unofficial songs, HaTikvah, 'the Hope', and 'Jerusalem of Gold', so we can observe and reflect upon the differing thought-worlds.