One of the most terrifyingly inhuman/ antihuman aspects of classical mainline Islam, clearly seen in this news item, is its hostility toward, and rejection of, all forms of music, whether instrumental or vocal.

It should be noted that the specific Arabic word for music doesn't appear in the Quran, although on two occasions other more vague or general terms are used, that the standard interpreters read as references to music and song; the verses in question are negative in tone.

A Christian reading the Quran will be particularly struck by the fact that none of the descriptions of Paradise include any reference to music or song (whereas, of course, the stereotypical image of the Christian heaven is someone on a fluffy white cloud playing a harp).

Music is haraam - FORBIDDEN. So says the 'Reliance of the Traveller', a basic handbook/ summary of mainstream Islamic law. Here is the relevant section, citing canonical Islamic texts to support its blanket condemnation of music and song.

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.”

Orthodox Islam's condemnation and repression of music - not only does it reject the use of music in worship, but enacts a formal ban on music everywhere, period - separates Islam from every other known human belief system.

That music has persisted, somehow, in Islamised societies is a testament to the human spirit which has perpetually resisted this ban, a ban that is perhaps the most irrational, bizarre and cruel of all the bans that Islam imposes.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at July 4, 2008 9:15 PM

I should add that if the sharia enforcers are going to try to suppress music in Nigeria they have their work cut out for them: even the Wikipedia article is enough to indicate that the peoples of Nigeria, both the Islamised tribes and the non-Muslims, have an enormous, rich, deeply-rooted and endlessly mutating musical practice and tradition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Nigeria

Centuries of folk Islam hasn't been able to silence the music of Nigeria.

Posted by: dumbledoresarmy at July 4, 2008 9:59 PM