This is why Cat Stevens gave up music when he became Yusuf Islam, although his return to music suggests that these prohibitions can be set aside for purposes of dawah. In any case, this prohibition is not limited to Malaysian Islamic scholars, as it is founded on the hadiths below. It is consistent with the general denial of life, creativity, beauty and artistic endeavor that we see in many other areas with Sharia.
Hadith Qudsi 19:5: “The Prophet said that Allah commanded him to destroy all the musical instruments, idols, crosses and all the trappings of ignorance.” (The Hadith Qudsi, or holy Hadith, are those in which Muhammad transmits the words of Allah, although those words are not in the Qur’an.)
Muhammad also 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 ….” — ‘Umdat al-Salik r40.0
“Religious scholars say ‘haram’ for Muslims to wear football kits, play guitar, piano, trumpet,” Malaysia Today, December 6, 2014 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
(Malay Mail Online) – Islam allegedly forbids Muslims from playing musical instruments like guitar, piano or trumpets as they go against the hadiths, a religious scholar said today.
In his paper on Islam and entertainment presented at a national forum here, Abdul Raof Nurin said the Shafie stream of Islam only allows Muslims to listen to music that touches on love for the religion, and urged those who want to play musical instruments to preferably stick to the gong or kompang.
He added that the Shafie school, however, will make an exception for the “gabus”, a stringed instrument similar to the guitar, only if they are played according to Islamic laws.
“To listen to music that has nothing to do with religion that includes instruments that is prohibited in Islam, coupled with concerts that allow mixed socialisation, this distracts you from praying.
“Majority of ulama forbid the use of musical instruments except for those drummed like the kompang, percussions even those with bells,” he said.
The forum was organised by the Malaysian Muslim Consumer Group (PPIM) and the Human Development and Investigation Bureau.
Professor at the National Art and Heritage Academy (Aswara) Datuk Baharudin Ahmad, however, said the instruments alone are not “haram” or forbidden, but the sounds they make are, since they are often used to play music that encourages immoral activities like free mingling of the genders.
“Instruments like the trumpet, the trumpet is not a problem, the sound that comes out of it [is],” Baharudin told the forum….
Joginder Singh says
Muhammad and life in the 7th century or Motorhead and life in the 21st century…….No contest give me Motorhead any day over muhammad
duh_swami says
Allah does not love rock and roll. The angels who constantly sing to him/it
always sing soothing music to keep Allah calm and less likely to strike out.
The last thing anyone wants is to get him wired up with heavy metal.
Always On Watch says
How does Allah feel about ragtime (Scott Joplin, for example)?
BTW, I have a ragtime arrangement of “Winter Wonderland” and can execute it with some virtuosity.
DVult says
Surely God hates rap music.
pumbar says
Doesn’t everybody?
willy says
mohd was sinless…except for pedophilia, rape, murder, banditry…so obviously outrageous
behavior like playing the guitar was not acceptable.
Spartan24 says
Islam does such a good sales job to potential converts- the hard stuff is swept under the rug until the person is “in” and then the real requirements are brought out. Before I converted you could honestly say that music was practically my life- I was a competent singer, I had over 100 cassette tapes (this was the early 1990’s) and listened to music rather than watching television most of the time. I continued to sneak and listen to music, as did many of my Muslim friends but the joy had been taken out of it. One of the first things I did after leaving Islam was to buy a huge stereo boon box and a pile of CDs.
PRCS says
So, tell us a little about your ‘reversion’.
Did you read a Qur’an before doing so? Were you aware of Islam’s teachings concerning we filthy unbelievers?
I’m curious about the mindset of those who fall for the dawah.
Today, with all one needs to make an informed decision about most everything, those who do revert should at least know what they’re getting into beforehand.
The ’90’s perhaps, not so much.
And even more importantly, what personal epiphany drove your decision to leave?
And, if you became a ‘believer’ in a western nation, tell us a little about the Muslim women in that nation.
Spartan24 says
It was the early 1990’s and there wasn’t that much information out there about Islam. I was a naive and trusting 19 year old college student who had been brainwashed by multiculturalism and the belief that all cultures were equal. And I’ll admit that I was trying to shock my old fashioned and conservative grandparents. Like I said they were good with the sales efforts and I didn’t hear about the hard stuff until afterwards and I really think that if I hadn’t gotten married then I would have gotten frustrated and left earlier. It took me about 3 years to leave after facing physical and verbal abuse and finally coming to the realization that my husband had married me for immigration reasons and it wasn’t a real marriage. Plus I was tired of the lies and duplicity- converts were cannon fodder and breeders and I was of no real use since I wasn’t a good breeder. People who were Muslims from birth treated converts like dirt behind closed doors but were sickeningly sweet to our faces- one lady actually said “the only reason OUR men marry YOUR women is because you’re so cheap”
Jack Diamond says
A comment worth paying attention to, important lessons learned unfortunately the hard way. The alien, hostile, duplicitous Muslim mindset at work on naive, foolish “rebellious” young Western women as part of the Jihad of the wombs.
Zebo says
Well,well.Islam reachey every day a new lowest low in hipocrisy.P
laying piano and guitar is against law
but using Guns,granades and TNT obviously isn’t.
Just like pedophilia,beating women,lying and parasitizing from kafurs is alright.
Using cars,mobiles,tabletts,non-muslim medicine – no problem.
As long as the muslim and lslam benefits everything is fine.
selective perception at its best.
particolor says
And it wont be long until they have You pointing Your Quoit in the Air 8 times a day either if our Stupid Governments don’t wake up to the Extortionists !!
Ayatrollah says
I have never been to Malaysia, but I have been to Indonesia, which is said to be a clone. I don’t think the people would accept music being taken away. They would riot.
mortimer says
The Artist Formerly Known as Yusuf Islam is now a deviationist and a munafiq who knows more than the noble ULEMA of Islam (who know everything).
A deviationist and munafiq should be warned then executed if he does not repent. The vigilantes may now go after him.
He wanted vigilantes to kill Salman Rushdie. Does he want that for himself … or is he a ‘hypocrite’?
Jack Diamond says
He is doing da’wa and can conceal himself with a guitar to get his message out. Concealment in the lands of the kaffir covers what might be a multitude of sins in dar al-Islam.. He can also raise a lot of money. I’m sure someone in the noble ulema gave the okie doke. I saw a picture of Yusef in 2012 at a Shari’a conference with Muslim Brotherhood headlights like Sheikh Qaradawi and Said Ramadan. He’s still the same “cat’ that is said to have recruited for Hamas in England way back when.
Maria says
Countries across the Muslim world have Idol shows like Arab Idol, Indonesian Idol, and yes Malaysian Idol. I am sure the youth will love this new fatwa…and it is true that music and singing is forbidden in Islam. Yet you will see many Muslims, who defend Islam, also LOVE THEIR MUSIC.
Always On Watch says
Time to polish up my piano playing!
What piece should I start with? M
Maybe a Christmas carol such as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” I’ve got an excellent arrangement of that one. **smile**
CogitoErgoSum says
Yes, music is good for the soul. I love to listen while I read the posts here. There’s a particular piece that I came across on YouTube that has become a favorite of mine. I can’t play the piano but if I could I would want to be able to play this. It’s called “Together We Will Live Forever” from a movie called “The Fountain.” It may not make you smile but I do hope you might still find it worth giving a listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zvHf9vfsPI
Smiles to you.
missizbeasley says
This is lovely music.
How could we live without music?
particolor says
They’ve got that covered ! You wont be able to hear it without Your Head ??
Salah says
Forget about music. How about other forms of art, say…poetry?
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
The Prophet said, “It is better for a man to fill the inside of his body with pus than to fill it with poetry.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 175)
Indeed, “Backwards thinking, imposed by a backward religion.” Bertrand Russell
Champ says
Cat Stevens has chosen most unwisely by converting to islam; as hes fallen for that evil trickster ‘allah’ who’s merely a clever lil’ devil …yeah CS is now a lost cause serving an evil cause: islam.
Kasey says
Just shows anything goes with Islam!
Centurion_Cornelius says
Hey! Allah, Muhammad and all you other radical Musloids–try THIS on for size:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rva-Z8-TB24
..so Allah’s gonna pour molten lead in me ears for listening to Mick?
Better watch out the “lead” don’t start incoming at 3,200 fps via 5.56mm for THAT.
Just remember–JIHAD works BOTH WAYS!
Me–I have been listening to Songs of David for lo these past 72 years:
Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: Psalm 144:1
RULE BRITTANIA! (and Sir Mick, Kt)
particolor says
You will probably have Your Tongue removed and Your Head on a Pike for that ??
mach37 says
Robert Spencer, you are falling into the trap of Islam, forcing infidels to learn Arabic, when you include words such as “dawah” in your articles that ought to be translated into English.
Carolyne says
So ridiculous. No wonder Muslim countries are so backward. If they can’t do anything which will distract them from praying, they get nothing done. No commerce, no advancement. Saudi Arabia has Westerners running the oil wells, hospitals, schools, etc. They are incapable of doing anything competent themselves. That’s why they are practical stone age creatures. Islam. It’s a killer.
Malik Reynols says
The Qu’ran is the only word of Allah (SWT). Certain humans who disagreed with god realised they could not do what Christians did with the Bilble (you know, rewrite it to include their opinions) so they made up Hadith. That way they could add what ever the heck they wanted without changing the Qu’ran. Do you really think that the creator of our 13.8 billion year old universe gives a crap about Cat Stevens playing guitars? We cannot become gullible like the other religions. Music is art. Art is a gift given to us by Allah (SWT). I totally agree that dreadful pop music from Rhianna and other such disgusting western marketing tools should be banned but we cannot believe Hadith. If Allah (SWT) ordered the Prophet (pbuh) to destroy musical instruments surely it would be included in the recitation (Qu’ran)? Do not idolise pop stars etc. but feel free to do whatever takes your fancy in your apre time between praying provided it is not Haram (Qu’ran haram, not made hadith Qu’ran)