The Islamic Ruling on singing​ Question: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a group of women who had outwardly adopted the practices of the Sufi path. Some among them had become “female sheikhs,” gathering poor men and women in assemblies. During these gatherings, there was singing, men and women mixing, raising their voices, tearing their clothes, and displaying excessive passion in front of others. Men and women from various places would visit them, believing that being in their presence and attending their gatherings was a means of drawing closer to Allah. Are these women sinful and in error for such behavior? What is incumbent upon them and those who attend their gatherings? Some people also believe that visiting them and participating in their activities is a virtuous act. Is this belief sinful, and what is required of such individuals? Was this practice part of the way of the righteous predecessors (Salaf al-Salih)? Is it obligatory for those in authority to prevent such gatherings and stop those who attend them? Answer: Anyone, whether men, women, or shaykhs, who deviates from the guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah must be corrected and commanded to adhere to the Qur’an and Sunnah, regardless of their spiritual state. Some states are satanic in nature, as Allah says: “Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend upon every sinful liar.” (Qur’an 26:221-222) Such states are those of the liars and immoral individuals who mix men and women in gatherings of dancing, singing, screaming, and exaggerated displays of emotions. These include acts like pulling out hair, uncovering heads, shouting, performing objectionable behaviors, and other demonstrations of impropriety. These people engage in actions like releasing scents (such as musk or incense), displaying fires, or wearing specific garments in exaggerated rituals. They are among the worst of people, furthest from obedience to Allah and His Messenger. They are not friends (awliya) of Allah, nor do they possess any true spiritual merits. Rather, their states are either satanic or fraudulent. As for individuals with psychological or emotional states (related to the self), some engage in practices like hunger, sleeplessness, and seclusion, leading to certain revelations or influences, even if they are disbelievers, similar to what happens with monks. The true spiritual states of Rahmaniyyah (connected to the Most Merciful) are found only among the pious friends of Allah who draw near to Him by fulfilling obligatory acts and avoiding forbidden ones. They then increase in devotion through voluntary acts until Allah loves them. This is confirmed by the authentic hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, in which he said: “Allah the Exalted says: ‘Whoever shows hostility to a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war against him. My servant draws near to Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have obligated upon him. My servant continues to draw near to Me through voluntary acts until I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he acts, and his foot with which he walks. By Me he hears, by Me he sees, by Me he acts, and by Me he walks. If he asks Me, I will surely grant him. If he seeks My refuge, I will surely protect him. I do not hesitate in anything I do more than My hesitation in taking the soul of My believing servant, for he dislikes death, and I dislike harming him, yet it is unavoidable.'” (Sahih al-Bukhari) These women who gather men and women together for singing, raising voices, displaying excessive passion, and committing other forbidden acts must be prohibited from such behavior. Authorities and others must ensure their prevention and impose severe disciplinary measures on those who persist in these acts. Such measures should deter them and others who follow the path of misguidance. Allah knows best. Reference: Majmu’ al-Masa’il, Vol. 7, p. 499 سئل شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله عن جماعة من النساء قد تظاهرن بسلوك طريق الفقراء، وصار منهن شيخات يجتمع عندهن الفقراء الرجال والنساء، ويقمن السماع، ويحضر سماعهن الرجال والنساء، ويرفعن أصواتهن ويقطعن ثيابهن، ويظهرن التوله بين الناس، ويزورهن الرجال والنساء، ومن سائر البلاد، فهل هن آثمات بذلك ومخطئات أم لا؟ وما يجب عليهن وعلى من يحضر سماعهن؟ ومن الناس من يعتقد زيارتهن والحضور معهن قربة إلى الله تعالى، فهل يأثم بذلك؟ وماذا يجب عليه؟ وهل كانت هذه طريقة أحد من السلف الصالحين أم لا؟ وهل يجب على ولي الأمر ردعهن وردع من يسعى إليهن أم لا؟ الجواب: كل من خرج عن موجب الكتاب والسنة من الرجال والنساء والمشايخ وغيرهم، فإنه ينهى عن ذلك ويؤمر بمتابعة الكتاب والسنة، ولو كان من حاله ما كان، فإن الأحوال منها ما هو شيطاني، كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿هل أنبئكم على من تنزل الشياطين – تنزل على كل أفاك أثيم﴾ وهذه أحوال أهل الكذب والفجور، الذين تختلط رجالهم ونساؤهم في الرقص والغناء والشخير والنخير والتوله وفتل الشعور وكشف الروؤس والصياح والمنكر والرغاء والإزباد وإظهار الإشارات؛ كالمسك والماورد واللاذن والجبة والنار، فهؤلاء من شرار الخلق وأبعدهم عن طاعة الله ورسوله، وليس فيهم ولي لله، ولا كرامة من كرامات أولياء الله، بل هم بين حال شيطاني وحال بهتاني. وأرباب الأحوال النفسانية: قوم لهم جوع وسهر وخلوة، فيحصل لهم نوع من الكشف والتأثير، وإن كانوا كفارا، كما يحصل للرهبان. وأما الأحوال الرحمانية، فهي لأولياء الله المتقين، الذين يتقربون إلى الله بأداء الفرائض واجتناب المحارم، ثم يتقربون إليه بالنوافل حتى يحبهم، كما ثبت في الصحيح عن النبي ﷺ أنه قال: (يقول الله تعالى: من عادى لي وليا فقد بارزني بالمحاربة، وما تقرب إلي عبدي بمثل أداء ما افترضت عليه، ولا يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به، وبصره الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها، ورجله التي يمشي بها؛ فبي يسمع، وبي يبصر، وبي يمشي، وبي يبطش، ولئن سألني لأعطينه، ولئن استعاذ بي لأعيذنه، وما ترددت عن شيء أنا فاعله ترددي عن قبض نفس عبدي المؤمن يكره الموت وأكره مساءته، لا بد له منه) فهؤلاء النساء اللواتي يجتمع عندهن الرجال والنساء على سماع الغناء، ورفع الأصوات، وإظهار التوله، وغيره من المنكرات يجب على ولاة الأمور وغيرهم منعهن من ذلك، وعقوبة من لم يمتنع عقوبة بليغة تردعهن وأمثالهن من أهل الغواية والضلالة. والله تعالى أعلم. *جامع المسائل جـ٧صـ٤٩٩ A Serious Matter: What happens if singers and musicians mention Allah in their songs? * Makhool Al-Azdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “I asked Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): ‘What do you think of a murderer, a drunkard, a thief, or an adulterer mentioning Allah, given that Allah has said: {So remember Me, and I will remember you} [Surah Al-Baqarah: 152]?’ He replied: ‘If such a person mentions Allah, Allah remembers them with His curse until they stop.'” [Tafsir Ibn Kathir (1/197)] * Shaykh Ahmad Shakir (may Allah have mercy on him) commented: *”What Ibn Umar said is true and applies perfectly to what the people of immorality and debauchery in our time do. They mention Allah, the Most High, in their places of sin and corruption, in obscene songs, in depraved performances which they claim to be educational, in their fabricated stories that they present as literature, and in their manipulation of religion through so-called ‘religious songs’ and ‘supplications,’ which ignorant reciters exploit for entertainment. They perform these in contexts of supposed reverence and during times meant for devotion, deceiving the common people about the practices of Islam. All such individuals mention Allah, and Allah remembers them with His curse until they stop.’*” [Umdat Al-Tafsir (1/198)] كلام خطير .. ماذا يحصل إذا المغنون والمطربون ذكروا الله بأغانيهم ؟ * قال مكحول الأزدي – رحمه الله – : ” قلت لابن عمر رضي الله عنه : أرأيت قاتل النفس ، وشارب الخمر ، والسارق والزاني يذكر الله ، وقد قـال الله تعالى : { فاذكروني أذكركم } * فقال رضي الله عنه : إذا ذكـر الله هـذا ، ذكـره الله بلعنتـه حتّى يسكت ” . [ تفسير ابن كثير ( ١ / ١٩٧ ) ] . * قـال الشيخ أحمد شاكر – رحمه الله تعالى – : ” وهذا الذي قاله ابن عمر حق ، ينطبق تماما على ما يصنع أهل الفسق والمجون في عصرنا ؛ من ذكر الله سبحانه وتعالى في مواطن فسقهِم وفجورِهم ، وفي الأغاني الداعرة ، والتمثيل الفاجر الذي يزعمونه تربية وتعليما ، وفي قصصهِم المفترى الذي يجعلونه أنه هو الأدب وحده أو يكادون وفي تلاعبهم بالدِّين بما يسمونه ( القصائد الدينية ) و( الابتهالات ) التي يتلاعب بها الجاهلون من القراء ، يتغنون بها في مواطن الخشوع وأوقات التخلي للعبادة ، حتى لَبسوا على عامة الناس شعائر الإسلام . فكل أولئك يَذكرون الله فيذكرهم الله بلعنته حتى يسكتوا ” . [عمدة التفسير ( ١ / ١٩٨ ) ] . Prof. Dr. Fakhriy Al-Qaisi