The Bible is pretty clear in its command to sing to the Lord. Music was a central part of worship in the temple (see 1 Chronicles 25). The Zabur (the psalms of the prophet David) says, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:1-2). We also see in the Injil (the gospel) that Jesus Christ sang with his disciples, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26). This is why every church all over the world uses music and singing when they worship God.
On the other hand, I have always understood that music was haram (forbidden) in Islam. Certainly you can find music in many places in the Muslim world, but you don’t find it in the mosque for worship. Today I saw this interesting power point that actually argues music is not haram in Islam. The teaching comes from the book Music and Singing in the Balance of Islam (Arabic) by Shaykh Abdullah al-Juday. He concludes with this fatwa on music and singing, “These are sounds, that are permitted in principle. If they are used for good, they are good. If they are used for evil, they are evil. If they are used for “neutral” matters, they remain in the basic category of permitted matters.”
I’d love to know if my Muslim friends agree with what he writes. Is music haram or not? If not, is there any place for it in worship?
Update:
Afghan Star is a the American Idol of Central Asia. Recently a documentary was made about it. Under the Taliban music of any kind was forbidden. This looks like an interesting film.
HT: Avari
Afghan star is a very interesting film. well worth watching
Hi,
Thank you for your honest and beneficial reflections and questions on music as worship in Islam. I learn about Islam from you as I’m more familiar with Judeo-Christianity (so I can’t directly answer your above questions). I know King David danced to God when the ark was returned (2 Samuel 12.6-17), and he was quite indecorous about it! His wife was angry at him for dancing (perhaps she felt embarrassed by him), which leads me to consider perhaps the guiding principle in worship is not with what voice or tune or dance shall we worship, but with what spirit. David worshiped God with joy; this was his spirit. His actions, cultural and personal, followed, but key here was his spirit.
This story also causes me to consider how express my faith with others’ eyes in mind. Apparently, it was embarrassing for a king to dance in the manner David did. His social circle, those closest to him (ie his wife), rejected his worshipful behavior. Do I worship God from my spirit and in truth? Jesus taught to worship in spirit and truth (John 4.23-24). Or do I hold back from creative expression (e.g. singing, dancing, etc.) because I fear whether or not others will accept me? Key here is do I fear God or people? If I fear God, then I worship him; if I fear people, then I worship them. The latter worship would be idolatry, akin to blasphemy.
One other consideration is to what benefit are rules in worship? Are not many rules human? I wonder why David’s wife “despised him in her heart” when she watched him dance. Did she not also rejoice at his and the ark’s return? Was she worried about her image? What if she initiated a rule that said no dancing was allowed? I wonder if I unknowingly place such rules on others if their behavior runs contrary to what I think worship should “look like.”
Lastly, for my own understanding, can you explain more why singing is haram in Islam?
These are thoughts I consider in response to your post. I hope you find them beneficial. Thank you for your sharing and for reading!
Peace be with you,
Dena
Dena,
I think your thoughts are incredibly helpful. What I really appreciate is that you don’t just stop at the issue of music in worship, but you move beyond to matters of the heart. Where is our heart when we worship? Where is our heart when we see others worshiping differently? Those are great questions that we all need to consider.
In regards to why music is haram in Islam, I can’t say much other than there are some sayings of the Prophet Mohammad in the Hadith that are against music and have led many to believe it is haram.