Everyone has an opinion but not everyone is qualified to give a legal opinion. Personal opinion does not make a thing lawful or unlawful. We cannot make the halaal and haraam dependent upon our personal whims.When Allah prescribes a punishment for committing certain acts and deeds then we know that those acts and deeds are forbidden (haraam). If there is no well-established text or valid consensus we abide by the rule that it is permissible. If there is no punishment for participating in a particular act we can consider those actions and deeds to be permissible. So, is music Kool?
If it extols virtue, chastity, morality and is an adjunct to Taqwa then it is something we may partake of on occasion but as Muslims we always have things to study. I’m just your average Muslim who has attended class at the masjid and read and studied on his own. I have not graduated from any university neither here in amerikkka or abroad but I have read the Qur’an more times than I can remember. I can’t recall reading an ayat where Allah (SWT) has specifically forbidden music. We cannot make the haraam halaal or the halaal haraam. We don’t have that right. Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It was not the habit of those who preceded us, the early pious Muslims to say, ‘This is halaal, and this is haraam. They would say, ‘I hate such-and-such, and maintain such-and-such, but as for halaal and haraam, this is what may be called inventing lies concerning Allah. Did not you hear Allah’s Statement that reads:
"Say: Have you considered what provision Allah has sent down for you, how you have made of it lawful and unlawful? Say: Has Allah permitted you, or do you invent a lie concerning Allah?"
(Yunus: 59)
`Ali Ibn Abu Talib said, "Amuse yourselves for some time, for if hearts are exposed to too much strain, they turn blind."
Abu Ad-Darda’ said, "I refresh myself with some amusement in order to make myself stronger on the path of right."
Imam Al-Ghazali answered someone who asked him: "Isn’t singing some kind of play and a form of rejoicing?" He said, "Yes. But, all that exists in this present life is mere play and rejoice. All that takes place between a husband and his wife is play, except sexual intercourse that is the direct cause of reproducing children. This has been reported from Allah’s Messenger and his honorable Companions."
I do believe certain types of spoken word and poetry to be an influential adjunct in bringing unbelievers to Islam. But no Muslim should involve himself in anything that takes him from the remembrance of Allah. As Muslims it would be best if we utilized our time reading Qur’an, hadieth, tafseer, studying Islamic history and learning the language of the Qur’an. In addition, we should avail ourselves fisibilillah, to all auxiliary knowledge that would assist us in understanding our Deen and facilitate us in giving dawah.
So, is music Kool? If it extols virtue, chastity, morality and is an adjunct to Taqwa then it is something we may partake of on occasion but as Muslims we always have things to study. Most modern vocals call us to lewd, lascivious and obnoxious behavior therefore it is not lawful. But like I said, I am no scholar; I’m just your average Muslim from the hood. Ask your Imam or someone really qualified to give you daleel because in the end you must stand before Allah on the day of judgment for the choices you make.
So, go to class and study then memorize what you learn because in some cases you will have to be your own Mufti. Too much entertainment is definitely Makhruh. Makhruh is something that is disliked or offensive (literally "hated"); though it is not haraam (forbidden) and therefore not a sin, a person who abstains from this action will be rewarded. Music shouldn’t remain a staple part of our life once we have become Muslim. We have too many important things to learn and act upon to get caught up and then lost in a pastime paradise.
