Effects of Music
CHAPTER FOUR
MUSIC AND ITS AFFECTS
Why is Music Prohibited?
The reason of this can be understood by looking into the influence music can have. Psychological experiments confirm that music not only affects the brain, but also affects every organ of one’s body. It is generally witnessed that music influences the adrenaline and animal instincts. This explains why motorists increase their speed when accompanied with music.
An article given to me few years ago from a tabloid by a friend after giving a lecture on Music and its effects states;
“Playing loud, fast Music in the car makes drivers twice as likely to jump red lights and can double the risk of a crash, says a study in New Science Magazine.”
There is a close relationship between music and bodily movement. We find that people listening to music will instantly start tapping their fingers and feet. It has also been proven that music affects one’s emotions, increases arousal in terms of alertness, excitement, and leads to various physiological changes in the person.
What do the musicians say?
Graham Nashe states, “Pop Music is a popular method of conditioning the way people think.”
Mick Jagger of Rolling Stones said, “We are moving into their minds and are most of the newer groups.”
Ex member of eagles group said, “Listening to music is hazardous to ones physical and spiritual health.”
Frank Gharlock states, “A person who has rock Music in their lives has in their subconscious an influence that will cancel out all the power of the word of God, and power it can have in their lives.” (Lambat, 1998)
Look at what the non-believers are saying, understand, is this not a warning to us all, did the Prophet not say that Islam is a complete religion at the Last Sermon, O Muslim Ummah, wakeup before its too late!
The influence of music as a means or trigger for anti social behaviour, sexual arousal, is too apparent, the visual element has come to life in the musician, where two elements produce we have a controlling creature beyond any unit, we have Madonna, Spice Girls, Snow, Michael Jackson etc.
Anne Savan, at the University of Reading said,
“Listening to Music has powerful effects on the body in terms of physiological changes…the way we act etc.” 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
Music and Television
We can consider music as an integral part of television programmes. No TV show, news or advertisement is complete without music. Islam has forbidden music in no uncertain terms. Islam categorically forbids all types of music. Music in Islam is regarded as a great sin.
Concerning music The Messenger of Allah, upon him peace, said:
“Music sows hypocrisy in the heart like water causes seeds to grow in soil.”1
1 Baihaqi
The following verdicts are recorded in the Law Books of Islam:
“Musical instruments are forbidden according to the unanimous opinion of the Jurists of all the lands (of Islam)”
“The playing of musical instruments and listening to them are forbidden.”
The Jurists say that the verse of the Qur’an:
“And among mankind are those who purchase futile talk so as to lead astray men…”
was revealed specifically to ban music and singing. According to the Law of Islam one who participates in music is regarded as a open sinner, and as such, the jurist state that the evidence of such a person is not to be accepted.
Music & backtracking
The process utilised by the music industry to control and influence the minds of people is called backtracking. Hidden messages are inserted into songs designed to be picked up by the subconscious mind, covered up by beats, sounds and background music.
Let us give you examples of these evil methods:
The single by Black Oak of Arkansas:
Forward lyrics: Natas, Natas, Natas sidrol.
Backwards: Satan, Satan, Satan is Lord.
The Single by Queen, ‘Another one bites the dust’:
Forward: Another one bites the dust.
Backward: It’s fun to smoke Marijuana
Madona
Forward: When you call my name its like a little prayer I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there in the midnight hour.
Backward: O hear us Satan.
Even the nursery rhymes have been tampered with to fill our children’s minds from a very young age.
Forward: Twinkle Twinkle little star…
Backwards: I wish there were no Allah. 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
If this doesn’t scare us, then I don’t know what will! There are many other examples including Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad album’, Snow, Queen etc. however, we are sure that you will understand from this short piece of writing that music is not permissible in Islam and should not be part of a Muslims life. Some don’t need to be reversed, Rap, Rock, Garage etc. talk about sex, drug and swear openly.
Qur’an & Hadith
And when people buy words fore mere playing that may mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge and to make fun of it.2
2 Surah Luqman; Surah No: 31; Verse: 6
3 Baihaqi
4 Muslim
The view of many companions of the Prophet such as Abdullah ibn Masood and Abdullah Ibn Abbas, that this verse from the Qur’an is split into two, meaning singing and listening to music and the purchasing of both male and female singers.
When Ibn Mas’ood, Allah be pleased with him, was questioned about this verse and the words ‘Mere play’ he replied,
“I swear by Him besides whom there is no god that it refers to singing”.3
The companions of the Prophet understood the Qur’an as the Prophet was their teacher and the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet.
Abu Hurairah, Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, upon him peace, said,
“The bell is Shaytan’s instrument.”4
We see today that our desires can not stay without music, something that the Shaytan is associated with. Even our children run towards it as we have not advised them about the evils of music may be because we ourselves do not know! When the ice-cream van sounds it’s music to attract people towards it, when children are born, people bring presents that have music on them such as toys, shoes etc.
We as adults bring door bells that sound music, even on our mobile phones, not only that but in the Masjid we hear Bollywood tunes on phones. This is the house of Allah, a place to get closer to Allah; however, people are now bringing their worldly lives into the house of Allah! This is the instrument of the Shaytan, disassociate yourselves from the Shaytan as Allah has warned us in the Qur’an that Shaytan is Mans greatest enemy, but who wants to read and understand the words of Allah, it’s a free life, do what ever you want. For a Muslim this life is like a prison, you have to follow the rules of Allah and his Messenger, upon him peace, and give up your own desires, this is Islam. 4 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
Abu Malik Al-Ash’ari narrates the Prophet said,
“People of my Ummah will drink wine, calling it by other than its real name. Merriment will be made for them through the playing of musical instruments and singing of female singers. Allah will cleave the earth under them and turn others into Apes and pigs.”5
5 Ibn Majah
6 Radul Mokhtar / Alamgiri
7 Alamgiri
This is exactly what happened in Turkey few years ago when the earthquake destroyed many buildings to rubble and dust. This is happening in front of our own eyes and still we do not learn a lesson. Remember if Allah can punish these people he can also punish you and I. Some people use music whilst praising Allah and the Prophet, known as Qawwali, and say this is the practise of the pious. People do this to gain attraction and misguide people; do you really think the pious would go against the commands of Allah?
In the Hanafi jurisprudence manual it states; To play any instrument is totally forbidden in Islam except a one sided plain duff with no bells. This can only be played with a ‘dab’ ‘dab’ sound and not by making music out of it.6
People nowadays use music and Qawwali, jump, and dance, to go to these gathering and to sit there is all not permissible. The only thing that has been proven from the Mashaiks, Sufis and pious people is that when someone said a verse of a poem their situation would change (Wajd) with the love of Allah and the Prophet, and they would stand up and do things without intention, but nowadays it is all a show and the people who gather in these sorts of gatherings are open sinners (Fasiqs) who don’t keep a beard, miss Salaah, commit fraud, lie, etc. do these people really lose conscious with the love of Allah and the Prophet? Do you think that the Sufis would dance and play instruments in their gatherings, certainly not, this is degrading the names of the pious people, and you will have to answer for this on the day of judgement.7
For further reference see Fatawa-e-Radhwiyya, Vol. 4 or Ehkam-e-Shariat by Imam Ahmad Raza Khan.
“On the Day of Judgement, Allah will pour molten lead into the ears of whoever sits listening to a songstress.”
Abdur Rahman bin Auf narrates the Prophet saying,
“Two voices Almighty Allah dislikes the most, one of wailing at the time of death the other of Music”.
Allah is the One who gave us life, air to breath, water to drink, food to eat, clothes to wear, shelter to cover ourselves yet we do things that displease our Creator, however, Allah is the Most Merciful and does not take these gifts away from us, we need to thank Allah as much as possible as there are people in other parts of the world who do not have what we have, but the luxurious lives we have makes us forget Allah and the love of the world enters our hearts. 5 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk
Ibn Mas’ood narrates the Prophet saying,
“Singing sprouts hypocrisy in the heart as rain sprouts plants.”
Why is it that we pray Salaah today, but we continue sins outside the Mosque, have you ever thought why we are afflicted with problems, the reason is only that our Salaah is not correct, we do not have time to learn knowledge of our Deen but spend hours in front of films having no fear of Allah.
Remember! The Prophet said,
“To fill a person’s stomach with pus (impurity) is better than to fill it with poems (music/songs)”.8
8 Bukhari
Reasons for prohibition of TV and music
Other reasons for their prohibition can be summed up as follows:
1. It diverts ones attention from the Remembrance of Allah and, Remembrance of Allah is in fact the purpose for which Allah has created man.
2. It interferes with one’s worship causing neglect of Salaah and congregation attendance.
3. It causes one to become neglectful of one’s social duties.
Besides the three above-mentioned factors several other outright evil elements (as already explained) exist in television. Research has established the ‘diversionary’ influence of television. The addictive grip that TV exercises on its viewers is such that it very effectively diverts the attention from the Remembrance of Allah and from things of importance.