Singing and poetry

30-11-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Sometime ago I was listening a lecture type regarding singing. I can't recall the sheikh's name who were giving the lecture, (the lecture was in Arabic) in that type he said: - The devil's Qur'an is singing, the devils Hadith is poems, the devils house is the bathroom. Can you please clarify for me, I am having difficulty understanding how those things associate with the devil is it Hadith that explains or even an Ayah form the Qur'an? That indicates that the devils Qur'an house and etc.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Listening to music is forbidden according to the Imaams of the four Schools of jurisprudence and other Muslim scholars. Singing accompanied by music is undoubtedly the devil's voice and speech. Threatening the accursed Satan, Allaah Says (what means): {And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and...} [Quran 17:64] Imaam Mujaahid may Allaah have mercy upon him said:  "with your voice" means songs and musical instruments.

There are some narrations reported from the generation that followed the Companions may Allaah be pleased with them (i.e. the Taabi'is) which were attributed to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) referring to poetry as the devil's Quran.

Moreover, when Abu Bakr may Allaah be pleased with him once entered on his daughter 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her on an 'Eed day and found two slave girls singing, he said: "Do I hear the devil's trumpets in the house of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )?" [Al-Bukhari]

As regards the statement of the Shaykh "The satan's place is the bathroom", then this is true, for the devils haunt such impure places. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to say whenever he entered the lavatory:  "O Allaah! I seek refuge in You from the male and female devils.”

Besides, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said:  "Verily these places are haunted (by devils), so if any of you enter the lavatory, let him say: 'O Allaah, I seek refuge in You from the male and female devils.' " [Ahmad,  Abu Dawood  and others]

For more benefit on the ruling of singing, please refer to Fataawa 81239 and 84202.

Allaah Knows best.

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