I have read what some local news published about the call that the Saudi national radio station should broadcast songs from the most famous male and female singers following the example of the Jews and their likes. They claim that this practice would attract listeners who are fond of singing to the Saudi national radio station instead of listening to other radio stations. I have also read the reply to this call written by Shaykh `AbdulMalik ibn Ibrahim and Shaykh Hasan ibn `Abdullah and another writer who refused to mention his name. They replied to this foolish call, malicious idea, and deviant desire that incurs Allah's Wrath. May Allah reward those who defend AlHaqq (the Truth) with the best reward, and guide those who deviated from His Path and protect Muslims from this evil and Fitnah (temptation).
Dear reader, the radio station is itself a doubleedged medium that you could use either for your own benefit or in harm purposes.
Undoubtedly, it is obligatory by Islamic law and reason that this means should be a way to the guidance of the Ummah (nation) in religious and worldly matters. It is absolutely impermissible to become a means to corruption and diverting the Ummah from achieving its objectives and helping it attain what is beneficial. On the other hand, those endowed with sound minds and good Fitrah (natural disposition) can not deny that providing the radio broadcast with immoral songs by male and female singers is an evil practice that will cause corruption and demoralization instead of reformation and guidance. It is better that those
who call for imitating the Jews and their likes do not limit their efforts to calling for singing. Rather, they should have encouraged Muslims to catch up with their advancement by means of building new factories and fruitful business activities. Unfortunately, they have become demoralized and have lost insight to call their Muslim brothers to imitate the enemies of Allah (Exalted be He), His Messenger (peace be upon him), and Arab Muslims in particular in one of the most abominable practices and low morals that strip nations of their freedom and divert them from aspiring to high morals, respectful manners, and reformation to the contrary evils, sins, and corruption. What could be more devastating and a reflection of weak minds and demoralization than an Islamic country that seeks to propagate a despicable call and one of the ugliest abominations and immoral manners for which it should take as an example a nation that publicly expresses its sternest enmity towards Islam and Arabs, and which was cursed by Allah (Exalted be He). Accordingly, those who follow it will have a share of Allah's Wrath. Allah (Exalted be He) distinguished between His Creatures and ranked them differently with regard to their aspirations and objectives. Those who want to make reform should call for high morals, honorable deeds, and seeking to develop beneficial businesses and factories that will do good for the nation in this age of material advancement, and diversified ideologies. On the other hand, there are those whose morals are heavily degraded to the extent that they call to the most degradable manners and immorality. They call for what undermines the stability of their nations and pushes them away from the road to prosperity and reformation which are only attained by means of painstaking efforts. Furthermore, they do not urge their nations to imitate other nations in the fields of advancement that could be applied in their own countries but their aim is to drive it in the way of evil, not goodness and in the way of what causes harm, not benefit. It is only through this that Allah (Exalted be He) tests His Creatures and this is His Way in distinguishing between who is good and bad among them. Verily, Glorified be Allah who is the MostWise and MostKnowledgeable of the affairs of His Servants.
Dear honorable reader, you should know that letting the radio broadcast songs and music is evil and Haram (prohibited) according to the Ijma` (consensus) of trustworthy scholars, and even if singing is not accompanied by any musical instrument,
it is still Haram according to the majority of scholars. Moreover, it is evidently confirmed by many reported proofs that listening to songs and being fond of them, especially when they are accompanied by musical instruments such as the lute, is one of the most wicked trials of Satan with which he tempts the hearts of the ignorant, diverts them from the Qur'an, and makes them inclined to wickedness and disobedience. Singing is the recitation of Satan and an evil that leads to Zina, homosexuality, and all kinds of malicious acts and vices. It is reported by Abu Bakr AlTartushy and other scholars that the Imams of Islam have all dispraised singing and musical instruments and warned against them. Furthermore, the knowledgeable scholar, Abu `Amr ibn AlSalah (may Allah be merciful with him) reported the scholar's prohibition of singing which is accompanied by musical instruments such as the lute. Such means render the hearts diseased, hardened, and spoil morals, and divert people from Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) and Salah (Prayer). There is no doubt that singing is a means of entertainment that Allah (Exalted be He) dispraised as a cause of implanting hypocrisy in the hearts in the same way that water helps grass grow. This is even worse when ignorant people are inclined to famous singers whose effect is more harmful to the hearts. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allâh without knowledge, and takes it (the Path of Allâh, or the Verses of the Qur'ân) by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the Hellfire). And when Our
Verses (of the Qur'ân) are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment.
AlWahidy and other Mufassirs (exegete of the Qur'an) said that idle talk refers to singing. End of Quote.
The leading figure among the learned Companions Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to swear by Allah that idle talk refers to singing.
He (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Singing implants hypocrisy in the heart as water grows plants.
There are many traditions and sayings from the Sahabah and the Tabi`un (Followers, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet) that dispraise singing and musical instruments. Moreover, it is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, among my Ummah (nation based on one creed)
there will be people who will deem as lawful: AlHir, silk, Khamr (intoxicants), and musical instruments." Related by AlBukhari. AlHir refers to (premarital sexual intercourse and/or adultery).
As for the word "Ma'azif", it refers to means of entertainment, such as music, prohibited instruments like drums, the lute, the rababa i.e. the Arab fiddle, and string instruments.
The knowledgeable scholar, Ibn AlQayyim (may Allah be merciful with him), said in AlIghatha that there is no disagreement among the linguists that Ma'azif refers to all musical instruments.It is also related by AlTirmidhy on the authority of `Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be merciful with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: There will be stoning, sinking, and distortion in my people. A Muslim man said: When will that happen, Messenger of Allah? He replied: When female singers and musical instruments spread and wine is drunk.
It is also related by Ahmad in his Musnad with a good Sanad (chain of narrators) on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Allah has forbidden wine (khamr), game of chance (maysir), drum (kubah), and every intoxicant. The Kubah is the drum as mentioned by Sufyan, a narrator of the Hadith.
There are many Hadiths and traditions that dispraise singing and musical instruments and what we mentioned should be sufficient and convincing for the truth seeker. It should be noted that those who call for broadcasting songs and music on the Saudi radio have been misled until they considered lawful what is unlawful and called to harm while being unaware of the harm and evil consequences that would result accordingly.
Indeed, how great is the saying of Allah (Exalted be He) who says: Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fairseeming, so that he considers it as good (equal to one who is rightly guided)? Verily, Allâh sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So destroy not yourself (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) in sorrow for them. Truly, Allâh is the AllKnower of what they do!
A poet was truthful when he said: A man is preoccupied in his that he sees beautiful what is distress not
Sahih Hadiths indicate that those who invite others to follow their misguidance will carry the same sins as those who committed them without their own sins being reduced at all.
It is authentically reported inSahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, If anyone calls others to follow right guidance,
their reward will be equivalent to those who follow them (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect. If anyone invites others to follow error, their sin will be equivalent to that of the people who follow them (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect. This is great danger and a stern warning for whoever propagates falsehood and calls others to it.
My advice to those who call for singing and musical instruments is to repent to Allah (Exalted be He) from their sin and return to AlHaqq (the Truth) and ask Allah (Exalted be He) to guide them to AlSiratulMustaqim (the Straight Path). This is better for them than remaining on the side of misguidance. Indeed, Allah (Exalted be He) accepts Tawbah (repentance to Allah) from those who repent and He shows mercy to those who disobeyed Him.
May Allah guide us and them to His Path and save us from satanic promptings!
The aforementioned proofs, traditions, and citations make it evident even to the person who has the least degree of wisdom that it is obligatory to keep radio stations away from the interference of what might render these means harmful. This is applicable to oriental and western radio stations as long as they are under the control of a Muslim country. This is admittedly and with greater emphasis applicable when the radio station is in the land wherein is the cradle of Revelation and the source of light and the Qiblah (direction faced for Prayer towards the Ka`bah) to which Muslims everywhere direct themselves five times a day. Undoubtedly, this country should be protected against anything that causes harm to Muslims in their religious or worldly affairs.
Allowing songs and music to be broadcast over the radio will undeniably affect Muslims negatively in their religion and worldly affairs. Thus, our means of mass media should be protected from this and be exploited only to serve Islam and spread the Truth and call for it. They should be beneficial tools spreading only what brings about the welfare of Muslims in their life and the Hereafter and making available the beneficial sciences as well as providing daily recitation of the Qur'an and its Tafsir as reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the righteous Salaf. Our media is like a torch of light that focuses on the development of Muslims in different fields, whether it is medical, agricultural, commercial, educational, or other means of religious and worldly reform.
This is how I see the objectives of our media.
It is incumbent upon those who are in charge of the media to direct and purify them from all aspects of impropriety. They are responsible before Allah (Exalted be He) on the Day of Resurrection where no wealth or children will avail, except those who come to Him with a pure heart.
Our government did well in establishing a radio station that is dedicated to the recitation of the Qur'an, its Tafsir, and explaining the
prophetic Hadiths. Accordingly, it set an example for other Islamic countries. It also achieved great benefit when it started Nur `Ala Al Darb (Light on the way) program which receives Muslim's questions in different fields of knowledge and gives the chance to trustworthy scholars who are wellversed and follow the path of the righteous Salaf to answer such questions. May Allah reward our government with the best reward. I give this word on behalf of myself and all scholars and Muslims who are zealous whenever religious prohibitions are violated. I address all Muslim rulers to protect means of media from harmful programs that negatively affect Muslims instead of benefiting them, and to give its responsibility to those who fear Allah as He should be feared, for every ruler is responsible for his people.
May Allah guide them to reform these means of media and keep them away from harmful materials. Moreover, I ask Allah (may He be exalted) by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes to grant success to all Muslim rulers and grant success to our rulers and all Muslim rulers in carrying out that which pleases Him. May Allah support the Truth and frustrate falsehood through them. May Allah guide Muslim rulers to abide by and follow Shari`ah, and revere His Limits and warn against opposing them. He is Omnipotent over all things. Allah is Sufficient for us. He is the Best Disposer of affairs. Peace be upon His Servant, Messenger, Muhammad, his family, and Companions!