Whether music is haram in Islam is a genuinely disputed question. Most classical scholars of the four Sunni schools held that musical instruments are forbidden apart from the hand drum (duff), while scholars such as Ibn Hazm and al-Ghazali permitted music whose content and setting are wholesome. All sides agree that songs promoting sin are forbidden.
This page does not issue a ruling. It sets out the evidence each side relies on, names the scholars who hold each view, and explains the points where they agree, so readers can understand the debate and take their own question to a scholar they trust. For a general introduction to Muslim belief and practice, see what Islam is.
Key takeaways
- Quran 31:6 condemns "the amusement of speech" used to mislead from God's way, and the Companion Ibn Mas'ud swore it refers to singing, as Ibn Kathir records in his tafsir.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5590 reports the Prophet warning of people who will treat as lawful fornication, silk, alcohol and musical instruments (ma'azif); its chain is the central point of dispute.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 952 records two girls singing in Aisha's home on Eid, and the Prophet telling Abu Bakr to leave them, since "every nation has an Eid."
- Sunan an-Nasa'i 3369 (graded hasan) reports that the duff and singing distinguish a lawful marriage from an unlawful one, so wedding songs with the duff are widely accepted.
- Egypt's Dar al-Ifta describes music as a matter of legitimate scholarly difference and says Muslims should not condemn one another over it.
Why is music such a debated question?
Music touches worship, culture and daily life, and the evidence is not as explicit as it is for, say, alcohol. There is no Quran verse that mentions musical instruments by name. The debate therefore turns on how to interpret a few verses, how to grade a few hadith, and how to weigh reports that show singing in the Prophet's own household.
It also matters what "music" means. Classical scholars distinguished between:
- Singing (ghina, غناء), the human voice performing melody, with or without instruments.
- Instruments (ma'azif, معازف), a term usually understood to cover string and wind instruments and percussion beyond the simple frame drum.
- The duff (duff, دف), a frame drum without jingles, which almost all scholars treat separately.
Many disagreements become clearer once you notice which of these three a scholar is discussing.
What evidence does the prohibiting view cite?
The view that musical instruments are forbidden is held by the large majority of classical Sunni jurists. The Hanbali scholar Ibn Taymiyyah wrote that the view of the four imams is that all musical instruments are forbidden (Majmu' al-Fatawa). His student Ibn al-Qayyim, and in the twentieth century Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani and Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, defended the same position at length.
Quran 31:6
And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.
Ibn Kathir records that Ibn Mas'ud, asked about "the amusement of speech" (lahw al-hadith), swore by God that it means singing. Similar explanations are reported from Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and others. Those who prohibit music see this as the Companions' own understanding of the verse.
The hadith of al-Bukhari on ma'azif
In Sahih al-Bukhari 5590, Abu Amir or Abu Malik al-Ash'ari reports the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying that some people of his community will regard as lawful illegal sexual intercourse, silk, alcohol and musical instruments. Prohibiting scholars argue that listing instruments beside clear sins shows they are forbidden too.
Supporting reports
The prohibiting view also points to Abu Bakr's description of the Eid singing as "musical instruments of Satan" (Sahih al-Bukhari 952), and to the fact that the Prophet allowed it on a special day, which they read as an exception that proves the general rule.
What evidence does the permitting view cite?
A smaller but significant group of scholars permitted music in principle and judged it by its content, setting and effects.
- Ibn Hazm (died 1064), the Andalusian jurist of the Zahiri school, argued that the hadith in al-Bukhari is munqati' (disconnected), because al-Bukhari introduces it without stating that he heard it directly from his teacher Hisham ibn Ammar. He held that a forbidding text must be authentic and explicit, and judged music by the intention behind it.
- Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (died 1111), in the book on listening (sama') of his Ihya Ulum al-Din, held that music is permissible in itself and becomes forbidden through what accompanies it, such as drunkenness or indecency.
- Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi, the Maliki judge, is reported to have said that no hadith prohibiting singing is authentic.
- Yusuf al-Qaradawi, in The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam, permitted singing and music provided the content is not obscene and does not lead to sin.
- Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyya, Egypt's official fatwa body, holds that singing with or without instruments is permitted on condition that it does not call to disobedience, and that excess can make it blameworthy (Dar al-Ifta).
How they read the same texts
On Quran 31:6, permitting scholars note that the verse condemns speech bought "to mislead [others] from the way of Allah," so its target is the purpose, not sound itself. On the al-Bukhari hadith, they question the chain or argue it describes a group indulging in a cluster of sins together. Hadith specialists such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani responded that the report is connected through other chains, so for them the chain objection does not stand.
They also cite general Quranic principles, such as "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?" (Quran 7:32) and the warning against declaring things lawful or unlawful without knowledge (Quran 16:116).
Is there a middle position?
Yes, and many Muslims today follow one of several middle positions.
| Position | What is allowed | What is not allowed | Associated with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruments forbidden, duff allowed | Unaccompanied singing with wholesome words; the duff at weddings and celebrations | Other instruments | Majority of classical Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali jurists |
| Voice only | Nasheeds and vocal songs with good content | All instruments, sometimes including the duff outside weddings | Many contemporary Salafi scholars |
| Content and setting based | Music and instruments whose words and setting are clean | Songs promoting sin, music tied to drinking or indecency | Ibn Hazm, al-Ghazali, al-Qaradawi, Dar al-Ifta |
| Setting based (Shia) | Music not suited to gatherings of amusement and sin | Music of the kind played at such gatherings | Twelver jurists such as Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani |
Every position in the table agrees on three points: lyrics that promote indecency, alcohol or disbelief are forbidden; music that keeps a person from prayer is blameworthy; and the duff at weddings is acceptable.
Why is the duff treated differently?
The duff has explicit support in the hadith. In Sunan an-Nasa'i 3369, graded hasan, the Prophet said that what separates the lawful from the unlawful in marriage is the duff and the voice, meaning a marriage should be announced publicly with song. In Sahih al-Bukhari 5162, when Aisha prepared a bride for a man of the Ansar, the Prophet asked whether they had any entertainment, since the Ansar enjoyed it.
For this reason, wedding songs with a frame drum are accepted across the schools, including by scholars who prohibit other instruments.
What about nasheeds?
A nasheed (nashid, نشيد) is a song with religious or moral themes, usually sung by voice alone or with a duff. Nasheeds grew popular partly because they fit within the stricter positions above, so families who avoid instruments can still enjoy music.
Some modern nasheeds use vocal effects that imitate instruments, or full instrumental backing. Scholars who forbid instruments generally apply the same ruling to those versions, while scholars who judge by content see no difference. The Quran's own recitation, which is melodic, is not considered music by any school. You can listen to recitation on any surah page on Quran Universe. Our guide on how to read the Quran has tips for beginners.
Is it haram to listen to music in Ramadan?
Ramadan does not create a separate ruling on music. A scholar who holds music forbidden holds it forbidden all year, and one who permits wholesome music permits it in Ramadan too. That said, scholars on every side encourage Muslims to spend the month on Quran, prayer and dhikr, so many people voluntarily take a break from music while fasting. Our guide to why Muslims fast during Ramadan explains the spirit of the month.
Is it haram to sing?
Singing itself is not forbidden by any of the main positions when the words are clean. The girls singing on Eid in Sahih al-Bukhari 952, and the wedding songs above, show that singing was part of life in the Prophet's time. Disagreement centers on instruments and on content. Some scholars add conditions about a woman singing in front of unrelated men, which al-Qaradawi and others discuss.
How should Muslims approach this difference of opinion?
Classical scholars distinguished between issues of clear consensus and issues where qualified scholars disagree in good faith. Music falls in the second group. That has three practical consequences:
- Follow a trusted scholar or school. A Muslim who is not a scholar is expected to follow the guidance of a qualified scholar they trust, not to pick the easiest view on each question.
- Do not condemn others. Dar al-Ifta stresses that Muslims should not attack those who follow a recognized opinion.
- Keep the shared ground. Every position agrees on avoiding lyrics and settings that lead to sin, and on not letting entertainment crowd out worship.
Understanding how hadith such as al-Bukhari 5590 are graded is central to this debate. Our guide to what hadith is explains chains, grading and why a report's connection matters. For the bigger picture of how Islamic law handles disputed questions, see what Sharia law is.
Read the verses on Quran Universe
You can read Surah Luqman on Quran Universe, including verse 31:6 with Tafsir Ibn Kathir, where the reports from Ibn Mas'ud and others appear in full. Our guide on what tafsir is explains how to read classical commentary.
Frequently asked questions
Is it haram to listen to music?
Scholars disagree. The majority of classical jurists in the four Sunni schools held that musical instruments are forbidden apart from the duff, citing Quran 31:6 and Sahih al-Bukhari 5590. Scholars such as Ibn Hazm, al-Ghazali and Yusuf al-Qaradawi permitted music with wholesome content. All agree that songs promoting sin are forbidden. Muslims usually follow a scholar they trust.
Is music haram in the Quran?
No Quran verse names musical instruments. The debate centers on Quran 31:6, which condemns "the amusement of speech" used to mislead people from God's way. The Companion Ibn Mas'ud explained this as singing, which prohibiting scholars follow. Permitting scholars read the verse as targeting speech used to mislead, rather than music in itself.
Is it haram to listen to music in Ramadan?
Ramadan does not change the ruling. Scholars who forbid music forbid it all year, and those who permit wholesome music permit it during Ramadan too. However, scholars on every side encourage spending the month on Quran recitation, prayer and remembrance of God, so many Muslims choose to set music aside while fasting.
Is it haram to sing?
Singing with clean, decent words is not forbidden in any of the main scholarly positions. Sahih al-Bukhari 952 records girls singing on Eid in the Prophet's household, and Sunan an-Nasa'i 3369 encourages singing with the duff at weddings. The disagreement is mainly about instruments and lyrics, plus some conditions on women singing before unrelated men.
What is a nasheed?
A nasheed is a song with religious or moral themes, traditionally sung with the voice alone or with a frame drum (duff). Nasheeds are popular because they fit within stricter views that forbid most instruments. Scholars who forbid instruments apply the same ruling to nasheeds with instrumental backing, while scholars who judge by content treat them like other wholesome songs.
Is the duff allowed in Islam?
Yes, the duff, a simple frame drum, is accepted by almost all scholars, especially at weddings and celebrations. Sunan an-Nasa'i 3369, graded hasan, says the duff and singing distinguish a public, lawful marriage from a secret, unlawful one. Even scholars who forbid other instruments make this exception.