Why is music haram in Islam?

 

Islam teaches that there is only one God, and that Muhammad is his final prophet. Music, as a form of expression, can be a means of worshiping God, but it can also be a means of honoring other things. Because of this, music is Haram (forbidden) in Islam.

There are many Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that condemn music and singing. For example, the Prophet Muhammad said: "Some people of my nation will drink wine, calling it by another name. And singing girls will be among them" (Abu Dawud 4347). In another Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad said: "I have seen Hell, and I have seen its music" (Ahmad).

Music can be a means of remember Allah and it can be a form of dzikr (remembrance of God). However, it can also be a means of shirk (associating partners with God), as it can be a form of worshiping other than Allah. Allah says in the Quran: "And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)" (Quran 2:165).

Because of this, many scholars have said that music is Haram. Imam al-Ghazali, a great scholar of Islam, said: "If one's heart is attached to music, it becomes a barrier between him and Allah" (Ihya' Ulum al-Din).

Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, another great scholar of Islam, said: "Music leads to haraam (forbidden) things, and haraam things lead to the Fire. And whoever is more attached to something, it will be a means of his destruction" (Majmoo' al-Fataawa).

Thus, we see that music is a means of shirk and it is something that can lead a person away from Allah. It is for this reason that music is Haram in Islam.