Misconceptions about music – part 2: Is it permissible to learn musical instruments?
Are string instruments permissible in Islam?
The permissibility of music
In Islam, any ruling of prohibition has to be based on authentic evidence and clear meaning. In music there is no such evidence, so we can’t pronounce it haram. The use and the accompanied actions might be haram, that’s a different discussion.
If a piece of music, produced by string instruments, drums, or voice carries good meanings, calms one and uplifts one’s mood or is appropriate for the occasion, and does not distract from faith or lead to sin, then it remains permissible (halal). But if it involves immorality, vulgarity, arrogance, or heedlessness, then it becomes forbidden (haram) due to its consequences, not because of its sound.
Yet some argue that playing or listening to musical instruments, particularly string instruments, is forbidden. Their claim rests on a handful of narrations, mostly weak or context-specific, that have been interpreted as prohibiting music in general. Below we examine each of these hadiths carefully, in light of classical and contemporary hadith scholarship.
1. The Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari
“There will be among my Ummah people who will consider as lawful illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of wine, and the use of musical instruments (ma‘azif).”
— Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Drinks)
The strongest hadith that seems to suggest music is haram is this one. At face value, this narration seems to prohibit musical instruments. However, it is mu‘allaq (disconnected). Imam al-Bukhari omitted one or more narrators at the start of the chain. The complete chain, found in other works, passes through Hisham ibn Ammar, a transmitter whose reliability was debated. Scholars such as Ibn Hazm and Dr Abdullah al-Judai held that the chain is not strong enough to establish a legal prohibition. (For a lengthier explanation on how scholars critique hadith, check part 1)
Other scholars like Ibn al-Salah, al-Nawawi, and Ibn Hajar considered that because Bukhari included it, the narration holds some value, though not at the level of decisiveness. In summary, it is not fabricated, but not definitive proof of prohibition either.
Even if the hadith were accepted as authentic, it would still not prohibit instruments in essence. The context links music with wine and adultery, implying the condemnation lies in immoral gatherings, not in the sound of the instruments themselves.
Some people cite this hadith mentioning musical instruments as one of the signs of the Day of Judgement, saying that their widespread use proves music is sinful. In reality, this hadith describes a social attitude of permissiveness that will emerge near the end of time, not a categorical ruling that musical instruments are haram. The Prophet ﷺ was warning that people will trivialise clear sins and treat everything as lawful entertainment, including actions that once carried moral boundaries. Scholars such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explained that the narration warns against moral decline, not against melody itself.
The problem, then, lies not in the instruments themselves but in their misuse and the heedlessness that accompanies them. When music promotes immorality, or neglect of faith, it reflects that spiritual decay the Prophet ﷺ foretold, but music in its pure, permissible form is not what the hadith condemns.
2. The Hadith of monkeys and pigs
“People among my nation will drink wine, calling it by another name, and musical instruments will be played for them and singing girls will sing for them. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them, and will turn the rest into monkeys and pigs.”
— Sunan Ibn Majah
This narration is weak (da‘if) due to unreliable transmitters, including ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ziyad al-Afriqi. Scholars such as Ibn Hajar, al-Albani, and al-Judai classify it as weak and unsuitable for legal rulings.
Moreover, its wording describes a scene of sinful indulgence, intoxication and corruption, not a general statement about instruments. The warning applies to those who use music as a gateway to sin, not to music itself.
3. The Hadith about “Two Sounds Cursed”
“Indeed Allah has prohibited two foolish and sinful sounds: one at a time of joy with amusement and musical instruments, and one at a time of misfortune with wailing.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi
Even Imam al-Tirmidhi, who recorded it, declared the narration weak. Later hadith masters such as Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Albani confirmed its unreliability due to inconsistencies in its chain.
The narration cannot be used as proof of prohibition. At best, it discourages excessive or indecent noise, not the careful use of instruments. The Prophet ﷺ often cautioned against excess in joy and grief alike, but that does not make musical sound unlawful by nature.
4. The Hadith of the Flute of the Shepherd
Ibn ʿUmar said: “The Prophet ﷺ heard a flute and placed his fingers in his ears and turned away. When it was finished, he said, ‘I only did that because I heard it.’”
— Abu Dawud
This report is weak, again containing Hisham ibn Ammar in its chain. Even if accepted, the Prophet’s action expresses personal dislike (karahah) rather than prohibition. He did not forbid Ibn ʿUmar or others from listening. His turning away reflected humility and detachment, not a universal ban.
Dr al-Judai and Ibn Hazm note that had the sound been haram, the Prophet ﷺ would have explicitly commanded avoidance. His silence shows it was a matter of preference, not law.
5. The Hadith “Music Produces Hypocrisy”
“Singing grows hypocrisy in the heart just as water makes plants grow.”
— Bayhaqi’s Shu‘ab al-Iman and Ibn Abi Dunya
This narration is very weak or fabricated. Ibn Hajar, al-Suyuti, and others classed it as da‘if jiddan (extremely weak) or mawdu‘ (fabricated).
Such narrations emerged in later centuries when some preachers exaggerated to discourage immoral practices. As the Prophet ﷺ warned, “Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Therefore, this report has no legal value and cannot be used to prohibit instruments.
6. The Hadith “The Bell is the Musical Instrument of the Devil”
“The bell is the musical instrument of the devil.”
— Sahih Muslim
This narration is authentic, but its context is specific. It refers to bells attached to animals or used in ritual worship among non-Muslim communities at the time. The prohibition concerns superstitious or ritualistic use, not musical sound in general.
The Prophet ﷺ discouraged bells because they were associated with idolatrous ceremonies, much like how Islam forbids imitating religious symbols of other faiths. It does not imply that all musical tones are satanic.
7. The Hadith of the Two Girls Singing
Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “Two young girls were singing beside me songs of Bu‘ath. The Prophet ﷺ lay down and turned his face away. Abu Bakr scolded them, and the Prophet said, ‘Leave them, for this is our Eid.’”
— Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim
This hadith is authentic and decisive (muttafaqun ʿalayh). It shows clear permission for singing and rhythmic expression on appropriate occasions. The Prophet ﷺ neither rebuked the girls nor prohibited their singing, he merely turned aside, showing tolerance and balance.
This is the strongest evidence for permissibility and demonstrates that music and singing, when used for good and within limits, are not haram.
8. The “Molten Lead in the Ears” Hadith
“Whoever listens to the sound of singing, molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.”
— Attributed to Ibn Abi al-Dunya and Bayhaqi
This narration is fabricated (mawdu‘). Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Dhahabi, al-Suyuti, and al-Albani all confirmed that it has no basis from the Prophet ﷺ and that all its chains are false.
It likely emerged during later periods of moral reform, when some overzealous narrators invented extreme punishments to deter sin. Such fabrications are rejected in hadith science and cannot be cited in any serious legal discussion.
9. Distinguishing between types of music
Islamic ethics considers both content and effect. The sound itself is not sinful; its moral quality depends on what it promotes. A soothing melody, a piece of classical music, or a soft instrumental that calms the mind and supports reflection carries no harm. In contrast, music filled with vulgar lyrics, sexualised imagery, or violent emotions, such as aggressive headbanging or profanity-filled songs, conflicts with Islamic manners.
Just as food can nourish or poison depending on what it contains, music too can heal or corrupt depending on its message and atmosphere. The believer listens with discernment, avoiding what darkens the heart and choosing what refines it.
10. The concept of “dying upon what one lived upon”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
يُبْعَثُ كُلُّ عَبْدٍ عَلَى مَا مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ
“Every servant will be resurrected in the state upon which he died.”
— Sahih Muslim
This hadith means that a person’s final state often reflects theirlifelong habits and inclinations. Scholars like Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Ghazali explained that if someone lives a life of heedlessness, sins, or attachment to desires, that may cloud the heart and make it difficult to remember Allah at the moment of death. But this is a spiritual risk, not a legal ruling.
After assessing all the narrations, scholars such as Dr Abdullah al-Judai, Ibn Hazm, al-Qaradawi, and even al-Albani (in his later opinions) agree on a common principle:
There is no clear, authentic, and decisive hadith prohibiting music or string instruments in themselves. Most reports are weak, disconnected, or context-specific. Therefore, musical sound, including string instruments, remains permissible in principle, and prohibition applies only when accompanied by sinful use or immoral content.
Music, like any art, must be guided by intention, context, and ethics. When it uplifts, calms, or praises Allah, it falls within the lawful. When it distracts from faith or fuels vice, it leaves that boundary.
In music there is no authentic evidence for prohibition. The use and the accompanied actions might be haram, but that’s a different reason for it’s impermissibility. We cannot say there is a blanket prohibition on all kinds of music.
String instruments, like all instruments, are neutral. When played in lawful settings, with wholesome lyrics and good intention, they remain within Islam’s allowance. The Prophet ﷺ’s own balance teaches us that Islam does not suppress beauty or creativity; it channels them toward what is pure.
In the end, what determines halal or haram is having authentic evidence. We have to be balanced in our approach and careful not to be distracted or let anything preoccupy the heart from the remembrance of Allah.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Tafseer Class 3rd November 2025
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