Bukhari

Chapter of Hadith Number: 5590 from Sahih Bukhari: «بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِيمَنْ يَسْتَحِلُّ الْخَمْرَ وَيُسَمِّيهِ بِغَيْرِ اسْمِهِ:»
Relevance between the Chapter and the Hadith:
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah mentioned sherbet and honey in the chapter heading, and under the chapter he cited two reports and one hadith. The first report is narrated from Imam Zuhri rahimahullah, and the second from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu.

Ibn al-Munir rahimahullah, explaining the relevance between the chapter and the hadith, writes:
«ترجم على شيئى وأعقبه بضده وبضدها تتبين الاشياء ثم عاد وما يطابق الترجمة نصباً.» [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 99/11]
“That is, both urine and wine are forbidden, while halwa (sweetmeat) and honey are both lawful and pure. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah mentioned the forbidden after mentioning halwa and honey, because «وبضدها تتبين الاشياء»”

Some scholars, explaining the relevance between the chapter heading and the reports, state:
“By the statement of Imam Zuhri rahimahullah, the intention is to allude to the noble verse of the Qur’an «احل لكم الطيبات», and it is evident that «حل» and «عسل» are among the pure things.” [فتح الباري لابن حجر : 67/99]
The hadith that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah narrated under the chapter from Umm al-Mu’minin, its relevance is clear, and in it, halwa refers to every sweet thing.

Therefore, the relevance between the chapter heading and the reports under the chapter is that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, after mentioning lawful things in the chapter, mentions «بضدها تبتين الاشياء» under the chapter, so that it becomes clear which things are lawful and which are forbidden. It should also be remembered that Imam Bukhari rahimahullah mentioned halwa in the chapter, and by this is meant that halwa which is not liquid, but is drunk. Thus, Muhammad Zakariya Kandhlawi rahimahullah writes:
«والأوجه عندي : أن المراد فى الترجمة بشراب الحلواء والعسل الماء المخلوط بشيئى خلو الذى يقال فى الهندية ”شربت“ و ”شربت العسل“ معروف فى ديارنا.» [الابواب و التراجم: 99/6]
“That is, the word halwa used by Imam Bukhari rahimahullah in the chapter heading refers to sherbet, meaning any water in which something sweet is mixed. In India, drinks are famous by the name of sherbet and ‘sherbet asal’ (honey drink).”

Therefore, halwa in our custom is not something to drink, but rather it is eaten, because it is not a liquid. Thus, in the chapter heading, halwa refers to a liquid that is drunk, such as naqi‘ tamr (date infusion), naqi‘ zabib (raisin infusion), and honey drink, etc. [ارشاد الساري : 58/9]

Hadith Commentary:
All these evils are becoming widespread today—singing and music have been made common in every household by the radio.
Alcohol consumption is widespread, and governments themselves patronize fornication.
As a result of these, the earthquake in the Swat Valley of Pakistan and the earthquake in Himachal Pradesh, India, are sufficient as lessons.
It is also becoming common for boys to take on the appearance of girls and for girls to adopt the appearance of boys.
For this reason, faces are being deformed, and punishment is descending upon us in various forms.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Changing the name of something forbidden does not alter its ruling. For example, if interest (riba) is called "profit" or "mark-up," its reality does not change. Similarly, calling wine "beverage" or "sherbet," or giving it any other name, does not make it lawful. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has clearly foretold this matter in explicit words. He said:
"The system of night and day will not end until some people from my ummah will drink wine, but they will call it by another name besides its real name."
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Al-Ashribah, Hadith: 3384)
Likewise, in another hadith:
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Some people from my ummah will drink wine, but they will call it by another name."
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Ashribah, Hadith: 3688)
(2)
Alas, all the evils mentioned in the hadith are widespread today.
Music, singing, and wine drinking are common, and centers of fornication are even running under government patronage.
May Allah, the Exalted, protect us from these.
Ameen

The Prohibition of Singing, Music, and Obscenity

✿ Allah, the Exalted and Most High, says: “And among mankind is he who purchases «لهو الحديث» so that he may mislead (men) from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it (the path of Allah) as a mockery. For such there will be a humiliating punishment.” [سورة لقمان: 6]

In the explanation of «لهو الحديث» in this blessed verse, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud radi Allahu anhu says: «الغناء والذي لا إله الا هو» By Him besides whom there is no other deity, what is meant by «لهو الحديث» in this verse is «غناء» (singing and music). [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه: 6/ 309ح21123 وسنده حسن]

Both Imam Hakim rahimahullah and Dhahabi have declared this narration authentic. [المستدرك: 2/ 411 ح 3546]

Ikrimah (the Tabi’i) says: «هو الغناء» This is singing (ghina). [مصنف ابن ابي شيبه 2/ 310 ح 21127 وسنده حسن]

✿ In the Noble Qur’an, Allah, the Exalted, condemning those who oppose the true religion, says: ﴿وَأَنْتُمْ سَامِدُونَ﴾ “And you are heedless.” [53-النجم: 61]

In the explanation of this verse, the commentator of the Qur’an, the sage of the Ummah, Imam Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma says: «هو الغناء بالحميرية، اسمدي لنا: تغني لنا» By «سامدون» is meant, in the Himyarite language, singing and music. «اسمدي» “Lana” means, “Sing for us.” [السنن الكبري للبيهقي: 101/ 223 و سند قوي/صحيح، رواه يحيي القطان عن سفيان الثوري به]

❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Amir or Abu Malik al-Ash’ari radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “There will certainly be among my Ummah people who will deem fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments as lawful. And some people will reside near a mountain, and when they return in the evening with their herds, a needy person (a beggar) will come to them and they will say: Come to us tomorrow morning. Allah, the Exalted, will destroy them during the night and cause the mountain to collapse upon them, and He will transform the rest into monkeys and pigs, and they will remain so until the Day of Resurrection.” [صحيح بخاري: 2/ 837ح5590، صحيح ابن حبان ح 6719]

Regarding this hadith, Shaykh Ibn al-Salah says: «و الحديث صحيح معروف الاتصال بشرط الصحيح» This hadith is authentic, connected, and well-known according to the conditions of Sahih. [مقدمه ابن الصلاح ص 90 مع شرح العراقي]

The criticism of this hadith by Hafiz Ibn Hazm and others is rejected.

All the connected, raised (marfu‘) narrations in the two Sahihs (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim) are certainly authentic and definitively established.

❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma that: «قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله حر م عليكم الخمر و الميسر و الكوبة . . كل مسكر حرام» The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Indeed, Allah has forbidden upon you wine, gambling, and the kubah, and He said: Every intoxicant is unlawful.” [مسند احمد 2691، 350 ح 3274 وإسناده صحيح ح 3274 وسنن أبى داود: 3696]

One of its narrators, Ali ibn Badhimah, says that by «الكوبة» is meant «الطبل», that is, the drum. [سنن ابي داؤد: 2/ 164 و إسناده صحيح]

❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr al-As radi Allahu anhuma that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «إن الله عزوجل حر م الخمر و الميسر و الكو بة والغبيراء و كل مسكر حرام» “Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden wine, gambling, the beating of the drum, and the wine of Makkah, and every intoxicant is unlawful.” [مسند احمد 2/ 171 ح 6591م، و سنده حسن]

The narrator of this report, Amr ibn al-Walid ibn Abda, is considered trustworthy and reliable by the majority, so his hadith does not fall below the level of hasan (good).

❀ Mahmood ibn Khalid al-Dimashqi has transmitted with an authentic chain from Imam Nafi‘ that Sayyiduna Ibn Umar radi Allahu anhuma once heard the sound of a flute, so he put his fingers in his ears and said: The Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did the same. [سنن ابي داؤد: 2/ 326 ح 4924 و إسناده حسن و المعجم الكبير للطبراني: 1/ 13 و تحريم النرود الشطرنج و الملاهي للآجري ح 65، مسند احمد 2/ 38ح 4965، السنن الكبري للبيهقي: 1/ 222]

Regarding this hadith, Allamah Ibn al-Wazir al-Yamani wrote in “Tawdih al-Afkar” [ج 1 ص 150] that: «صحيح على الأصح» The most correct view is that this hadith is authentic.

❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «صوتان معلونان فى الدنيا وال آخرة، مزمار عند نعمة ورنة عند مصيبة» “There are two sounds upon which there is curse in this world and the Hereafter: the sound of musical instruments at times of joy, and wailing and beating at times of grief.” [كشف الاستار عن زوائد: 1/ 377]

The chain of this hadith is hasan (good).

◈ Hafiz Mundhiri says: «ورواته ثقات» And its narrators are trustworthy and reliable.

◈ Hafiz Haythami said: «ورجاله ثقات» That is, its narrators are trustworthy. [مجمع الزوائد: 3/ 13]

In light of these noble verses and blessed hadiths and others, the investigating scholars have decided that musical instruments and their deliberate use (listening intentionally) are unlawful (haram).