Question
What is the ruling on singing, playing music, and listening to instruments according to the Qur’an and Sunnah? What punishment is mentioned for it in the Hereafter?
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
◄ All forms of musical instruments — whether played by hand or by blowing — are prohibited in Sharīʿah.
◄ In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, a clear statement exists that some people of the Ummah will declare musical instruments lawful, despite them being ḥarām.
Ḥadīth
لَيَكُونَنَّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ يَسْتَحِلُّونَ الْحِرَ وَالْحَرِيرَ وَالْخَمْرَ وَالْمَعَازِفَ
“There will certainly be people from my Ummah who will consider fornication, silk, alcohol, and musical instruments to be lawful.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
Note
This stern warning indicates that in the Hereafter, such people will face severe punishment, since they not only commit what Allah has prohibited but also declare it lawful, which is a grave sin.
Conclusion:Music, singing, and instruments are ḥarām in Islam. Declaring them lawful is even more dangerous and invites severe punishment in the Hereafter.
