Ruling on Posting Song Statuses – In Light of Qur’an & Hadith
By: Qari Usama bin Abdul Salam
Listening to songs (music, obscene poetry, immoral lyrics) is haram in Islamic Shari’ah, and spreading them — such as by putting them as a status — is a major sin. This is not just a personal sin, but the spreading of sin, which carries a severe warning in Qur’an and Hadith.
Surah Luqman (31:6):
﴿وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ﴾
“And among mankind is he who purchases idle talk to mislead from the path of Allah…”
Tafsir:
Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Masʿūd, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and other Mufassirīn explained that “Lahw al-Hadith” here refers to songs, music, and obscene speech.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, al-Durr al-Manthur)
Sahih al-Bukhari (5590):
“There will be among my Ummah people who will regard as permissible: fornication, silk, alcohol, and musical instruments…”
Explanation:
This Hadith is a warning for those who adopt music and consider it harmless.
Surah al-Nūr (24:19):
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةُ فِي ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ﴾
“Indeed, those who love that immorality should be spread among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter.”
Note:
Songs often promote immorality, illicit love, vulgar words, or worldly obsession. Posting them as statuses spreads this evil.
Sahih Muslim (1017):
“Whoever introduces a bad practice in Islam will bear its sin, and the sin of those who act upon it after him, without decreasing their sin in the least.”
Implication:
Posting a song status means:
These are statuses that spread goodness and carry ongoing reward (ṣadaqah jāriyah).
اللَّهُمَّ طَهِّرْ قُلُوبَنَا مِنَ النِّفَاقِ، وَأَسْمَاعَنَا مِنَ الْمَعَازِفِ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِمَّنْ يَسْتَمِعُ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُ أَحْسَنَهُ.
Translation:
“O Allah, purify our hearts from hypocrisy, our ears from musical instruments, and make us among those who listen to good words and follow the best of them. Āmīn.”
By: Qari Usama bin Abdul Salam
Summary Ruling
Listening to songs (music, obscene poetry, immoral lyrics) is haram in Islamic Shari’ah, and spreading them — such as by putting them as a status — is a major sin. This is not just a personal sin, but the spreading of sin, which carries a severe warning in Qur’an and Hadith.
1. Qur’anic Evidence
Surah Luqman (31:6):
﴿وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ﴾
“And among mankind is he who purchases idle talk to mislead from the path of Allah…”
Tafsir:
Ibn ʿAbbās, Ibn Masʿūd, al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and other Mufassirīn explained that “Lahw al-Hadith” here refers to songs, music, and obscene speech.
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, al-Durr al-Manthur)
2. Prophetic Evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari (5590):
“There will be among my Ummah people who will regard as permissible: fornication, silk, alcohol, and musical instruments…”
Explanation:
This Hadith is a warning for those who adopt music and consider it harmless.
3. Spreading Sin – Severe Warning
Surah al-Nūr (24:19):
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةُ فِي ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ﴾
“Indeed, those who love that immorality should be spread among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter.”
Note:
Songs often promote immorality, illicit love, vulgar words, or worldly obsession. Posting them as statuses spreads this evil.
4. Additional Warning from Hadith
Sahih Muslim (1017):
“Whoever introduces a bad practice in Islam will bear its sin, and the sin of those who act upon it after him, without decreasing their sin in the least.”
Implication:
Posting a song status means:
- You commit the sin yourself.
- You share in the sin of everyone who listens to it or spreads it further.
Practical Example
- You post a song as your status.
- 30 people listen to it.
- 2 people forward it further.
You have now shared in 32+ sins from just one post.
5. Encouraged Alternatives
- Post Qur’anic verses.
- Share Hadith or Naat.
- Spread reminders for repentance.
- Post Islamic reform messages.
These are statuses that spread goodness and carry ongoing reward (ṣadaqah jāriyah).
Final Ruling Table
| Action | Shari’ah Ruling | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Listening to songs | Haram | Clear Qur’an & Hadith evidence |
| Posting song status | Haram + ongoing sin | Sin of spreading evil |
| Liking songs | Spiritual disease | Sign of heedlessness/nifaq |
| Repenting from it | Obligatory | Urgent before death |
Duʿāʾ
اللَّهُمَّ طَهِّرْ قُلُوبَنَا مِنَ النِّفَاقِ، وَأَسْمَاعَنَا مِنَ الْمَعَازِفِ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِمَّنْ يَسْتَمِعُ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُ أَحْسَنَهُ.
Translation:
“O Allah, purify our hearts from hypocrisy, our ears from musical instruments, and make us among those who listen to good words and follow the best of them. Āmīn.”
