ISLAM AND MUSIC

Islam and Music

The tenets of Islam need interpretation. It is ironic to see that interpretation is the strength as well as the weakness of Islam. Yes. I mean the wrong kind of interpretation, misinterpretation. But who is to decide which interpretation is right? That’s where the shoe pinches. All problems crop us from this. It is the religious ego of religious scholars that play the vital role in this. The mushroom growth of divisions or schools of thought spring from this single cause: the religious ego.

But scholars and great Imams of the past did not have any ego. They were humble and simple. Even when they were sure of a thing, they did not say it with authority. They were of the strong opinion that authority of any sort rests with Allah only. They were objective and unprejudiced but humble and simple at the same time. Today’s problem is this: humility and objectivity is missing.

Music is interpreted to be anti-Islamic. Many scholars say that music, especially instrumental music, is forbidden. Of course, they quote the holy Quran and Hadis to prove their argument. Well, let us take an objective and unprejudiced look at the issue.

Could music be against God? Could it be the enemy of divinity? God says that He created man with His own hands and breathed into him His own Spirit and made him His representative on earth (38:72, 75). In that case, when man’s sense of music is very high and subtle, could God, who created man as His representative, be insensitive to music? Can such an imagination be right? But today, adamant interpretations say ‘Yes’ as the answer to this question!

To show interest in music, whether as a composer or as a listener, is not acceptable to Islam. This is the opinion of many in the Islamic world today. It is said that music distances man from God and makes him forgetful of his duties to God.  It is argued that as music makes one forget himself or herself, it is to be avoided. (I think this is one of the reasons why one should listen to music)! There are many who go to extent of declaring music to be haram, showing ‘proofs’ from the Quran and Hadis.

Such interpretations imply that man, who has to live in many relationships and responsibilities as child, father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife and the like must live thinking of God alone throughout his life. And anything that prevents one from thinking of God alone is interpreted to be the ‘voice of Satan’. How alluring is the voice of Satan! How great is the miracle of God’s creation!

All religions have earmarked a particular time and place for the worship of God. We know that a Muslim has to pray five times a day and the place is usually a masjid. This does not mean that man should forget God at other times. This is just like getting the minimum of 40 per cent of marks out of 100 in order to pass an examination. You can get centum and that is a matter of your intelligence and diligence.

The minimum is fixed for the ordinary. God says in the Quran that He created man for His worship only (51:56). That was the purpose behind creation of man by God. But the five time prayer is just the minimum pass percentage only. It is the basic training for the real worship of God. It is to just pass. This has been beautifully explained and explicated by great scholars like Imam Ghazzali.

What does Islam say about music? Let us come this matter little later. But tell me, is there a single Muslim in the world who has not listened to music or cine songs and enjoyed it? Is there any one whose fingers have not danced to the tune, music, melody and enchanting voices of Ghulam Ali, Hariharan, A R Rahman, Ilaiyaraja or Justin Beiber? If you say yes, such fingers could be counted easily. This is an undeniable fact.

There are groups who allow only vocal music, without any instrumental accompaniment. And there are some other groups who enjoy religions songs from singers like Nagore Hanifa. And it goes without saying that Nagore Hanifa songs are always accompanied by instrumental music from harmonium, tabla and the like.    

And there is also the group which does not confuse music with God and listens to music as music. This group will listen to all kinds of songs and music. From sheer instrumental  music like santoor of Shiv Kumar Sharma, Beethoven’s symphony, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mystic India, Carnatic Music, Hindustani, Ghazals to rap. This is also a fact.

The argument that just because many Muslims do something which is prohibited in Islam does not make it halal springs from a misunderstanding of both Islam and Music.

The main objection that music makes one forget oneself and is therefore conducive to forgetting God is very superficial. Success comes to a man only when he does a work in complete forgetfulness of himself, in other words, in complete concentration. When the potter makes the pot, if he thinks of the price for which he may sell it, the pot will not be made to shape. If a student ponders over the possibility of passing or failing in the exam while writing it, what will happen as a result?

Therefore, forgetting oneself is nothing but total concentration in a work. When husbands make love to their wives, they forget themselves. Of course the wives too. At that moment, we do not take any effort to forget ourselves. It happens automatically. And it is natural too. Forgetting oneself while being engaged in a work is one of the secrets of success.

In Islamic history we see that many Muslim warriors have allowed the lances that have pierced their bodies to be removed while they are praying. The reason is very simple. In prayer, they forget themselves and will be unconscious of their bodies and their discomforts. And if the lances that have pierced their bodies were removed at that time, they will not feel the pain. Islamic history bears witness to the fact that in the life of great Ali (RA), such an incident has happened.

Therefore, to say that God is forgotten because one forgets oneself is not a valid argument. And in the Indian context and musical history, it becomes incorrect also.  If we look at the sahityams of Thyagaraja in the Carnatic music world, almost all the songs are in praise of gods and goddesses. Any learner of Carnatic music has to start his training with Sri Gana Nadha Sindhu Ragavarna only! Carnatic music operates within the sphere and dimension of devotion to god and piety. Hence, efforts were made to redeem and rescue it from that narrow circle and broaden its boundaries to romance, love, affection and such other emotions. The contemplation on God and expression of divine love is inseparable from Indian music.

We can include Sufi music also here, though Sufis were not confined to India. Sufis poets and Masters like Moulana Jalaluddin Rumi used music and dance as vehicles of divine meditation. He said that music is the “food of lovers of God”. And the followers of his spiritual path or tariqah are called ‘whirling dervishes’.

Sama, a kind of spiritual music, was part and parcel of many Sufi tariqahs and was used as an effective medium for doing dhikr or meditation. The word ‘sama’ originally meant ‘listening’. To listen to music means not just to listen to its sounds but understand its spiritual meanings. That could be called real hearing or listening, said the Sufis. Great scholars like Imam Ghazzali and Ibnu Arabi have also emphasized this idea in their writings.   

The famous Egyptian Sufi Master Dhunnun says that through listening to music, one goes closer to God. Parveen Sultana, the Hindustani classical singer, said once that music was Godly to her. Even today, in famous shrines like Nagore Darga and Ajmer Darga, Qawwals and singers sing songs in praise of the saints entombed there. Pious singing and pious hearing of those songs have become an inseparable aspect of Indian culture.

   

If the voice of Jesudas or Lata Mangeshkar or Shreya Goshal or the music from a santoor or veena could distance a man from God, what else can’t do the same? Cinema will distance him, TV will distance him, computer will distance him, college will distance him, happiness, unhappiness, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, waking – all aspects and activities of daily life will be able to distance him from God. Rather, he will use every small opportunity to distance himself from God.

He will distance himself from God even in those activities like prayer and fasting which are supposed to bring him in proximity to God-consciousness. When his head touches the floor in sajda of prayer, his mind will be after the new Bata slipper left in the entrance of the masjid. When he is fasting, his mind will be dwelling on things like kanji, makruni etc, i.e., the items or ‘courses’ to be prepared for the iftar or breaking of the fast. Any conscientious man will agree with me.

Conversely, a man who has the right kind of thinking about God will not forget but remember God in whatever he does. Like a man with a tooth ache who cannot forget his ache when he speaks or eats or drinks or does nothing. Or like a pregnant woman who will walk, talk, sit, stand and do everything with the feeling that she is carrying a baby inside her.

Can anything separate man from God? What is there in the Universe except God?  All things are nothing but expressions of the divinity only:

And to Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allah (2:115)

True Tauheed is in our ability to see the oneness of God in everything. “If one of you lowered a bucket by a rope, then it would fall on Allah”, says a hadis fromTirmidhi. Should we not then ponder the real meaning of this statement?  

This truth becomes clear when we look deeply into Islamic history also. From the time Islam began to spread all over the world, many researches were done regarding sound and music. Many music theories were put forth and many a musical instrument was discovered.  Many musicians also became important in different ages. But Islam was not spoiled by any. Instead, they have helped to make the Islamic feeling even stronger. 

From the 9^th century to the thirteenth, various theories of music were put forth and many research articles on music were written. And the theories of Arabian music were well developed even before this period. The Abbasid rulers (750-909 AD) were lovers of music. When we say music, it included instrumental music also. In the beginning, slave women were singers. Later, trained musicians came from the royal family itself.

A man called Ibn Munajjim divided music into eight kinds. Each kind of music was named after a finger. Ibn Surai defined the characteristics of a good singer. Al Kindi (800-873 AD), a philosopher, wrote seven books on sound, rhythm and musical notes. He also explained how the four strings of Oodh, a lute-like instrument represented land, water, air and fire and the four seasons. He also introduced a fifth string to it. Like L Shankar who improved the violin.

The tenth century scholar on music, Abu al Nasral Farabi’s book on music explained the scientific nature of sound. It also gave details about two kinds of instruments called tambur. Al Farabi is said to make the listeners weep or sleep or laugh with his playing of Oodh.

Ibn Rushd, known as Averroes in the West, of the 12^th century was an expert in the explication of the Quran, Hadis, Shariah, philosophy, logic, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, biology and music too. It is to be noted that he was the Chief Justice of Cordoba, one of the main cities of Spain.

In the writings of Ibn Sina also, known in the West as Avicenna (980 – 1037 AD), detailed notes on music are found. He was also an astronomer, chemist, geologist, Hafiz, Islamic psychologist, Islamic scholar, Islamic theologian, logician, mathematician, Maktab teacher, physicist, poet, and scientist. He is regarded as the most famous and influential polymath of the Islamic Golden Age. He wrote about music in his explanation of mathematical calculations. He also explained the relationship between mathematics, astronomy and music in his encyclopedia called The Book of Healing and The Canon of Medicine.

There were famous musicians in Spain like Saryab. Fareed Al Adrash and his sister were famous Arab musicians. Bandir, Busook, Darbuka, Kimbi, Kamanja, flute-like Nei, santoor-like Kanoon, violin-like Rabab – all these are names of some of the Arabian musical instruments.

There was an Egyptian singer named Ummu Kulthum. She learned the Quran and Arabic language in her childhood itself. On the first Thursday of every month, her concert was held. And thousands of fans gathered from the countries of the Middle East. Critics praised her saying that her voice and song touched the Arabian soul. The Egyptian ruler Nasser was proud to have her amity. Her songs were about the life of Arabs in general. In marriage functions she used to sing the verses of the holy Quran and sayings of the Prophet in a voice which melted the audience.  

Her fame was such that people used to say that two things in Egypt never changed: the pyramids and the voice of Ummu Khulthum. More than three lakh audio cassettes were released in a year! When she died in 1975, it is said that the number of mourners who attended her burial was the biggest in Egypt’s history.

Dars-e-Nizami, an educational institution which was popular during the Moghul period, had on its syllabi Quran, hadis, philosophy, logic, mathematics and music. World-famous scholars like Allama Shibli were students of that institution. Music was a lesson in the school of Shah Waliullah of Delhi, a famous saint of great repute. The life of legendary Indian poets like Amir Khusru was surrounded  with song and music.

Before answering the question whether music corrupts the mind of human beings, we have to understand the basics of music. To many, music means cine songs. Cine music which is usually provided with a song is not the pure form of music. It is made to suit the scenes in the movie. For one who likes songs of lust, the song and the accompanying scenes make room for ugly and pervert imagination. It induces him to imagine that he is the hero of the song, singing and dancing with the alluring heroine. For one who has not seen the movie, the lustful words of the song help. Willy-nilly, cinema does the harm of making the watcher or listener enjoy its music for reasons other than purely musical. One may like a song because a particular actress or actor has acted in that scene.

But language has never been a barrier in music. We can even say that music has no language or it is a language on its own. Its message is always beyond the words. If one wants to understand the meaning of the words of a song, then that is a non-musical objective. For that one need not listen to music but can simply write down the lyric. We can enjoy an English or Hindi or Arabic song as much as we can a Tamil song.

I love ghazals very much thought I do not know Urdu language. When I heard rat bhi neendh bhi song by Chitra Singh for the first time, I lost my neendh (sleep). I wandered from pillar to post to get that song. My relationship with ghazals started there.

Zindagi mein to sabhi pyar kiya kar te hain

Mein to mar kar bhi meri janu tujhe chahoonga

(People love while they are alive

But my spirit will love you even if I die)

That is the refrain of a ghazal by Mehdi Hasan and that is the relationship between me and music. The meanings of these words I learned later in my life. To enjoy the song and music I did not need those words at all.

I have wept on hearing Jin ke hoton ghazal by Ghulam Ali. Thought I did not understand a word of what he sang, its message was “cry” and it was effectively conveyed to me and I understood it from my tears. We can say that it was the power of music.

Sound is a power. Like the sunshine. When you hold a tender leaf or a piece of paper under a lens in sunshine, the paper or the leaf gets burnt. We all know this school-day experiment. Music is also like this. When sounds are focused in a particular measure, rhythm, timing and particular imaginary spatial point repeatedly, they acquire form and energy. A Tamil serial called Rudra Veenai also portrayed this point effectively. 

History says that when Hazrat Miyan Tansen sang deepak raga, it started fires and when he sang raga mesh malhar, it rained. When Bala Murali Krishna sang neelambari raga, it sent a crying baby to sleep. God is called naadam in the Indian tradition because sound is a form of energy. Even the holy Bible begins with the words, ”God said”. God is also known as the Word.

All these point to the truth that sound is energy. And music is the art form in which the notes are streamlined, ordered, focused and sent in a concentrated rhythmic manner towards a point. So music is power and power music.

The legend says that though Ravana was a bad fellow and a villain, when he sang Shankarabaranam, the hill that grew on his body melted. We know the story of Orpheus who brought himself back to life after death by the use of his harp, the legendary musical instrument. And in cine songs also order of sounds is to be found. And that is why we like them more than the sounds of our household gadgets like the pressure cooker.

Cine music is narrow with already written words and already prepared scenes. But pure music is not like that. It is like a dream. A dream may mean four things  to four people. In the same way, a single piece of pure music will give more than one meaning to the listener, according  to his or her life experiences. Hence we cannot make a dictionary to narrow down the extensive nature of music. Though we can distinguish between a sad note from a happy one, to arrest pure music between these two elementary feelings is to limit and simplify it.

Like all arts, music is also a powerful medium. We know that the success of many a movie has depended only on its music. Not only this. To say that music is the most powerful of all arts is no exaggeration. A dictionary will give us the meanings of words. And we can guess how a poem becomes meaningful with reference to it and we can also understand when and how a poem goes beyond the dictionary after studying it deeply. Only then the work of art will make an impact on us. The magical smile of Mona Lisa makes its impact on us only after understanding the fact that Mona Lisa is a painting of a woman.

But with regard to pure music, it makes its impact immediately while hearing it. The question of understanding its meaning does not arise at all. The moment the music is heard, it affects us. Some feelings are created and some images are created in our minds.

Without any commercial controls like finishing it within a stipulated time, when Parveen Sultana or Bimsen Joshi sings just the alap  for more than half an hour, it gives one the image of a helpless woman or man beseeching God. One can feel a wordless sadness  from the shehnai sound of Bismillah Khan. When  one hears the music of Tchaikovsky, one can feel as if one is participating in World War or witnessing it.  If one hears the ting, ting of Shiv Kumar Sharma’s santoor, one can feel the peace of mind that has destroyed all unhappiness. In the TV serial  on Tipu Sultan, the title music my Naushad does give one an idea of the courage and gallantry of Tipu.

How can one listen to the sitar of Ravi Shankar, the sarod of Ali Akbar Khan, the violin of Yahudi Menuhin, the veena  of Balachandar and the flute music of Chaurasia for hours? One can ask: what do you understand? But the right question or answer is: what has not been understood? Our culture is closely connected with music. When the Order of  the Universe is a proof of God’s existence, the order of sound, which is music, also adds to it.

Music is closely related to the wise men who developed intimacy with God. They were not slaves to their feelings. Rather they were masters of them. In classical music, though one sings in fast timing, the ‘sa’ will be ‘sa’ and the ‘ni’ will be ‘ni’. Each note will not budge from its place, however slow or fast one sings. The timing or ‘kaalam’ is also never hurried but goes like a pendulum in the same speed, pattern and rhythm.  And this symbolizes the state of mind of the sages who kept their minds in the same state at different demanding situations. Music offers such a rare opportunity to the learner and listener of music. Ali (RA) said: “Even if all the seven gates of paradise and those of Hell are shown to me, my faith will  neither grow nor diminish”. His statement also hints at this state of mind.  Music offer one a non-resisting, peaceful and harmonious state of mind.

The Indian tradition has listed ragas and their effects also. For example, boopalam for waking up and neelambari for sleeping. We know how plants  grow healthily after making them ‘listen’ to music. And we also the history of how many diseases were cured by music. Science says that curative neuropeptides are secreted in our brains as we listen to music.

Ustad Dawood Miyan of Nagore was cured of his leg problem by singing raga Malgos for forty days according to the order of Shahul Hameed, the saint of Nagore. How can such a noble thing as music distance man from God?

Let us see the standpoint of Islam on music here. Many people say or think that Islam is allergic to music! They explain that the Quran and Hadis are against music.

Usually, verses of the following chapters are quoted as proofs against music: 31 : 06, 17 : 64, 53 : 57-62.  Particularly Sura Luqman’s verse 31:06 is often quoted. The words ‘lahwal hadees’ in that verse is rightly translated into English as ‘idle talk’. But some scholars say that ‘lahwal hadees’ also means song and music, with reference to some saying of Prophet (Sal).

What does that particular verse say? It talks about the nature of divine messages and how some will not believe in it. In continuation of this the verse says:

But there are among men, those who purchase idle tales, without knowledge (or meaning), to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah and throw ridicule (31:06).

There is not a mention of music or musical instrument in this verse. How can God, the Great Universal Musician, who Has made this earth rotate in the destined speed and rhythm speak against music? When not a single atom could move without His permission, how can the seven notes move around in air without His knowledge and permission?

The haters of music take a hadis in support of their argument. According to the hadis, the Prophet is believed to have said: A group of my followers will turn adulterers, wear silk, drink liquor and play musical instruments. And they argue that God and His prophet are against music, vocal or instrumental.

But this is the explanation of one of the schools of thought. It is not the opinion of the Islamic world in toto. And it does not have the consensus of all the religious scholars of Islam.

A hadis: Narrated Aisha: Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Buath (a story about the war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Aus, before Islam). The Prophet (p.b.u.h) lay down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, "Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (p.b.u.h) ?" Allah's Apostle (p.b.u.h) turned his face towards him and said, "Leave them." When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signalled to those girls to go out and they left.

Another version: Two women were singing of a battle called Buad in the house of Prophet Muhammad (sal), while playing a kind of drum. Abu Bakr (RA) chided them saying, “Satan’s instruments in the house of the Prophet of God?” and stopped them angrily from playing and singing. But the Prophet told Abu Bakr that they need not be stopped from being happy on a festive day and allowed them to continue playing and singing.  

This hadis has been recorded in the authoritative collections of Bukhari and Muslim. And it is reported by Ayisha (RA), the wife of the Prophet.

And in Sura As-Sumar, verse 75 says:

And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne on all sides, singing Glory and Praise to their Lord 939:75)

It is said that when the world is ultimately destroyed, soor will be blown. Is not soor then an instrument?

Though the verse regarding ‘lahwal hadees’ and the supportive hadis talk of music and musical instruments, let us say for the sake of argument, they are not sufficient to say that Islam declares music of all sorts haram. Because, the Luqman verse condemns only those who sing songs or play instruments in order to lead men astray from the path and message of God. We can certainly reject such songs and music.

We must be intelligent enough to note that the hadis quoted above gives a list of the sins of a group of people which includes sins like adultery and drinking liquor. If an immoral person is singing and playing with an instrument, can we support that action? But what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander here. How can we argue that all those who sing and play musical instruments are adulterers, drunkards and immoral persons?

It is just like saying that Islam is against poetry and the Prophet is against all poets. He was against those poets who sang to demean Islam and its tenets. Only such poets and poems were condemned. The Prophet himself has presented his mantle (burdah) to the poet Kaab Ibnu Zuhair in appreciation of his poetry. The opposition to music is also a similar one.

There is also the famous hadis which says that our actions are judged by our intentions. How can the instrument be responsible for the immorality of the player? How can we reject and ignore on flimsy grounds something noble which gives mirth and peace to man? Music is a divine tool in deed. When Abdul Basit recites the Quran, it makes us forget everything and immerses us in the thought of God. Is not his ‘qirath’ a noble music? Did not Pickthal describe the sound of the verses of the Quran as “inimitable symphony” rightly?

If instrumental music could separate man from God, then, why did the Prophet permit those two ansar women to sing of Buad battle and play the drums? Does it mean that on festival days one can forget God?

Meanings are not always contained in the words. They have to be decided by the historical context and the intention behind the words. It is very very unintelligent to be superficially sticking on to the primer always.

Scientists have found that even the babe in the womb responds positively to music. Why must we, who have come away from the nadir of the womb to cultural peaks, refuse to ourselves a divine experience in the form of music? If our hearts are strong enough, music, instead of distancing us from God, will take us nearer to Him.