“Music Strengthens Satanic States, and the Qur’an Strengthens Emaan”
(“the friends of Allaah and the friends of shaytan”, Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, pp341-350)
From the greatest things that strengthen satanic states is listening to song and music, this is none other than the listening of the polytheists about which Allaah, the Exalted says:
“And their prayer at the House was nothing save whistling and clapping.”
[Al-Anfal (8): 35]
Ibn Abbas & Ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them), & others from the Salaf said,
“At-Tasdiya is clapping with the hands & al-Mukaa is like whistling. The polytheists used to do this as an act of worship”
[As-Suyuti, ‘ad-Durr al-Manthur’ [3/183] referred it to al-Faryabi, Abd Bin Humaid, ibn Jarir, ibn al-Mundhir & Ibn Abi Shaybah from Ibn Abbas]
As for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Companions, their worship consisted entirely of that which was ordered by Allaah such as salah, recitation of the Qur’an, Dhikr and the likes. They gathered together for those actions of worship legislated & therefore they never gathered to listen to song…done by clapping or drums. Never once did he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) become overcome with spiritual ecstasy and never did his cloak fall off him – all narrations that mention this are lies by agreement of the scholars of hadith.
When the Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to gather, he would order one of them to recite and the rest would listen. [Refer to at-Turtushi, al-Hawadith wal Bida’a pp.161-167].
Umar bin al-Khattab (May Allaah be please with him) used to say to Abu Musa al-Ashari:
“Remind us of our Lord” So he would recite and they would listen. [Reported by ad-Darimi & Abdur-Razzak al-Musannaf, with a Sahih isnad]
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) passed by Abu Musa while he was reciting and he said to him,
“I passed by you last night while you were reciting, so I stood listening to your recitation.”
He replied, ‘If I knew that you were listening, I would have embellished it for you in the best of ways’.
Meaning that I would have beautified my recitation for you.
This is as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“Beautify the Qur’an with your voices” [Abu Dawud & Nasa’i, with a sahih isnad]
He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said to ibn Masud: “Recite the Qur’an to me”. He said ‘Should I recite to you when it was revealed to you?’ He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied: “Indeed I love that I hear it from other than me.” So I recited Surah an-Nisa to him until I reached this verse:
“So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and We bring you [O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)] against these [people] as a witness?” [An-Nisa (4): 41].
He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “That is sufficient for you,” and his eyes were overflowing with tears. [Sahih al-Bukhari wa Sahih Muslim]
The likes of this listening is the listening of the Prophets & their followers as has been mentioned by Allaah in the Qur’an:
“Those were they unto whom Allah bestowed His Grace from among the Prophets, of the offspring of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nooh (Noah), & of the offspring of Ibrahim (Abraham) & Israel & from among those whom We guided & chose. When the Verses of the Most Beneficent (Allah) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating & weeping.” [Maryam (19): 58]
Allaah said concerning the People of Cognisance:
“And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth” [Al-Maidah (5): 83]
He, Glorious is He, commended those who listen in this way due to what they attain of increase in faith, the trembling of their skins and the tears in their eyes. He, the Exalted says:
“Allaah has sent down the best statement; a consistent Book wherein is reiteration. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allaah” [Az-Zumar (39): 23]
“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, & when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; & upon their Lord do they rely – the ones who establish prayer & spend from what we have provided them. Those are the believers truly. For them are degrees [of position] with their Lord, forgiveness & noble provision.” [Al-Anfal (8): 2-4].
As for the innovated listening which is the listening of clapping, drum, & wind instruments, none of the Companions, the Successors and any of the great Imaams of this religion took this to be a route to Allaah, the Blessed & Exalted. Not one of them considered it to be a means of drawing close to Allaah & an action of obedience; instead they considered this to be a blameworthy innovation.
Ash-Shaafi’ee said: “I have left behind me in Baghdad something that was innovated by the heretics that they called at-taghbir, which used to distract people from the Qur’an.” [Refer to al-Hafiz Diya ad-Din al-Maqdisi, ‘Juz Ittiba as-Sunan’ [pp.28-29] & Tablis Iblis [p.301 of the summary].]
Ibnul Qayyim in “Masalah as-Sama”, pp119-120, said, “Taghbir was where they struck stretched leather with the stick or a cushion which gave off a particular sound to which they would recite moving poetry that would incite one to asceticism. Now if this is what ash-Shaafi’ee, may Allaah sanctify his soul, thought of taghbir then what would he have said concerning listening to the types of poetry & singing that contains mention of the belover, the excellence of meeting him, the sweetness of his reprimand, communion in love, coming close to him, the bitterness of leaving….”
The Gnostic Awliya of Allaah know this fact well & know that shaytan has a major role to play in it and this is why the best of them who used to attend such sessions later repented.
The further a person is from cognisance & completion in his closeness to & love of Allaah, the greater the role that shaytan has to play in misguiding him. This innovated listening [i.e. Music] is comparable to alcohol; rather its affect upon the soul is greater than the affect of alcohol.
This is why when the intoxication of the listeners becomes strong the devils descend to them, speaking upon the tongues of some and carrying others through the air.
It is also possible that enmity arise between the listeners in the same way that enmity appears amongst the drunk, the devils accompanying one person could be stronger than the devils accompanying another therefore when they fight, and they kill the opponent.
…In reality such sessions take the person further away from Allaah &are actually satanic states.
