What is the Islamic view on music?
The classical scholars disagreed. Some prohibited it broadly; others distinguished between types; a minority permitted it within limits. Al-Ghazali wrote a careful chapter laying out the spectrum.
10 passages from 4 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 4 books by Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Battuta — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"Sama'an explained, do you see the monastery across from you? Ibrahim confirmed, yes. Sama'an continued,"
-
"have mercy on him, shared a profound encounter he had with a monk named Sama'an. He visited Sama'an"
-
"in his monastery and asked, O Sama'an, how long have you been here? Sama'an replied, 70 years."
-
"Ibrahim recounted the sale. Sama'an remarked, you were mistaken. If you had asked for 20,000 dinars,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"frivolities and music. Indeed, one who desires wine and listens to music but restrains from wine"
14th century · Tangier, Morocco
The Riḥlah — a 30-year, 75,000-mile journey across three continents, and the most important travel account of the pre-modern world.
More on Ibn Battuta →
· Provenance →
-
"They later engaged in sama, spiritual music, having prepared piles of wood and set them ablaze."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"it is singing. They were in a state of consecration, and such triviality was not fitting. The behavior"
-
"These principles and texts indicate the permissibility of singing, dancing, playing with drums, and"
-
"meanings are understood from verses, as the stories of those who engage in spiritual music reveal"
-
"and before him a servant girl singing, every day you change, but this way you are more splendid."
Want a different angle?
Type your question below — JM Scholar will ground its answer in the same sources.