Music is not forbidden in Qur'an

[Union]

Listening to music, enjoying a song that makes one happy, or feel better by expressing his or her emotion happens to be one of the major signs of Allah. You may have not thought of how a simple song you may be listening to right now in the background as you read this is a sign from your Lord of His existence.

Why has He made the sounds of the instruments, the melody, the voice and lyrics so appealing to you? Have you ever thought how your brain need not interpret those sounds as beautiful, or romantic, while other sounds such as the sound of a train is un-appealing? Allah has wired your brain to be able to appreciate sounds of certain nature, such as the sounds of your favourite songs. What does He wish to show you? Why did He create this mechanism in you? And why did He give people the ability to play and orchestrate such tunes and bless them with voices to sing that in turn delights your mind and arouses feelings such as romance, optimism or resolve?

To the majority of the people who do not think about the purpose of their lives deeply enough, they simply enjoy the blessings that falls their way and fail to identify them even.

The secrets of such questions are all revealed in the Qur'an, the Revelation of the Creator of every detail we see and cannot see. Focusing more on a song you are enjoying, let us now ponder on what Allah wants of you. Listening to it, your mood may change and you start to feel better again. This is great, but is that all that is wanted by Allah? You may have missed the main objective Allah has set for you while enjoying the effects of the song.

The secret revealed in the Qur'an is that a believer should not only enjoy, he also needs to identify such things as his ability to hear with his ears. Certainly if we could not hear, that would be the end of that.

"Say, 'It is He who has brought you into being and made for you hearing, sight and understanding, how little thanks you give!' " (Qur'an 67:23)

The snail-like cochlea inside your ear is filled with liquid. This liquid is vibrated by a set of bones (1) connected to the ear drum. Different points within the snail-like structure are triggered at different pitches of sound.

Notice how the width of the cochlea increases towards the centre. The reason for this parallels with the reason why tapping a glass half-full of water with a spoon makes a lower pitch sound compared to a full glass. Without the frequency detection feature of the cochlea, there would be no high notes and low notes in a song, and music would not exist!

Adding to the ability to hear, is his ability to interpret and have emotions to the sounds of the musical instruments and the singer's voice. These sounds are stimulants that arouse a variety of emotions, such as hope, acceptance, feelings of love / romance. So the sense of hearing is not sufficient to enjoy the song - we need to be programmed to find the sound pleasurable and enticing of those emotions. And this feature we have been programmed with (Allah says, He has given us "hearing, sight and understanding", in the above verse).


The lyrics in the song express emotions in our spoken language. Languages are extremely complex ways of communication, but as humans we can decode them instantly. Yet there are many different languages all able to express the same thing. This is another bounty of Allah - languages:

"And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know." (Qur'an 30:22)

When a lyric of a poem is sung, we find that the meanings within it sounds even more powerful than they originally sound when read! This is a designed phenomenon that we find it so. It need not be? Therefore, we can say that listening to a song is indeed a miracle of Allah! These are some of the blessings of Allah on us that we cannot easily point out, but we are surrounded by them. About these Allah says:

"And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which you have no knowledge." (Qur'an 16:8)

Allah wants you to identify His blessings, each time you listen to a song and feel happy, romantic, excited or calm, turn to Allah in His remembrance - thinking about His favor on you and thank Him truly from your heart for designing these blessings for you:

"Worship Allah and be among the thankful." (Qur'an 39:66)

Believers who enjoy the feelings brought by blessings of Allah and feel appreciative of Allah in this meticulous way find the best rewards in the hereafter:

"Those who are mindful of their Lord will have Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever: hospitality from Allah. What is with Allah is better for those who are truly good." (Qur'an 3:198)

But a terrible end awaits people who enjoy good things in the world and fail to identify them as blessings. Enjoying music and songs without appreciating and thanking Allah for having given the capacity to do so, adds to a disbelievers' account of bad deeds, but for a believer the opposite is true.

"That is because you [disbeliever] wrongfully enjoyed and rejoiced on earth. Enter the gates of Hell, there to remain - an evil home for the arrogant". (Qur'an 40:75-76)

"And we shall reward the grateful ones." (Qur'an 3:145), "Is Allah not best aware of the grateful ones?" (Qur'an 6:53)

We can either rightly enjoy a blessing, or wrongly enjoy it. In everything that delights our mind, we must remember Allah immediately and feel awe of Him.

For example, listening to a romantic song entices feelings of love for your spouse and makes you want to be close to him or her, that indeed is a blessing of Allah. The ability you had to hear, and then find it romantic - the processes He designed that achieved that feeling in you through that song is astonishing and deserves your thanks. Indeed, the fact that he created spouses for you to feel love for is a big favour to begin with. You should immediately thank Allah for this. Thriving in good things while failing to surrender our thanks to Allah is a sin before Allah's eyes. Imagine a hand extending out blessings to us, and we keep taking from it without ever expending a thought to what this generous being wants from us.

The true believer loves Allah sincerely in return for all the blessings He gives in every way or form. Ofcourse, we will never be able to identify everything which Allah has mercifully given us when it is in hidden ways. But believers are those who at least try to see Allah in everything they have, do and see and hear around them. In everything that delights their souls, they appreciate Allah more and more. Having realised that there must be many overlooked blessings which they cannot identify, they thank Him for those unknown blessings too and seek forgiveness.

"If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 16:18)

This is how even music or a song can increase a believer's love for his or her Creator and desire to follow His ways - to have good conduct, worship Allah and learn from the Qur'an. The good feelings aroused in us should be turned into ways to thank Allah. Just as Prophet Solomon states in the Qur'an:

"And he (Prophet Solomon) said: 'Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to remember my Lord." (Qur'an 38:32)

Excerpts : Enjoying songs and Music : Delighting our minds

 

[Union]

Additional Notes :

01. We have seen already that there is no verse in the Qur'an which prohibits Music and/or singing still radical Islamist use verse 31.6 to ban the music. But the verse has nothing to do with Music . The verse is as follows :

31:6 And from the people, there are those who will purchase a baseless narrative with which to mislead from the path of God without knowledge, and to make it a mockery. These will have a humiliating retribution.

It is thought that "baseless narrative" in the ayaat is music. But if we look at the verse in Arabic , the whole scenario is changed :

31:6 ومن الناس من يشتري لهو الحديث ليضل عن سبيل الله بغير علم ويتخذها هزوا أولئك لهم عذاب مهين

الحديث = alhadeethi

So, if you can read, you know that the ayaat talks about baseless hadiths that some people use to mislead others.

02. As the Qur'an emphasized on good manner , useful behavior and clean mentality . Hence any music that promotes violence , drugs and/or sex , that should be treated as fahisa and should be avoided .[3:104, 14:24-26, 25:72, 33:70, 49:11 etc]

03. According to Qur'an nobody has the right to forbid something which GOD Himslef didn't forbid . Hence Music will remain Halal till the end of time .

Say: “Who has forbidden the nice things that God has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?” Say: “They are meant for those who believe during this worldly life, and they will be exclusive for them on the Day of Resurrection.” It is such that We explain the revelations for those who know. [7:32]

You shall not invent lies about God by attributing lies with your tongues, saying: "This is lawful and that is forbidden." Those who invent lies about God will not succeed. [16:116]

 

[Union]

Health benefits of music

[http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/health-benefits-of-music.htm]


Music has a special power to move us and stir our emotions. Anyone who has ever wiped tears away from their eyes listening to their favourite sad song will know how powerful simple notes and chords can be.
Now, scientific studies have shown that music really can change our mood and even help us concentrate.
We look at the effects music can have, and we ask the experts what songs are likely to help you run a race, prepare for an exam or relieve stress.
Music matters

Listening to a song can have a real effect on various parts of the brain, with studies showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, can 'light up' in response to music.
'There's a very wide range of reactions in the body and mind to music, and brain imaging studies have shown that various parts of the brain may be activated by a piece of music,' says Dr Victoria Williamson, lecturer in psychology at Goldsmith's College, London.
'For example, a recent study in Canada showed that there's a real causal relationship between music and the reward system, a core part of the brain that reacts to stimuli, which are good for us – food, light, sex for example – and reinforces these behaviours meaning that we do them more.'
So what benefits can music bring?
Mood boost

Everyone reacts to music in different ways. One individual may love heavy metal for example, while another is happiest listening to Mozart. Whatever your preference, a 2011 Canadian study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has shown that plugging in to your favourite music could help melt away a bad mood.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal showed that listening to pleasurable music of any description induced 'musical chills', which triggered the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine.
'We all know from our own individual experiences that listening to music can affect mood,' says Bridget O'Connell, head of information at the mental health charity Mind.
'Some people listen to music for a boost on a tough day, while others might use music to keep them awake during a long car journey or to purge a negative feeling.
'The brain is very complicated – and there are many elements involved in feelings of pleasure – but it's unsurprising that research suggests dopamine release is linked with feelings of pleasure induced by music.'
Focus

Music may even be able to help you concentrate.
A new 'digital tonic' called Ubrain, which can be downloaded onto smartphones, claims to be able to help people focus, energise, wake up as well as relax.
The process uses two different beats in each ear to create a third 'perceived' beat (a binaural beat), which can stimulate certain activity in the brain.
'By helping the brain cortex to generate specific brain waves, we can induce different states of alertness, depending on what we aim to do,' explains Paris-based clinical psychologist Brigitte Forgeot.
'If we're feeling anxious or stressed, we can encourage our cerebral cortex to produce slow alpha-frequency brain waves, while on the other end of the scale, if we help our cortex to produce faster beta waves, we will be better equipped to concentrate and focus our attention on a fairly lengthy task.'
Pick up the pace


Listening to certain music could actually help you run faster.
A study at Brunel University in West London has shown that music can help increase endurance by as much as 15 per cent, helping to lower the perception of effort during exercise, as well as increasing energy efficiency by between one and three per cent.
The best choices for exercise are up-beat songs that match the tempo of your running stride and which can have a metronomic effect on the body, enabling you to run for longer.


Better mental health

Music can be an effective and positive treatment for people dealing with mental health conditions.
'There are two distinct ways music therapy is used: either as a means of communication and self-expression or for its inherent restorative or healing qualities,' says Bridget O'Connell.
'Someone who is very withdrawn may find that music can act as an outlet for expressing things that they're unable to put into words. It can also act as a stimulus to awaken buried memories or evoke emotional responses that may take weeks to achieve with talking therapies.'
De-stress




Music can be a great pick-me-up for when you are feeling stressed.
According to 2011 figures from the mental health charity Mind, nearly a third of people plugged into their music players to give them a mood boost about work, and almost one in four said that they find listening to music on the way to the workplace helps them de-stress.
Paul Farmer, the charity's CEO, backs up the statistics by saying that the therapeutic benefits of listening to music are well-known.
Tuning in to one of your favourite songs can be incredibly soothing and help to reduce anxiety.
Patient care

Music can actually have a significant positive impact on patients with long-term illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer and respiratory conditions.
Numerous trials have shown that music can help lower heart rate, blood pressure and help relieve pain, anxiety and improve patient quality of life.
'Music can be incredibly useful for somebody who is in a situation where they have lost a lot of control from their external environment – say they are in hospital for a long period of time with a serious illness and less able to move around,' says Dr Williamson.
'It can give them a sense of control back, as well as creating a calm personal atmosphere and blocking out some of the disturbances around the patient.'
Which music?

While there are certain trends – fast upbeat music for exercising and slower-paced music to relax – choosing songs that have the desired effect is often linked to personal preference.
'The effect of different types of music on mood will largely depend on people's individual preference and experience,' says Bridget O'Connell.
'If you grow up with rock music, you might not find classical music uplifting at all. On the flipside, some people can't bear rock music, so they are more likely to be wound up than uplifted.
'Music can also invoke particular memories for people, including some that could potentially make them upset. On the other hand, it could also bring them out of a severely withdrawn state or act as a form of communication in place of words.'
There are some rules of thumb though, admits Dr Williamson. 'For a general rule, if you want to relax you should choose songs with slower tempo, less key changes and more predictable structure.'

 

[egcroc]

Amen to that Brother :bow:

here, a great musical piece that I wanted to enjoy with you, accompanied by photos for our great universe which you and I agree has a great Creator

[youtube]FIMd1NqxUnU[/youtube]
Hans Zimmer - Time - YouTube

 

[egcroc]

a short message to salafist freaks who reject music, especially from the string instruments, every single particle in our whole universe is a manifestation of tiny strings of energy vibrating and playing different notes for different particles... isn't that wonderful?!! I used to think of the creator as a great engineer but now I see him as a great musician...

 

[Union]

Amen to you also bro . And wow bro,that music was a mater-piece.Thanks for sharing .

 

[egcroc]

Amen to you also bro . And wow bro,that music was a mater-piece.Thanks for sharing .

just occurred to me.. our music is just an imitation to HIS music... our early musical instruments were just trying to simulate the sounds of nature... but it's not just about sound... for our music is only felt by one sense while HIS music is all around us, felt by all our senses... our music plays in only 3 dimensions while HIS music plays in six dimensions (and possibly a lot more)

 

[Union]

just occurred to me.. our music is just an imitation to HIS music... our early musical instruments were just trying to simulate the sounds of nature... but it's not just about sound... for our music is only felt by one sense while HIS music is all around us, felt by all our senses... our music plays in only 3 dimensions while HIS music plays in six dimensions (and possibly a lot more)

Wow ! A nice thought , extremely nice .May GOD bless you .

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

Music being forbidden is just a fabrication. If you read the verse in Arabic that they mention you will find out it doesnt mention music.

Also in the previous Scriptures we can def read about music being used.

 

[W3bcrowf3r]

An English translation of the Quran - 31:6 And from the people, there are those who will purchase a baseless narrative with which to mislead from the path of God without knowledge, and to make it a mockery. These will have a humiliating retribution.

They transled the words baseless narrative into music. Yet how ironic they use baseless narratives to claim that music etc. is forbidden.

Best thing humanity can do is, stay away from the religious organised scholars and organised religions and denominations, they are all the same.
Read for yourself, study for yourself.