The short answer
The majority of scholars, including the four schools of law, hold that musical instruments are forbidden, with an exception for the daf (frame drum) at weddings and Eid. Singing with wholesome words, without instruments, is allowed by many. A minority of scholars permit instruments, so this is a real difference of opinion, but all agree that songs promoting sin are haram.
The Quran warns against the person "who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah" 1. Ibn Mas'ud, one of the most knowledgeable Companions, swore that this refers to singing, and Ibn Kathir links it to singing with instruments 7.
The clearest hadith is in Sahih al-Bukhari. The Prophet ﷺ said that some of his followers would treat as lawful illegal sexual relations, silk for men, alcohol and musical instruments (ma'azif) 2. Listing instruments alongside things that are clearly forbidden is why most scholars concluded that they are forbidden too. Another narration mentions the Prophet ﷺ forbidding the kubah, a type of drum 3.
But the Sunnah also shows that not all sound is banned. On the day of Eid, two young girls sang in Aisha's house. When Abu Bakr objected, the Prophet ﷺ said, "There is an Eid for every nation and this is our Eid" 4. At a wedding, girls beat the daf and recited verses in his presence; he only corrected one line that claimed he knew the future 5. He even said that what distinguishes a lawful marriage is the daf and the voice 6.
So the texts point to a balance: joy and celebration have a place, especially at weddings and Eid, while instruments and music that pull the heart away from Allah are treated with caution.
If you are trying to cut down, replace rather than just remove: Quran recitation, nasheeds without instruments, podcasts and lectures. Many people find that their heart feels lighter for it.
Warning to those who buy the amusement of speech to mislead from Allah's way.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمࣲ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣱ مُّهِينࣱ ٦
And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment
Some of the ummah will treat illegal sex, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as lawful.
Narrated Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari: that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection
وَقَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَطِيَّةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْكِلاَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَنْمٍ الأَشْعَرِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَامِرٍ ـ أَوْ أَبُو مَالِكٍ ـ الأَشْعَرِيُّ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَذَبَنِي سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لَيَكُونَنَّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ يَسْتَحِلُّونَ الْحِرَ وَالْحَرِيرَ وَالْخَمْرَ وَالْمَعَازِفَ، وَلَيَنْزِلَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ إِلَى جَنْبِ عَلَمٍ يَرُوحُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسَارِحَةٍ لَهُمْ، يَأْتِيهِمْ ـ يَعْنِي الْفَقِيرَ ـ لِحَاجَةٍ فَيَقُولُوا ارْجِعْ إِلَيْنَا غَدًا. فَيُبَيِّتُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَضَعُ الْعَلَمَ، وَيَمْسَخُ آخَرِينَ قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ".
The Prophet ﷺ forbade wine, gambling, the kubah drum and millet wine.
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade wine (khamr), game of chance (maysir), drum (kubah), and wine made from millet (ghubayrah), saying: Every intoxicant is forbidden. Abu Dawud said: Ibn Sallam Abu 'Ubaid said: Ghubairah was an intoxicant liquor made from millet. This wine was made by the Abyssinians
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ وَالْكُوبَةِ وَالْغُبَيْرَاءِ وَقَالَ " كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ حَرَامٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالَ ابْنُ سَلاَمٍ أَبُو عُبَيْدٍ الْغُبَيْرَاءُ السُّكُرْكَةُ تُعْمَلُ مِنَ الذُّرَةِ شَرَابٌ يَعْمَلُهُ الْحَبَشَةُ .
Two girls sang on Eid in Aisha's house; the Prophet ﷺ said, "this is our Eid".
Narrated Aisha:Abu Bakr came to my house while two small Ansari girls were singing beside me the stories of the Ansar concerning the Day of Buath. And they were not singers. Abu Bakr said protestingly, "Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) !" It happened on the `Id day and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Abu Bakr! There is an `Id for every nation and this is our `Id
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ دَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعِنْدِي جَارِيَتَانِ مِنْ جَوَارِي الأَنْصَارِ تُغَنِّيَانِ بِمَا تَقَاوَلَتِ الأَنْصَارُ يَوْمَ بُعَاثَ ـ قَالَتْ وَلَيْسَتَا بِمُغَنِّيَتَيْنِ ـ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَمَزَامِيرُ الشَّيْطَانِ فِي بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَذَلِكَ فِي يَوْمِ عِيدٍ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ عِيدًا، وَهَذَا عِيدُنَا ".
Girls beat the daf and recited verses at a wedding in the Prophet's presence.
Narrated Ar-Rabi`:(the daughter of Muawwidh bin Afra) After the consummation of my marriage, the Prophet (ﷺ) came and sat on my bed as far from me as you are sitting now, and our little girls started beating the tambourines and reciting elegiac verses mourning my father who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One of them said, "Among us is a Prophet who knows what will happen tomorrow." On that the Prophet said, "Leave this (saying) and keep on saying the verses which you had been saying before
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ ذَكْوَانَ، قَالَ قَالَتِ الرُّبَيِّعُ بِنْتُ مُعَوِّذٍ ابْنِ عَفْرَاءَ. جَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَدَخَلَ حِينَ بُنِيَ عَلَىَّ، فَجَلَسَ عَلَى فِرَاشِي كَمَجْلِسِكَ مِنِّي، فَجَعَلَتْ جُوَيْرِيَاتٌ لَنَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِالدُّفِّ وَيَنْدُبْنَ مَنْ قُتِلَ مِنْ آبَائِي يَوْمَ بَدْرٍ، إِذْ قَالَتْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ وَفِينَا نَبِيٌّ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي غَدٍ. فَقَالَ " دَعِي هَذِهِ، وَقُولِي بِالَّذِي كُنْتِ تَقُولِينَ ".
The daf and the voice distinguish the lawful (marriage) from the unlawful.
Abu Al-Balj narrated from Muhammad bin Hatib Al-Jumahi who said that:The Messenger of Allah said: "The distinction between the lawful and the unlawful is the Duff and the voice
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَلْجٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَاطِبٍ الْجُمَحِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَصْلُ مَا بَيْنَ الْحَرَامِ وَالْحَلاَلِ الدُّفُّ وَالصَّوْتُ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَجَابِرٍ وَالرُّبَيِّعِ بِنْتِ مُعَوِّذٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَاطِبٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَأَبُو بَلْجٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي سُلَيْمٍ وَيُقَالُ ابْنُ سُلَيْمٍ أَيْضًا . وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاطِبٍ قَدْ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ غُلاَمٌ صَغِيرٌ .
And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk (Lahw Al-Hadith) to mislead from the path of Allah without knowledge, and takes it by way of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (6)And when Our Ayat are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not – as if there were deafness in his ear. So announce to him a painful torment (7) The Doomed are preoccupied with Idle Talk and They turn away from the Ayat of Allah When Allah mentions the blessed – who are those who are guided by the Book of Allah and benefit from hearing it, as He says: اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُتَشَابِهًا مَثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ (Allah has sent down the Best Statement, a Book, its parts resembling each other (and) oft-repeated. The skins of those who fear their Lord shiver from it. Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah)(39:23). He connects that with mention of the doomed, those who turn away from the Qur'an and do not benefit from hearing the Words of Allah. Instead, they turn to listening to flutes and singing accompanied by musical instruments. As Ibn Mas'ud commented about the Ayah: وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ (And of mankind is he who purchases Lahu Al-Hadith to mislead (men) from the path of Allah), he said, "This – by Allah – refers to singing." وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ (And of mankind is he who purchases Lahw Al-Hadith to mislead (men) from the path of Allah without knowledge,) Qatadah said: "By Allah, he may not spend money on it, but his purchasing it means he likes it, and the more misguided he is, the more he likes it and the more he prefers falsehood to the truth and harmful things over beneficial things." It was said that what is meant by the words يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ (purchases idle talks) is buying singing servant girls. Ibn Jarir said that it means all speech that hinders people from seeing the signs of Allah and following His path. His saying: لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ (to mislead (men) from the path of Allah) means, he does this to oppose Islam and its followers. وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا (and takes it by way of mockery.) Mujahid said, "This means mocking the path of Allah and making fun of it." أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ (For such there will be a humiliating torment.) Just as they showed no respect to the signs and path of Allah, so they will be shown no respect on the Day of Resurrection, and they will be subjected to a painful, ongoing torment. Then Allah says: وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا وَلَّىٰ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَأَنْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْهَا كَأَنَّ فِي أُذُنَيْهِ وَقْرًا ۖ (And when Our Ayat are recited to such a one, he turns away in pride, as if he heard them not – as if there were deafness in his ear.) means, when these Qur'anic verses are recited to one who is fond of idleness and play, he turns away from them and does not want to hear them. He turns a deaf ear to them as if he can hear nothing, because it annoys him to hear them since he gains no benefit from them and has no interest in them. فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ (So announce to him a painful torment.) i.e., on the Day of Resurrection, which will hurt him just as much as listening to the Book of Allah and its verses hurt him.
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24