Question 1402: Is it permissible to recite the Quran and sing elegies (maddahi) in the styles of ghina, music, and instrumental playing?

271 21 Feb 2022
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✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِأَلْحَانِ الْعَرَبِ وَ أَصْوَاتِهَا وَ إِیَّاکُمْ وَ لُحُونَ أَهْلِ الْفِسْقِ وَ أَهْلِ الْکَبَائِرِ فَإِنَّهُ سَیَجِیءُ مِنْ بَعْدِی أَقْوَامٌ یُرَجِّعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْجِیعَ الْغِنَاءِ وَ النَّوْحِ وَ الرَّهْبَانِیَّةِ لَا یَجُوزُ تَرَاقِیَهُمْ

قُلُوبُهُمْ مَقْلُوبَةٌ وَ قُلُوبُ مَنْ یُعْجِبُهُ شَأْنُهُمْ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 614

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Recite the Quran with the voices and tunes of the Arabs, and avoid the tunes of the people of immorality and major sins. For after me, there will come a people who will recite the Quran with trills, like ghina, lamentation, and monasticism. This recitation will not go higher than their collarbones (meaning it will not be accepted and will not ascend)! Their hearts and the hearts of those who like their actions are turned upside down and inverted!'

2 عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الرِّضَا عَنْ آبَائِهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ : إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمُ اسْتِخْفَافاً بِالدِّينِ وَ بَيْعَ الْحُكْمِ وَ قَطِيعَةَ الرَّحِمِ وَ أَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مَزَامِيرَ

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 2, p. 42, Hadith 140

Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) narrated from his ancestors that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I fear for you from belittling the religion, buying and selling judgments (of a judge), severing ties of kinship, and that you will turn the Quran into ghina, singing, and melody!'

3 قَالَ الصَّادِقُ : شَرُّ الْأَصْوَاتِ الْغِنَاءُ.

📚 Al-Muqni' for al-Saduq, p. 154

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'The worst of sounds is ghina!'

✅ Ghina is a specific style of singing. It doesn't matter whether its content is the Quran, elegies, or false poetry; it is one of the forbidden and major sins and has been severely condemned by the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). They have warned against its use in the recitation of the Quran.

Unfortunately, today some Quran reciters first learn and listen to some songs created by the immoral and then apply their style to the recitation of the Quran. According to narration 1 and others, such a recitation will not go higher than their collarbones. The fact that its content is the Quran does not make it permissible to recite it in the style and tune of the people of ghina and music.

✅ Regrettably, some gatherings held today in the name of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) have also been afflicted with this great calamity. Some, under the pretext of maddahi, inspired by the styles of immoral musicians and singers and by studying books written for this purpose, recite their poems in the same tunes. Instead of music, they give rhythm to chest-beating and the supporting phrase 'sin sin'. With the silence of those who should have prevented this sedition from the beginning, this matter has spread greatly and has become normalized as a 'ma'ruf' (good deed) among religious people, while it is nothing more than performing the tunes and styles of the immoral on religious poetry.

Therefore, it is appropriate for believers to have the necessary awareness and knowledge of this matter and not to participate in gatherings held in the name of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) that contain styles of ghina and the singing styles of the immoral.

Some of these individuals have gone even further and use musical sounds in their video clips alongside their singing. The content produced as 'rowza' and 'maddahi' is circulated among those who love the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and unfortunately, no one pays attention to the serious problem that exists in the style of its singing and the accompanying music. This has become a very great pain and sedition, and its performers have such fame and popularity that few dare to criticize their inappropriate work!

✅ How much the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) strived and spoke to fight against ghina and music, but some brought these two vile concepts into the gatherings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and others, instead of fighting against these reprehensible acts, criticized and intimidated those who performed 'nahy az munkar' (forbidding the evil) and said: 'Be careful not to interfere in the system of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him)!' And this is how this matter has reached an uncontrollable state!

✅ The pain is not limited to this case, so say more and better than before:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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