Bigotry: The Dark Danger

God loves music, and causes His servants to love it

Music and dance are blessings of paradise made lawful in Islam. It is God Who creates music, songs, all musical instruments, fine costumes, adornments, dance and all lovely things. He makes people love all these blessings and has created the soul in such a way as to enjoy these delights.

The Torah also describes how the Prophet David (pbuh) sang psalms to the accompaniment of lyres, timbrels, cymbals and sistrums, and how he danced before God; it also says how there were people who envied that dancing. In the same way that there are people in Muslim societies today who try to ban what is lawful, so we learn from the Torah of the existence in those days of people who foolishly tried to ban music and dancing among the Jews. They even foolishly criticized the actions of a prophet.

... David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.... (Torah, 2. Samuel, 6:5)

Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the Ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the Ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And when she saw King David LEAPING AND DANCING before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. (Torah, 2. Samuel, 6:14-16)

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, Who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when He appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” (Torah, 2. Samuel, 6: 20-22)

* Michal, daughter of Saul, one of the wives of David

They moved the Ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. (Torah, 1. Chronicles 13:7-8)

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps. As the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. (Torah, 1. Chronicles 15:28-29)

People at that time, including the Prophet David’s own wife, looked down on his enjoying himself and dancing with great joy. Yet God praises this fun-filled environment in the Torah, and the way that the Prophet David obeyed God’s commandments about music and dance means that he behaved in the very best way. However, those who looked on from the outside, who had no faith in David’s prophethood and who strove to fabricate a fanatic religion of their own invention, criticized this behavior of his.

The same criticism directed against the prophets is also turned against the Muslims of the Qur’an today. Preferring bigotry over the true faith has been one of the worst scourges over the course of history; women, dance and music are one of the areas where this scourge is most pronounced.

Yet, as with the example of the Prophet David (pbuh), our Prophet (pbuh) also delighted in music and dance, a blessing from God. Indeed, the hadiths speak of our Prophet’s (pbuh) companions dancing, and there are even reports of the Prophet (pbuh) himself encouraging dancing and fun. Since these are in agreement with the Qur’an, there is every likelihood that they are trustworthy.

Narrated by Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari: Amir ibn Sa'd said: "Going in and finding Qarazah ibn Ka'b and Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari at a wedding where girls were singing" I said, "Is this being done in the presence of you two who are companions of God's Messenger (pbuh) and were present at Badr?" They replied, "Sit down if you wish and listen along with us, or go away if you wish, for we have been given license (or permission) for amusement at a wedding." (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3159)

Narrated Salama: We went out with the Prophet to Khaibar. A man (from the companions) said, "O 'Amir! Let us hear some of your Huda (camel-driving songs.)" So he sang some of them (i.e. a lyric in harmony with the camels’ walk). The Prophet said, "Who is the driver (of these camels)?" They said, "Amir." The Prophet said, "May God bestow His Mercy on him!" (Sahih Bukhari, Book 83, Hadith 29)

Aisha (ra) relates: The Messenger of God (pbuh) called on the women of Ansar at a wedding. They were singing songs... (Sunan Ibn Majah, Nikah: 21, Sahih Bukhari, Nikah: 48, al-Maghazi: 12)

Narrated Ar-Rubai bint Muauwidh: The Prophet (pbuh) came to me after consuming his marriage with me and sat down on my bed as you (the sub-narrator) are sitting now, and small girls were beating the tambourine and singing... (Sahih Bukhari, Book 59, Hadith 336)

Narrated by Aisha (ra): I had a girl of the Ansar whom I gave in marriage, and God's Messenger (pbuh) said, "Why do you not sing, Aisha, for this clan of the Ansar like singing?" (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3154)

Anas narrates that when the Prophet (pbuh) first came to Madina the Ansar came out, men and women. … The women of Banu al-Najjar came out banging their drums and singing: “We are the girls of the Sons of Najjar. O delight of Muhammad for a neighbor!” The Prophet (pbuh) came out and said: “Do you love me?” They replied: “Yea, by God, O Messenger of God!”At this he said: “God knows that my heart loves you.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, book of Nikah, Hadith 1889)