Alahadrat Azeemul Barakat Radi Allahu Anhu on Qawaali with musical instruments and the conditions of Samaa'
Allah's Name we begin with, The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Question:
What do The Respected Ulema e Deen say in regard to this, that a friend of mine said to me after the Salāh, ‘Come, let’s go to an Urs.’ I went with him, and when we reached there I saw that a large number of people were gathered and Qawwāli was taking place in such a way that one drum and two harps were being played, and some Qawwāl were singing poetry in praise of Pīrān e Pīr Dastagīr (Shaykh `Abdul Qādir al-Jīlāni رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ), as well as some poetry in praise of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم followed by couplets regarding the status of the Awliyā Allāh.
Such instruments (the drums and harps that were being used) are Ḣarām Qat'ī (explicitly forbidden) in the Shari'ah !
Would the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the Awliyā Allāh be pleased with such acts?
Are those present at this gathering sinful or not? Is such Qawwāli permissible or not?
If it is permissible, then what kind of Qawwāli is permissible ?
Al-Jawāb (Answer):
Such Qawwāli is Ḣarām. All those present in the gathering are sinful, and all of their sin is upon those who arranged such an Urs and upon the Qawwāli singers.
Furthermore, the sin of the Qawwāli singers is also upon the organiser of such an `Urs, without the sin of the Qawwāli singers being lessened in any way, due to their sin also being upon the organiser of the `Urs, and without the sin of those present in the gathering being lessened in any way due to the devastation of their sin also being upon the Qawwāli singers and the organiser.
No! On the contrary, every single person present in the gathering has his own personal complete sin, and the Qawwāli singers have their own sin separately, as well as the sin according to all of those present in the gathering upon them in addition to this separately; and the organiser of the `Urs has his own sin separately, the sin equivalent to the sin of the Qawwāli singers in addition to this separately, as well as the sin of all those present in the gathering separately.
The reason for this is that the people present in the gathering were invited by the organiser of the Urs and were only provided with the means to commit this sin through him, and the Qawwāli singers played the music for them to listen to.
If he did not provide the means, and the drums and harps were not played, then how would those present at the gathering have fallen into this sin? It is for this reason that all of their sin is upon them both, and then the cause of this sin of the Qawwāli singers was that organiser of the Urs. If he did not organise it and if he did not invite them, how would they have come and played the music? Therefore, the sin of the Qawwāli singers is also upon the one who invited them;
As the Fuqahā e Kiraam have said about the one who, despite being strong and healthy, takes charity, that he himself, and the one giving to him, are both sinful. This is because if those who give to him did not give, then he would not take up this shameful business of begging. So their giving is the cause of his begging and all of this is apparent to those familiar with the laws of Shari`ah; and towfeeq lies with Allāh Almighty only.
(Raddul Mukhtar, kitaab al khatar, vol 5 page 273 )
The Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Whoever invites towards any act of guidance will receive the reward equivalent to all those who follow him, and there will be no reduction in any of their reward, and whoever invites towards any act of misguidance will receive the sin of all those who follow his invitation, and there will be no reduction in any of their sin.”
(Narrated by Imām Aĥmad and Imām Muslim from Sayyidunā Abū Hurayra رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Sahih Muslim kitab al ilm vol 2 page 341, Musnad Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah vol 2 page 397)
The mas'ala e Nass will be taken from the Shariah of The Prophet Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam, or from The Imam e Mujhtahid of Fiqh. If the nass from the Shariah is required,Numerous Aĥadīth have been narrated regarding the prohibition of instruments reaching hadde tawaatur.
It is narrated in Saĥīĥ Bukhāri Sharif that the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “ Indeed there will be those people in my Ummah who will deem Ḣalāl the private parts of women (adultery), silk clothing, alcohol, and musical instruments.”
Some ignorant folk, or half-baked Mullāhs, or fake Sūfis present weak tales, unreliable incidents, or dubious anecdotes against authentic, definite Aĥadīth which have chains back to the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
These people do not have the least amount of intelligence, or they purposefully act ignorant, because it is clear that it is necessary to reject the weak in favour of the authentic, the doubtful for the decisive, and the dubious for the definite. Furthermore, how can the Qowl be compared with the Fel mentioned in some anecdote, but who has the cure for such submission to desires?
If only they would know the sin as a sin after committing it and state it as such, but this stubbornness is even more severe that they feed their desires and then refuse the guilt, and make Ḣalāl (permissible) for themselves that which is Ḣarām (forbidden). Besides this, they do not stop here, but they, Allāh Almighty forbid, slander the beloved ones of Allāh Almighty, the great elders of the Silsilah Āliyah Chishtiya قدست اسرار هم by falsely attributing this act to them.
They neither have fear of Allāh Almighty, nor shame in front of the people. Even though Maĥbūb e Ilāhi Sayyidi wa Mawlāi Nizam ul Haq wal Dīn Sulṫān ul Awliyāرَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ و عنهم و عنا بهم himself says in “Fawāid ul Fawād Sharīf”;
مزامير حرام است ‘Musical instruments are Ḣarām.’
Mawlānā Fakhr ul Dīn Zarāwi, Khalīfah of Sayyidunā Maĥbūb e Ilāhi رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهما wrote an epistle on the Mas`alatu Samā` entitled, “Kashful Qanā an Usūl il Samā`” in the blessed era of the great Shaykh due to the decisive order of the Shaykh himself.
It is clearly written in that epistle:
“ The Samā of our blessed Mashāikh رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهم is free from the allegation of using musical instruments. There would only be the voice of the Qawwāl with the verses of poetry that would signify the perfection of the majesty of Allāh Almighty.”
Have justice for the sake of Allāh! Will you accept the words of this great Imam of the blessed Chishti order, or the unfounded slander and evidently corrupt accusations of the claimants of today? ( whose mischief is clearly evident )
(لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله العلى العظيم)
Sayyidī Mawlānā Muĥammad bin Mubārak bin Muĥammad `Alawī Kirmāni, murīd of Shaykh ul `Ālam Farīd ul Haq wal Dīn Ganj Shakkar, and Khalīfah of Sayyidunā Maĥbūb e Ilāhi رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهم , writes in his book Mustaṫāb Siyar ul Awliyā:
“Sulṫān ul Mashāikh قدس الله تعالى سره العزيز would say that only under some conditions is Samā` permissible; from which some are conditions for those reciting, some for those listening, some for the poetry which is recited, and some for the items used in the Samā`. The one reciting should be an adult male not a small boy or a woman. The one listening must not be heedless of Allāh Almighty and the poetry being recited must not contain any indecency or mockery. The items used in Samā must not be anything similar to musical instruments. The items used in Samā` must not include musical instruments such as harps, lutes, flutes or any other instruments. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, that type of Samā` is Ḣalāl.”
Muslims! This is the Fatwa (ruling) of the leader and the master of Silsilah Āliyah Chistiyah Sulṫān ul Awliyā رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. After this conclusive ruling is there any way for the slanderers to show their face?
In addition, it is written in Siyar ul Awliyā Sharīf:
“Once a man presented a matter in the court of Sulṫān ul Mashāikh that these days some mystics reportedly belonging to an Āstāna performed Raqs (Sufi dancing) in gathering where harps and lutes were being played. He answered by saying that they did not do a good thing and that they did something which is impermissible and disliked in the Shari`ah. After this someone said that when these people left that place people said to them, ‘What have you done? There were musical instruments there! How did you listen to the Samā` and perform Raqs there? ’ They replied by saying, ‘We were so ecstatically absorbed in the Samā` that we were unaware whether there were any musical instruments there or not.’ Sulṫān ul Mashāikh then said, ‘This answer is nothing; similar words could then be said for all sins…’”
O. Muslims! How clear a statement this is that musical instruments are Ḣarām, and what an irrefutable reply the Shaykh granted us to the excuse that we were unaware of the musical instruments due to being engrossed and absorbed in the Samā, that such an excuse could be made for any sin. Someone could drink alcohol and then say that because of intense absorption and captivation I was unaware whether it was alcohol or water.
Or someone could commit adultery and then say that because of being in the state of ecstasy I was unable to differentiate whether she was my wife or someone else.
It is written in the same book:
“Sulṫān ul Mashāikh has said that I have forbidden musical instruments and other prohibited things from amongst them, and he stressed this point strongly. This is to the extent that it has been said that if an Imam makes a mistake in the Salah, a man should say SubḢānAllāh to inform the Imam, but a woman should not say SubḢānAllāh because she should not make her voice heard. She should not even clap her hands by striking one palm upon the other as this would be like recreation or play, but she should merely strike the back of one hand with the palm of the other. When it has come to us that items associated with recreation and play, and those which are similar to them, should be refrained from to this extent, then the use of musical instruments in Samā` is forbidden to an even greater degree.”
O. Muslims! Those Imāms of Tarīqah whose caution and carefulness is such that they tell of the prohibition of clapping in such instances, how can they معاذ الله be linked to this slanderous claim of using musical instruments?
Have justice for the sake of Allāh Almighty! What an unfounded and insane rambling it is (to claim that the Mashāikh of Chisht used musical instruments)! May Allāh Almighty save us from following the Shayṫān and may He grant us the ability to truly follow the true beloved ones of Allāh Almighty.
آمين اله الحق آمين – بجاهم عندك آمين – والحمد لـِلّٰـه رب العالمين
The discourse is getting lengthy here and this is sufficient for those who are just. والله الهادى والله تعاى اعلم
عبده المذنب احمد رضا عفى عنه
كتبه
Taken From Fataawa Ridawiyya Shareef
vol 24 page 113 - 119
Translated by:
Khalifa e Allama Sayyid Shah Turāb ul Haq Qādri Daamat Barkaathumul Aaliyah, Maulana Shakeel e Millat Qadiri Ridawi Sahib Qibla Daamat Barkaathumul Aaliyah.
Allah's Name we begin with, The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Question:
What do The Respected Ulema e Deen say in regard to this, that a friend of mine said to me after the Salāh, ‘Come, let’s go to an Urs.’ I went with him, and when we reached there I saw that a large number of people were gathered and Qawwāli was taking place in such a way that one drum and two harps were being played, and some Qawwāl were singing poetry in praise of Pīrān e Pīr Dastagīr (Shaykh `Abdul Qādir al-Jīlāni رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ), as well as some poetry in praise of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم followed by couplets regarding the status of the Awliyā Allāh.
Such instruments (the drums and harps that were being used) are Ḣarām Qat'ī (explicitly forbidden) in the Shari'ah !
Would the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the Awliyā Allāh be pleased with such acts?
Are those present at this gathering sinful or not? Is such Qawwāli permissible or not?
If it is permissible, then what kind of Qawwāli is permissible ?
Al-Jawāb (Answer):
Such Qawwāli is Ḣarām. All those present in the gathering are sinful, and all of their sin is upon those who arranged such an Urs and upon the Qawwāli singers.
Furthermore, the sin of the Qawwāli singers is also upon the organiser of such an `Urs, without the sin of the Qawwāli singers being lessened in any way, due to their sin also being upon the organiser of the `Urs, and without the sin of those present in the gathering being lessened in any way due to the devastation of their sin also being upon the Qawwāli singers and the organiser.
No! On the contrary, every single person present in the gathering has his own personal complete sin, and the Qawwāli singers have their own sin separately, as well as the sin according to all of those present in the gathering upon them in addition to this separately; and the organiser of the `Urs has his own sin separately, the sin equivalent to the sin of the Qawwāli singers in addition to this separately, as well as the sin of all those present in the gathering separately.
The reason for this is that the people present in the gathering were invited by the organiser of the Urs and were only provided with the means to commit this sin through him, and the Qawwāli singers played the music for them to listen to.
If he did not provide the means, and the drums and harps were not played, then how would those present at the gathering have fallen into this sin? It is for this reason that all of their sin is upon them both, and then the cause of this sin of the Qawwāli singers was that organiser of the Urs. If he did not organise it and if he did not invite them, how would they have come and played the music? Therefore, the sin of the Qawwāli singers is also upon the one who invited them;
As the Fuqahā e Kiraam have said about the one who, despite being strong and healthy, takes charity, that he himself, and the one giving to him, are both sinful. This is because if those who give to him did not give, then he would not take up this shameful business of begging. So their giving is the cause of his begging and all of this is apparent to those familiar with the laws of Shari`ah; and towfeeq lies with Allāh Almighty only.
(Raddul Mukhtar, kitaab al khatar, vol 5 page 273 )
The Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Whoever invites towards any act of guidance will receive the reward equivalent to all those who follow him, and there will be no reduction in any of their reward, and whoever invites towards any act of misguidance will receive the sin of all those who follow his invitation, and there will be no reduction in any of their sin.”
(Narrated by Imām Aĥmad and Imām Muslim from Sayyidunā Abū Hurayra رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Sahih Muslim kitab al ilm vol 2 page 341, Musnad Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah vol 2 page 397)
The mas'ala e Nass will be taken from the Shariah of The Prophet Sall Allahu Alaihi Wasallam, or from The Imam e Mujhtahid of Fiqh. If the nass from the Shariah is required,Numerous Aĥadīth have been narrated regarding the prohibition of instruments reaching hadde tawaatur.
It is narrated in Saĥīĥ Bukhāri Sharif that the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “ Indeed there will be those people in my Ummah who will deem Ḣalāl the private parts of women (adultery), silk clothing, alcohol, and musical instruments.”
Some ignorant folk, or half-baked Mullāhs, or fake Sūfis present weak tales, unreliable incidents, or dubious anecdotes against authentic, definite Aĥadīth which have chains back to the Beloved Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
These people do not have the least amount of intelligence, or they purposefully act ignorant, because it is clear that it is necessary to reject the weak in favour of the authentic, the doubtful for the decisive, and the dubious for the definite. Furthermore, how can the Qowl be compared with the Fel mentioned in some anecdote, but who has the cure for such submission to desires?
If only they would know the sin as a sin after committing it and state it as such, but this stubbornness is even more severe that they feed their desires and then refuse the guilt, and make Ḣalāl (permissible) for themselves that which is Ḣarām (forbidden). Besides this, they do not stop here, but they, Allāh Almighty forbid, slander the beloved ones of Allāh Almighty, the great elders of the Silsilah Āliyah Chishtiya قدست اسرار هم by falsely attributing this act to them.
They neither have fear of Allāh Almighty, nor shame in front of the people. Even though Maĥbūb e Ilāhi Sayyidi wa Mawlāi Nizam ul Haq wal Dīn Sulṫān ul Awliyāرَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ و عنهم و عنا بهم himself says in “Fawāid ul Fawād Sharīf”;
مزامير حرام است ‘Musical instruments are Ḣarām.’
Mawlānā Fakhr ul Dīn Zarāwi, Khalīfah of Sayyidunā Maĥbūb e Ilāhi رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهما wrote an epistle on the Mas`alatu Samā` entitled, “Kashful Qanā an Usūl il Samā`” in the blessed era of the great Shaykh due to the decisive order of the Shaykh himself.
It is clearly written in that epistle:
“ The Samā of our blessed Mashāikh رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهم is free from the allegation of using musical instruments. There would only be the voice of the Qawwāl with the verses of poetry that would signify the perfection of the majesty of Allāh Almighty.”
Have justice for the sake of Allāh! Will you accept the words of this great Imam of the blessed Chishti order, or the unfounded slander and evidently corrupt accusations of the claimants of today? ( whose mischief is clearly evident )
(لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله العلى العظيم)
Sayyidī Mawlānā Muĥammad bin Mubārak bin Muĥammad `Alawī Kirmāni, murīd of Shaykh ul `Ālam Farīd ul Haq wal Dīn Ganj Shakkar, and Khalīfah of Sayyidunā Maĥbūb e Ilāhi رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهم , writes in his book Mustaṫāb Siyar ul Awliyā:
“Sulṫān ul Mashāikh قدس الله تعالى سره العزيز would say that only under some conditions is Samā` permissible; from which some are conditions for those reciting, some for those listening, some for the poetry which is recited, and some for the items used in the Samā`. The one reciting should be an adult male not a small boy or a woman. The one listening must not be heedless of Allāh Almighty and the poetry being recited must not contain any indecency or mockery. The items used in Samā must not be anything similar to musical instruments. The items used in Samā` must not include musical instruments such as harps, lutes, flutes or any other instruments. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, that type of Samā` is Ḣalāl.”
Muslims! This is the Fatwa (ruling) of the leader and the master of Silsilah Āliyah Chistiyah Sulṫān ul Awliyā رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. After this conclusive ruling is there any way for the slanderers to show their face?
In addition, it is written in Siyar ul Awliyā Sharīf:
“Once a man presented a matter in the court of Sulṫān ul Mashāikh that these days some mystics reportedly belonging to an Āstāna performed Raqs (Sufi dancing) in gathering where harps and lutes were being played. He answered by saying that they did not do a good thing and that they did something which is impermissible and disliked in the Shari`ah. After this someone said that when these people left that place people said to them, ‘What have you done? There were musical instruments there! How did you listen to the Samā` and perform Raqs there? ’ They replied by saying, ‘We were so ecstatically absorbed in the Samā` that we were unaware whether there were any musical instruments there or not.’ Sulṫān ul Mashāikh then said, ‘This answer is nothing; similar words could then be said for all sins…’”
O. Muslims! How clear a statement this is that musical instruments are Ḣarām, and what an irrefutable reply the Shaykh granted us to the excuse that we were unaware of the musical instruments due to being engrossed and absorbed in the Samā, that such an excuse could be made for any sin. Someone could drink alcohol and then say that because of intense absorption and captivation I was unaware whether it was alcohol or water.
Or someone could commit adultery and then say that because of being in the state of ecstasy I was unable to differentiate whether she was my wife or someone else.
It is written in the same book:
“Sulṫān ul Mashāikh has said that I have forbidden musical instruments and other prohibited things from amongst them, and he stressed this point strongly. This is to the extent that it has been said that if an Imam makes a mistake in the Salah, a man should say SubḢānAllāh to inform the Imam, but a woman should not say SubḢānAllāh because she should not make her voice heard. She should not even clap her hands by striking one palm upon the other as this would be like recreation or play, but she should merely strike the back of one hand with the palm of the other. When it has come to us that items associated with recreation and play, and those which are similar to them, should be refrained from to this extent, then the use of musical instruments in Samā` is forbidden to an even greater degree.”
O. Muslims! Those Imāms of Tarīqah whose caution and carefulness is such that they tell of the prohibition of clapping in such instances, how can they معاذ الله be linked to this slanderous claim of using musical instruments?
Have justice for the sake of Allāh Almighty! What an unfounded and insane rambling it is (to claim that the Mashāikh of Chisht used musical instruments)! May Allāh Almighty save us from following the Shayṫān and may He grant us the ability to truly follow the true beloved ones of Allāh Almighty.
آمين اله الحق آمين – بجاهم عندك آمين – والحمد لـِلّٰـه رب العالمين
The discourse is getting lengthy here and this is sufficient for those who are just. والله الهادى والله تعاى اعلم
عبده المذنب احمد رضا عفى عنه
كتبه
Taken From Fataawa Ridawiyya Shareef
vol 24 page 113 - 119
Translated by:
Khalifa e Allama Sayyid Shah Turāb ul Haq Qādri Daamat Barkaathumul Aaliyah, Maulana Shakeel e Millat Qadiri Ridawi Sahib Qibla Daamat Barkaathumul Aaliyah.
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