ভূমিকা

Philosophy of Rulings – Al-Shia https://en.al-shia.org The al-Shia Scientific, Cultural, and Doctrinal Website Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:38:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://en.al-shia.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cropped-cropped-FIcon-32x32.png Philosophy of Rulings – Al-Shia https://en.al-shia.org 32 32 The Music and The Philosophy Behind Its Prohibition https://en.al-shia.org/music-philosophy-behind-prohibition/ https://en.al-shia.org/music-philosophy-behind-prohibition/#respond Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:30:24 +0000 https://neweng.al-shia.org/?p=934 There exists no difficulty and difference of opinion as far as the issue of prohibition of music is concerned, however, the difficulty lies in differentiating and discerning what constitutes music.

Are all pleasant and melodious sounds music? Undoubtedly, this is not the case for it has been reported in the traditions that the Qur’an and the adhan should be recited in a pleasant and melodious voice; in addition, the conduct of the Muslims too indicates likewise. Is every such sound, which possesses tarji (coming and going of sound in the larynx, or technically speaking, rolling of the sound in it), music? This too is not established.

The conclusion that can be drawn from the statements of the (Shia) jurists and the Sunni scholars is that joyful tunes that are bacchanalian, frivolous, and futile in nature are regarded as music. Expressing it more clearly, tunes that are commensurate with immoral gatherings, and with corrupt and sinning individuals, are classified as music.

In other words, a tune, which stirs up the carnal passions within man and he, in that state, considers the consumption of intoxicants and indulgence in sexual depravity alongside that tune to be totally fitting and opportune, is called music!

It is significant to note that at times, in a composition, the tune is music and essentially futile, as are the wordings – like when inappropriate poems are recited in the company of a ravishing tune; at other times only the tune is music, like when Quranic verses, supplications or poems of a lofty standard are recited in a tune that is suitable to gatherings of the corrupt ones. Both forms are prohibited (take note).

It is also necessary to mention that at times, ‘music’ is looked upon as possessing two meanings – the general meaning and the specific one.