They are deprived of barakat.

They are deprived of barakat.”[^7] Hazrat Imam ‘Ali ar-Riďa (a.s.) has said, “To listen to a musical instrument is one of the Greater Sins.”[^8] The Blackened Face of the Musician The Holy Prophet (S) has stated, “A person who possesses a sitar, on the day of Qiyāma will be raised with a black face. His hands will be holding a sitar of fire. Seventy thousand angels with maces of fire will be hitting him on the face and the head. The singer will arise from his grave, blind, deaf and dumb.

The adulterer will be similarly raised. The player of flute will also be made to rise in this way as will be the drum player.”[^9] It means that all such people will appear on the field of “Mahshar” (on the day of reckoning) as blind, deaf and dumb. A House Where Music is Played for Forty Days Hazrat Imam ‘Ali ar-Riďa (a.s.) remarks, “A person invites Divine wrath when in his house instruments like flute, drum and chess are played for forty days.

If this man dies within these forty days, his death would be of a sinner and a transgressor. His place shall be in Hell. And what a dreadful place it is!”[^10] Music and the Last Period of Time The traditions concerning the signs of the last stage before the Zuhūr of our Imam (a.s.) mention music: “And you shall see that music will be so prevalent that no one will dissuade others nor will he find in himself the need to do so.

And you shall see that music would be openly played even in the two sanctuaries (the city of Makkah and Madinah).”[^11] This is what we see in the present age where obscene music is openly played in the markets, on the streets, in shops and houses and even cars and no one bothers to prevent it! So far we have mentioned the punishment of the hereafter for the sin of playing or listening to music. Now, we shall discuss the evils of music that affect life on earth. These evils too are numerous.

Scholars have compiled complete books on this subject. For example we have the following books in Persian, “Munazrah Doctor-o-Pīr”, “Balahaī Ijtemai”, “Mausīqi-o-Islam”, etc. Effects of Music on the Nervous System Expert Doctors, Scientists and biologists have defined two types of nerves, the principal nerves and the arterial nerves. The principal nerves stretch from the neck to all vital organs. The arterial nerves spread from the main nerves to all parts of the body.

The secondary nerves are connected to outward parts of the body and convey the messages to the brain. When the veins enlarge the blood pressure decreases.