It is impermissible to purposefully listen to all songs dressed with musical instruments from an Islamic perspective according to the preferred view of Islamic scholarship. This is the view of the vase majority of Muslim scholars throughout the ages of Islam, the view of the four well known fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) mathaahib (math-habs) with several scholars actually citing a scholarly consensus having occurred in the first century of Islam regarding its impermissibility.

based on this; rulings from several scholars of all of the four major fiqh mathaahib have been documented stating that musical instruments are not to be considered wealth that can be sold or gifted, and that the judicial testimony of a person known to regularly listen to songs with musical instruments should be rejected (due to him being considered an accustomed sinner).

It is also true that during some of the ages of Islam there have been some voices citing the permissibility  of musical instruments and some of these voices are even heard in today’s day and age. In my opinion; this view as well as the evidences upon which the view exists do not constitute anything substantial to challenge the evidences used by the vast majority of scholars throughout the generations of Islam citing the act of listening to musical instruments as forbidden in Islam.

We as Muslims should also contemplate the short nature of the life of this world and the reality of the ever lasting life of the hereafter. In this life we have an opportunity to build our paradise, and no scholar, even those that may have been more lenient in this matter, have said that listening to musical instruments or purchasing and listening to songs attached to musical instruments constitutes a ‘paradise building’ exercise.

May Allah Almighty forgive our past, inspire our future and shower upon us steadfastness and productivity in building our hereafter. Ameen.

Your brother,

Sajid Umar