Listening to Songs after Removing the Music from them
Fatwa No: 461179

Question

salam. the answer to my last question was that its haram to listen to music-accompanied songs even if it has good lyric and even if the aim is to learn the melody only. i want to ask a final question on the topic given that i am fond of singing. i came across a software that can remove the music part from songs and keep the vocal part only. can i benefit in this way? pls reply soon

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is no harm for you to listen to the songs if you are able to remove the music from them, but the sounds of the flutes are forbidden to listen to, as the Hadeeth indicates: “I was prohibited from two foolish immoral voices: A voice of the flute of the devil, and a voice during a calamity and devil’s scream.” [at-Tirmithi and al-Albaani graded it as Saheeh (authentic)]

Al-Haythami reported from al-Qurtubi that he said:

As for the flutes, the strings and the….., then there is no difference of opinion that it is prohibited to listen to them. I have not heard of any scholar whose statement is relied upon among the Salaf and the late Imams who considered it to be permissible. How is it not forbidden while it is the motto of the people of alcohol and dissoluteness, and it incites desires, corruption and dissoluteness? Since this is the case, then there is no doubt about it that it is prohibited, and its doer is dissolute and sinful.” [End of quote]

Ibn as-Salaah said in the Fataawa:

As for permitting this listening and analyzing it, then let it be known that the duff (tambourine), the flute (musical woodwind instrument) and singing if they are combined together, then listening to them is forbidden according to the Imams of the Four Schools and other Muslim scholars. It is not proven from anyone whose statement is relied upon regarding the consensus of the scholars and the difference of opinion among them, that he ever permitted this kind of listening……Therefore, this listening is not permitted according to the consensus of the Muslims who have binding authority.

Allah knows best.

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