—the wholesome kind that conveys joy and happiness, such as: “We have come to you, we have come to you; greetings to us and to you” (1), and similar pleasant words of welcome. As for licentious songs, they are not permissible.

His statement, “for women,” apparently indicates that it is not recommended for men. However, al-Furūʿ states: “The apparent meaning of the reports, and the explicit text of Imam Ahmad, is that there is no distinction between women and men: the daff is for men just as it is for women.” This is because the hadith is general: “Publicize the marriage and beat the sieve for it” (2)—meaning, the daff—and because it serves to publicize the marriage, even though it is generally women who do this.

Those who restrict it to women and consider it disliked for men say that men beating the daff constitutes imitation of women, since it is among women’s distinctive practices. This means that the matter returns to customary practice. If the custom is that only women beat the daff, then we say that it is either disliked or forbidden for men to imitate them. But if it is customary for both men and women to beat the daff, then there is no dislike in it, because the purpose is to publicize the marriage. Indeed, publicizing a marriage through men beating the daff is more effective than doing so through women, for when women beat it, they do so in an enclosed place so that their voices will not be heard, whereas men beat it in an open and visible place. Thus, it is more effective in publicizing it.

This is the apparent meaning of Imam Ahmad’s explicit text—may Allah have mercy on him—and of the statements of his companions, including al-Muntahā, which is the principal reference of the later scholars of Imam Ahmad’s school. Its apparent meaning is general: there is no distinction between men and women regarding the daff.