Tahrim Alat al-Tarab - Nasir al-Din al-Albani - (160)

Tahrim Alat al-TarabNasir al-Din al-Albani

—through so-called Sufi singing (ghināʾ ṣūfī) or what they label “religious nasheeds,” whether in performing them or in listening to them—, I offer the following advice:

First: Every scholar of the Muslims who truly understands the jurisprudence of the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous predecessors—whose way we have been commanded to follow and forbidden to oppose, as in His words, “Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We shall leave him to the path he has chosen and cast him into Hell—what an evil destination!” (Q 4:115)—knows beyond doubt that this type of singing is an innovation; it was unknown in the generations whose goodness has been attested.

Second: It is likewise settled among them that one may draw near to Allah only through what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has brought, as has already been explained. To illustrate this, Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah cited several examples that make the point clear to every fair-minded student of knowledge. He, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

“It is well known that the religion rests on two foundations: there is no religion except what Allah has legislated, and nothing is unlawful except what Allah has declared unlawful. Allah reproached the idolaters for prohibiting what He had not prohibited and for instituting a religion to which He had granted no permission.

If a scholar1 were asked about someone who runs between two mountains, ‘Is this permissible for him?’ he would answer, ‘Yes.’ But if it were said, ‘He is doing it as an act of worship, like the saʿy between Safa and Marwa,’ he would reply, ‘Doing it in that manner is forbidden and reprehensible; the person must be urged to repent, and if he repents, so be it; otherwise he is to be executed2.’

Likewise, if he were asked about uncovering the head and wearing only a waist-wrapper and mantle, he would give a fatwa that this is permissible. Yet if it were said, ‘He is doing so in the manner of someone who has entered iḥrām for ḥajj,’ he would respond, ‘That is forbidden and reprehensible.’”

(1) In other words, it is certainly the Salafi scholar who is meant, not the later khalafi, al-Ghazali. (2) I add: this duty belongs to the ruler who upholds Allah’s hudud (divinely prescribed penalties)—a ruler who today is as rare as the legendary anqa (phoenix).

بالغناء الصوفي أو بما يسمونه ب الأناشيد الدينية اسماعا واستماعا بما يلي: أولا: أن مما لا يرتاب فيه عالم من علماء المسلمين العارفين حقا بفقه الكتاب والسنة ومنهج السلف الصالح الذين أمرنا بالتمسك بنهجهم ونهينا عن مخالفة سبيلهم في مثل قوله تعالى: ﴿وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيراً﴾ أقول: لا يخفى على أحد من هؤلاء العلماء أن الغناء المذكور محدث لم يكن معروفا في القرون المشهود لها بالخيرية. ثانيا: أنه من المسلم عندهم أنه لا يجوز التقرب إلى الله إلا بما جاء به رسول الله ﷺ لما تقدم بيانه وقد ضرب لذلك شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية بعض الأمثلة التي تؤكد لكل ذي علم منصف ما ذكرنا فقال رحمه الله تعالى: ومن المعلوم أن الدين له أصلان فلا دين إلا ما شرع الله ولا حرام إلا ما حرمه الله والله تعالى عاب على المشركين أنهم حرموا ما لم يحرمه الله وشرعوا دينا لم يأذن به الله. ولو سئل العالم١ عمن يعدو بين الجبلين هل يباح له ذلك؟ قال: نعم فإذا قيل: إنه على وجه العبادة كما يسعى بين الصفا والمروة؟ قال: إن فعله على هذا الوجه [فهو] حرام منكر يستتاب فاعله فإن تاب وإلا قتل٢. ولو سئل عن كشف الرأس ولبس الإزار والرداء؟ أفتى بأن هذا جائز فإذا قيل: إنه يفعله على وجه الإحرام كما يحرم الحاج؟ قال: إن هذا حرام منكر.

١ يعني طبعا العالم السلفي وليس الخلفي الغزالي!. ٢ قلت: يعني من قبل الحاكم القائم على حدود الله الذي صار اليوم كالعنقاء!.