at a time of blessing—amusement, play, and the flutes of Satan—and a sound at a time of calamity—slapping cheeks, tearing garments at the neckline, and raising the cries of the pre-Islamic age.”

He thus forbade the sound made at a time of blessing just as he forbade the sound made at a time of calamity. The sound made at a time of blessing is the sound of singing.

As for the wording “the sound of a flute,” the human voice itself may be called a flute, as was said of Abū Mūsā: “This man has been given a flute from among the flutes of the family of David.” Likewise, Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Satan’s flute in the house of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?”

As for his statement, “The implication of this wording is that other sounds are permissible,” this may be answered in two ways.

The first is that wording such as he has cited carries no contrary implication according to most scholars.