وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖ
The cited verse:
"Among people is one who buys idle talk to mislead from the way of Allah" (Luqman 31:6) — Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas and a group of Companions and Successors said: "idle talk" (lahw al-hadith) means singing and musical instruments. Ibn Abbas said: it is singing and whatever distracts from the remembrance of Allah.
The second verse:
"Incite with your voice whoever you can of them" (Al-Isra 17:64) — Mujahid and Ikrima said: "his voice" means singing, flutes, and entertainments.
Scholarly positions:
- Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali: Singing accompanied by instruments is forbidden — especially when combined with lewdness.
- Shafi: Nuanced — what neither distracts nor arouses is disputed.
- Ibn Hazm: The prohibition is not established except by explicit text.
- The principle: Whatever distracts from obligations or leads to what is forbidden — is forbidden by consensus.
Question: What Quranic verse is cited as evidence for the prohibition of music? What was the interpretation of Ibn Masud and Ibn Abbas?
Answer: "Among people is one who buys idle talk" (31:6) — Ibn Masud and Ibn Abbas: "idle talk" = singing and instruments. And Al-Isra 17:64: "his voice" = singing and entertainments.