What evidence did Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali rely upon in his analysis regarding singing and music, and what is the ruling on the Hadith narrations mentioned in this regard?

Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, in permitting singing and music, relied on the principle that the default state of things is permissibility, and that no authentic and explicit hadith has been transmitted prohibiting singing and musical instruments, and that the narrations regarding this are weak or do not indicate prohibition.

The response to this is multifaceted:

1. The authenticity of Al-Bukhari's suspended hadith, narrated with a decisive form from Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari: "There will be among my Ummah people who will consider unlawful sexual intercourse, silk, alcoholic drinks, and musical instruments as lawful." And that Al-Bukhari's suspended narrations are accepted.

2. The existence of other authentic and good hadiths that prohibit the sounds of amusement and wind instruments, such as the hadith: "Two sounds are foolish and wicked: a sound of amusement, play, and devil's wind instruments during a time of blessing, and a sound of slapping faces, tearing clothes, and the devil's wail during a calamity."

3. The consensus of the majority of scholars on the prohibition of listening to musical instruments, except for the drum (duff) in specific cases for women, and that many imams have reported scholarly consensus on this matter, and Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah affirmed the consensus of the four imams on the prohibition of instruments of amusement.

4. The Shaykh's claim that the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard the drum and wind instrument without reservation is incorrect; rather, it is established that he placed his fingers in his ears upon hearing the sound of a shepherd's flute.