What is the ruling on re-broadcasting the voices of dead male and female singers and on permitting singing and music, and did the Messenger listen to them and command them?

A statement was issued by the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta, in response to an article discussing the ruling on singing, which stated:

Firstly: Delving into religious matters must be limited to scientifically qualified specialists, and the writer is not among them. His falling into errors is proof of this. Media outlets are not permitted to publish such articles, in order to protect the beliefs of Muslims.

Secondly: After death, the deceased benefits only from what is indicated by religious evidence, such as ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them. As for the sins they died upon, such as songs, they will be tormented by them, unless Allah pardons them. It is not permissible to revive their bad deeds after their death, so that the sin of those deeds and the sin of those who act upon them after them do not attach to them.

Thirdly: The writer's statement "there is no text in the Holy Quran explicitly prohibiting singing and music" indicates his ignorance. Allah's saying: (And among the people is he who buys Lahw al-Hadith (definition) (idle talk) to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and takes it as a mockery. Those will have a humiliating punishment.) Luqman/6, most commentators said that "Lahw al-Hadith" is singing and all sounds of amusement. It is authentically reported from Ibn Mas'ud - may Allah be pleased with him - that he said in interpreting the verse: "By Allah, it is singing," and that it cultivates hypocrisy in the heart. Furthermore, there are many hadiths that indicate the prohibition of singing and musical instruments.

Fourthly: The writer lied about the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - by attributing to him listening to singing and music and commanding them on Eid. The Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him - only permitted women specifically to use the tambourine (daf) and sing without melodious ornamentation or mention of love, for the announcement of marriage. He - peace and blessings be upon him - prohibited musical instruments (ma'azif) of all types and warned severely against them, as in Sahih (definition) al-Bukhari: (There will be among my Ummah people who will consider unlawful sexual intercourse, silk, wine, and musical instruments to be lawful). This indicates the severe prohibition of singing and musical instruments.

Fifthly: The writer's statement that there are weak hadiths relied upon by those who prohibit singing indicates his ignorance of the Sunnah (definition). The evidence for prohibition is found in the Quran, Sahih al-Bukhari, and other books of Sunnah, and has been adopted by previous scholars.

Sixthly: The opinion mentioned by the writer, attributed to some scholars, regarding the permissibility of singing, is a rejected opinion due to the evidence that prohibits it. The decisive factor is the religious evidence.

This writer must repent to Allah the Almighty and avoid speaking about Allah and His Messenger without knowledge, for speaking about Allah without knowledge is akin to shirk (definition).