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What is the ruling on a religious young man listening to calm music for the purpose of relaxation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Al-Qurtubi and others unanimously agreed on the prohibition of using musical instruments and entertainment tools, with the exception of the tambourine (daf), due to the explicit hadiths (prophetic sayings) stating the prohibition. These include the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "There will be among my Ummah (nation) people who will consider unlawful sexual intercourse, silk, wine, and musical instruments as lawful," and his saying: "Two voices are cursed in this world and the Hereafter: a wind instrument at a time of joy, and wailing at a time of calamity." This prohibition encompasses both quiet and loud music.

One must avoid this evil and substitute it by listening to the Book of Allah, as it brings reward, recompense, mercy, and tranquility. It is permissible to listen to Islamic anthems (anasheed) that contain wisdom, admonitions, and encouragement to do good, provided there is no excess and they are not prioritized over learning and contemplating the Book of Allah and gaining understanding in religion.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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