1. what is the Huqm of using a bell, at school, on an animal etc.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
assalam alaykum
brother,
i have three questions that i would request for your guidance from the sunnah
of the prophet (P.B.U.H) and the Holly Quran.
1. what is the Huqm of using a bell, at school, on an animal etc.
2.what is the huqm on keeping a dog, for security etc.
3.what is the huqm on musi: producing, listening, watching etc.
shukran wa jazakallah kheir.
fiamanillah
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Q-1: what is the Huqm
of using a bell, at school, on an animal etc.
Sahih
Muslim Hadith 5279 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The bell is
the musical instrument of the Shaytaan.’
The usage of the specific instrument ‘bell’ is indeed
prohibited in Islam, but if by ‘bell’ one means the sound which is rung at
schools, or places of gathering, or by the police or law-enforcement agents, or
as a ‘fire-alarm’, etc. merely as an announcement, the absolute majority of the
scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that there is no harm in the
using of sound as an announcement.
But it would be best and in accordance with guidance that the
believers abstain from using or tieing the specific instrument of ‘bell’ on
their domestic animals, or anything else whatsoever.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 5277 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘Angels do not
accompany the travelers who have with them a dog or a bell.’
Q-2:
what is the huqm on keeping a dog, for security etc.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 3814 Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal and
Yahya
Allah's Messenger (saws) ordered the killing
of (stray) dogs and then said: ‘What is the trouble with them (the people of
Although the above quoted hadith clearly specifies the
three reasons one may keep dogs, the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the
opinion that if one lives in an isolated area and keeps a dog with the sole
intention of it guarding or protecting the property….there is no harm. And Allah Alone Knows Best.
But to keep a dog as a pet only as a fashion statement, or
for one’s own pleasure, etc. would be absolutely impermissible for the
believers.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4102 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mughaffal
The Prophet (saws) said, " No family
attaches itself to a dog without a qirat (measure) of their good deeds being
deducted daily, except in the case of a hunting dog, a farm dog (for the
protection of cultivated land), or a sheepdog (for the protection of
herds)."
In our humble opinion, it would be best if the believers
feared Allah, and sought the service of modern technology like burglar alarms,
etc. rather than keeping a dog to protect their property….. thus staying
absolutely clear and away from a thing which might be forbidden. And Allah
Alone Knows Best.
Q-3: what is the huqm
on musi: producing, listening, watching etc.
Sahih
Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.494B Narrated by
Abu Amir
that he heard the Prophet (saws) saying,
"From among my followers there will be some people who will consider
illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic
drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful.”
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3153 Narrated by Muhammad ibn Hatib al-Jumahi
The Prophet (saws) said, "The
distinction between what is lawful and what is unlawful is the song and the
tambourine at a wedding."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4909 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud
I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say:
‘Singing (of unlawful songs) produces hypocrisy in the hearts.’
Beloved brother in Islam, if one takes ‘music’ to mean the
melodious sound of the Muaddin while calling to prayer, or the beautiful sound of the ‘Qari’ when he
recites the Holy Quran, or the musical
sound of the ‘daff’ (tambourine) that is played to celebrate one’s wedding or
on the Day of Eid, or the tunes of chorus sung by the mujahideen, etc.; these are not only permitted, these types of music are absolutely
encouraged in Islam.
Thus, ‘music’ per se is not forbidden in Islam; what is
indeed forbidden in Islam is the illegal string music which is so rampant in
movies, television, radios, etc. which encourage ‘fahisha’ and indecency.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah
Aaraaf verse 33:
33 Say: ‘The things
that my Lord hath indeed forbidden are: ‘faahisha’ (shameful deeds) whether
open or secret; sins and trespasses against truth or reason; assigning
of partners to Allah for which He hath given no authority; and saying things
about Allah of which ye have no knowledge.’
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah
Anaam verse 151:
151 Say: "Come I
will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from: join not anything
as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill not your children on a plea of
want; We provide sustenance for you and
for them; come not even near
‘faahisha’ (shameful deeds) whether open or secret; take not life which
Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law”: thus doth He command
you that ye may learn wisdom.
If one looks around the society we live in today, one
would notice that conventional ‘music’ is related to almost every place that
encourages ‘fahisha’ or indecency; and it is this concept of ‘fahisha’ and
indecency that Allah has strictly declared haraam for the believers. The principle in Islam is that every road
that leads to the forbidden is also forbidden; and as illegal conventional
‘music’ is an accomplice to and leads or encourages ‘fahisha’ and indecency, it
too would be considered forbidden.
If the music or the accompanied songs encourage indecency,
‘fahisha’, or glamorize elements of evil, or disbelief, or hypocrisy, or
‘shirk’, etc.; or songs which are sung by women when in the company or presence
of non-mehram men; or songs being sung with illegal string music, etc.; then all such music and songs would indeed be
deemed prohibited in Islam.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister