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The question

What is the reason and wisdom behind the prohibition of musical instruments, and does this include sound effects similar to music? What is the difference between the enjoyment derived from musical instruments and the enjoyment derived from the beautiful voice of a Quran reciter? And how can we reconcile these two points?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The fundamental principle for a Muslim is submission to the rulings of the Sharia, whether the wisdom behind them is apparent or not, while being certain that wisdom exists. As for singing, some of it is permissible and some is forbidden. The wisdom behind forbidding what is unlawful among it is clear, as Ibn Mas'ud said: "Singing cultivates hypocrisy in the heart just as water cultivates vegetation," and as some scholars said: "The Qur'an of the Most Merciful and the Qur'an of Satan, which is singing, cannot coexist in the heart of a servant." The Qur'an encourages its recitation and beautification of the voice with it for benefit and contemplation, not for mere enjoyment. Indeed, taking the Qur'an as wind instruments has been condemned.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy