Attending wedding ceremonies that contain prohibited actions
Fatwa No: 22806

Question

What is the ruling on listening to music at wedding ceremonies? What should I do if I am forced to do so? Should I attend these weddings? Is it prohibited, even if the bride or groom is a relative?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

 

It is not permissible to attend wedding ceremonies which involve prohibited actions that a person cannot change. That is because doing so reflects one's obvious agreement with the falsehood of the misguided people; and being content with an evil is, in itself, an evil.

Undoubtedly, most of today's wedding ceremonies usually contain prohibited actions. However, if you are invited to a banquet where there is an evil such as drinking wine or musical instruments, and you are able to stop it, you must attend and forbid the evil. By doing so, you would be fulfilling two obligations:

Accepting the invitation of your Muslim brother.
Removing the evil.

However, you may not attend it if you cannot change the evil, as stated by Ibn Qudaamah .

Therefore, the questioner is not permitted to attend these weddings if he cannot forbid and change the evil in them. 

Allaah Knows best.

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