The authenticity of two Ahaadeeth about musical instruments
Fatwa No: 244495

Question

Assalaamu 'alaykum. I would like to know if these two narrations (translations) are authentic: 1. Nafe3 said Ibn Umar heard a musical instrument so he placed his fingers in his ears and walked away from the area and said, "Nafe3 can u hear anything?" I said, "No!" He took his fingers out of his ears and said, "I was with the prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) and he heard like this and did as I did." 2. The prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) walked with Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf in between pine trees. The prophet (sallah allahu alieh wasalam) then placed his son Ibrahim on his lap and began to cry. Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf said, "Oh prophet of Allah do you cry when you stop us from crying?" He said, "I did not deter you from crying. I deterred you from two evil sinful voices - a voice with musical devilish instruments and a voice at a misery with scraping of the face and shredding of the clothe."

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 is His slave and Messenger.

Let us start with the Hadeeth that was attributed to the Prophet as related by Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah . It was reported by At-Tirmithi , who said that it is Hasan (good), and by Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Haakim, and Ibn Abi Shaybah. Shaykh Al-Albaani also classified it as Hasan.

As regards the Hadeeth that Naafi’ related that Ibn ‘Umar heard a flute and he put his fingers in his ears and changed his course, and said to him: “O Naafi’, can you hear anything?” Naafi’ said: ‘No’. So he took his fingers out of his ears and said, “I was with the Prophet and he heard the same thing and he did the same.” This Hadeeth was reported by Ahmad, Abu Daawood, Al-Bayhaqi and At-Tabaraani in Al-Awsat. Al-Albaani classified it as Saheeh (sound) and Shu’ayb Al-Arnaa’oot classified it as Hasan.

Allaah Knows best.

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