Some people try to paint a picture of Islamic society, showing it to be too serious and too strict. When asked about various activities in social life, they tend to come up with verdicts of prohibition on many things, using flimsy evidence, and taking certain statements out of context. Their attitude is based on distrust of human nature. They think that, if left to himself, man would always fall into sin as he will find the temptation too strong. Hence, he should be helped by restricting every kind of temptation. This is a wrong attitude, and it is contrary to the Islamic approach to man, life and temptation.
To start with, Islam makes clear that God created man with two tendencies to follow divine guidance or reject it, to do good or evil. The two are equal in man’s nature. Therefore, Islam tries to strengthen the good tendency in man so that he will have the motivation to good action within himself. Placing too many restrictions with the aim of reducing the chances to do what is forbidden is to behave like parents who are over protective of their child. The child may escape certain risks as a result of such extra protection, but as it grows up it will lack the most important quality of self-reliance. Likewise, a Muslim who works within too many restrictions will not be able to resist the temptation to sin once he finds himself in an environment that gives him more freedom.
We have maintained earlier that Islamic society does not follow a policy of strict segregation between men and women. On the contrary, it is a mixed society where women share with men in all activities. However, it is a society that attaches much importance to serious morality, requiring both men and women to behave in a decent manner, observing clear moral values. Within these limits, which take man’s nature into careful consideration, everything is permissible, unless it leads to, or facilitates, what is forbidden. What we try to do in this series of articles is to show a picture of what life was like in the first Muslim community established by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Madinah. That was the model community, which benefited by the Prophet’s personal guidance. He was available all the time to correct any action or behavior that did not serve the objectives of Islam. It is universally agreed by all Muslim scholars that if something was witnessed by the Prophet and he did not speak against it, then it is permissible. If he encouraged it, it is a Sunnah; and it became a duty if he indicated that. Therefore, we cannot pronounce a verdict of prohibition about anything the Prophet attended unless he clearly indicated that. Without such clear indication, we would be stepping ahead of the Prophet, and this is not allowed to anyone in any way.
Lady Ayesha reports: “Abu Bakr came in when I had two of the Ansar’s maids. Both were singing some poetry of what the Ansar composed after the Battle of Bu’ath. They were not good singers. (In another version they are said to have also played the tambourine with their singing). Abu Bakr chided them, saying: ‘Are the devil’s instruments to be played in God’s Messenger’s home?’ the Prophet said: ‘Abu Bakr! Every community has a day of festivity, and this is ours.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
What we learn from this Hadith is that the Prophet sanctioned the singing in his own home by two maids and listened to it. Although they were not professional singers, yet it was clear that they were singing and using a musical instrument which Abu Bakr called a ‘devil’s instrument’. However, the Prophet explained to Abu Bakr that on such a joyous occasion people needed to have some fun, as long as it did not go against Islamic values. The two maids were singing poetry that was said after a battle that took place three years before the Prophet and his companions from Makkah emigrated to Madinah. The two parties in that battle were the two Arab tribes in Madinah, the Aws and the Khazraj, who were to become the Ansar. Thus the poetry being sung was of the type that extolled the bravery of fighters and the virtue of defending one’s people even if that meant sacrificing one’s own life. Had the two maids’ songs been of the erotic type that described women’s beauty or encouraged drinking, the Prophet would not have allowed them to proceed. He did so on other occasions, when any singer stepped over the line of what was acceptable in Islam.
Imam Ibn Hajar mentions in his commentary that this Hadith indicates the permissibility of listening to a woman’s singing, even if she is unrelated to the one who is listening. The Prophet did not censure Abu Bakr for listening to the singing, but he censured Abu Bakr’s rebuke of the singers. They in fact continued to sing, with the Prophet and Abu Bakr in the room, until Ayesha had enough and signaled them to leave.
