Is music halal?

Scholars differ. The classical majority of all four schools prohibit musical instruments, with the exception of the daff (frame drum) on occasions such as weddings and Eid. A minority permit music whose content is clean.

Scholars differ · Everyday life · From the Halal or Not? rulebook, checked 28 September 2026

The views, and who holds them

Held byVerdictReasoning
Majority of the four schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali)HaramInstruments are prohibited, except the daff on permitted occasions.
Ibn Hazm, and contemporary scholars such as Yusuf al-QaradawiHalalMusic is permitted as long as its words and setting are not immoral.

Worth knowing

Quick answers

Is music halal?
Scholars differ. The classical majority of all four schools prohibit musical instruments, with the exception of the daff (frame drum) on occasions such as weddings and Eid. A minority permit music whose content is clean.
Who holds that it is haram?
Majority of the four schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali): Instruments are prohibited, except the daff on permitted occasions.
Who holds that it is halal?
Ibn Hazm, and contemporary scholars such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi: Music is permitted as long as its words and setting are not immoral.

Sources

Information, not a fatwa. Where scholars differ, this shows the main views so you can follow the one you already follow or ask a scholar you trust.

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