# Is the hadith that singing breeds hypocrisy in the heart authentic?

*Reply to a critic: the 'singing breeds hypocrisy' hadith and its weak chains*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/axxub9lxfoc/s/1/
- Date: 2019-09-18 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: In Depth: Is Music allowed in Islam? | Mufti Abu Layth (0:04–2:41)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXXuB9lxFoc&t=4s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/axxub9lxfoc/

**Topics:** Music; Authenticating hadith; Responses to critics

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The hadith that singing breeds hypocrisy in the heart is weak in every one of its chains, which run from Ibn Mas'ud to the Prophet in some versions and stop at Ibn Mas'ud in others. Mufti Abu Layth restates that nothing categorically proves music haram and that lyrics do not make it so.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says nothing categorically proves music to be haram and that lyrics do not make something haram even when they speak of sex or fighting, though one may not want to listen to them or let one's children do so.

**Evidence, his words at 0:04:** “lyrics do not make something Haram so even if the words are talking or sexual or they're talking about things like fighting or things like that that does not make something Haram” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXXuB9lxFoc&t=4s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth takes up a critic's video which played a clip of him saying that nothing categorically proves music to be haram and that lyrics do not make something haram, even when they speak of sex or fighting, though one may not want to listen or let one's children listen. He reports the critic's reaction: that this shows the danger of following people with no knowledge, that today's muftis follow whims and desires, and that the Prophet said music is haram, citing the hadith that singing breeds hypocrisy in the heart as water makes vegetation grow. Mufti pauses the video and quotes the hadith in Arabic. He says it is transmitted from Ibn Mas'ud to the Prophet through five chains and stops at Ibn Mas'ud in three others, in the books of Ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Daylami [?], al-Bayhaqi, Abu Dawud and al-Hakim, and that every single chain has been criticised as weak, so that there is not a single sahih hadith here.

## Sources and names cited

- report: singing brings hypocrisy in the heart as water gives rise to vegetation
- Ibn Mas'ud
- Ibn Abi al-Dunya
- al-Daylami [?]
- al-Bayhaqi
- Abu Dawud
- al-Hakim al-Naysaburi
- da'if
- haram

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:04–2:41)

[0:04] [Music] let's pick up another point that he said right Oh people music I won't go through so many just a few points music is something he picked up on he said a person is asking him and he plays my clip where somebody asks me about music and I said look there's nothing proven to categorically to demonstrate music is haram I think that's what I say at all and yes I add that lyrics do not make

[0:41] something Haram so even if the words are talking or sexual or they're talking about things like fighting or things like that that does not make something Haram I understand you may not want to listen to it or you may not want your children to listen to it but God hasn't declared it haha so there's a big difference here so he says let me you see the dangers of following people with no knowledge the

[1:19] Muftis in our day and age have no knowledge brothers they declare everything they just follow the whims and desires the prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam said that music is haram in fact there is a hadith he said that there is a hadith that music that singing brings hypocrisy in the heart brings hypocrisy in the heart and the way water gives rise to vegetation Allah let me let me

[1:58] pause him me pause welcome back rocky exorcist g first of all let me quote this hadith to you in arabic Alvina young 'but only [ __ ] come on young bittleman bubbles bye-bye fatties is this hadith has been transmitted he quoted from a promise owed it's being

[2:36] transmitted from ignores owed to the Prophet by five narrations five chains and it stops with ignore most of on three different chains it has been brought in the books of people like if not be dunya my daily me but very happy in a Buddhahood in Hakim every single chain is criticized as weak Mucca Mucca it is every chain is Milan there isn't a single sahi hadith that you can bring in this pub Allah at least bring me a sahi hadith you're a selfie for God's sake

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment AXXuB9lxFoc/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/axxub9lxfoc/s/1/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.