Is Music a gift from God?

Sign of the Hour: Excessive Use of Musical Instruments

Siddheeque M. A. Veliankode

Adapted from Doomsday: Portents and Prophecies
� 1998 Dar al Khuzaimah

One of the common signs of approach of the Hour, which has spread all over the world, is the excessive use of musical instruments. Unfortunately, most of the Muslims consider the musical entertainment to be a legal practice. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, had forewarned against such use of musical instruments and warned such entertainers from being transformed into monkeys and pigs. Extensive false accusations of unchastity, slander, and earth's settling and sinking down, as well as transformation of people into monkeys and pigs) would appear.

In an authentic hadith narrated by Ibn Majah, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said:

Sahl ibn Sa`d reported that Allah's Messenger, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said, what means: "At the end of the world, the earth will settle, there will be false accusations of unchastity, slander and transformation of people into monkey and pigs." It was asked, "When, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "When the musical entertainment and signers appear."

In another report related by Al-Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, said:

Narrated Abu `Amir or Abu Malik al-Ash`ari that he heard the Prophet saying: "From among my Ummah, there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, wearing of the silk, drinking of alcoholic drinks and use of musical instruments as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening the (poor) shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something (to fulfill his needs), but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs, and they will remain so until the day of Resurrection."