In a nutshell: The Quran does not mention the word “music” explicitly, yet classical scholars derived its prohibition from verses describing lahwal-ḥadīth (idle amusement) and the voice of Satan. Through the interpretations of the Prophet’s Companions and authentic Hadith, Islamic teachings collectively affirm that music leads to distraction from Allah’s path and spiritual heedlessness.

When scholars of Tafsir (Quranic exegesis) and Fiqh (jurisprudence) address this issue, they don’t point to a single verse that says, “Music (الموسيقى) is forbidden.” The word mūsīqā itself is a later Arabic word. 

Instead, they direct us to specific terms and principles within the Quran that the Prophet’s Companions (Sahabah) and the earliest generations, who were masters of the Arabic language, understood as encompassing idle distractions, including forbidden music.

Let’s explore what the Quran does say.

Does the Quran Say Music is Haram?

Yes, the Quran says music is haram, according to explicit exegesis of some of companions for some Quran verses. 

The most significant verse that the classical scholars, including the Sahabah, presented on this matter is found in Surah Luqman.

“وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ”

“Wa minan-nāsi may-yashtarī lahwal-ḥadīthi liyudilla ‘an sabīlillāhi bi-ghayri ‘ilmiw-wayattakhidhahā huzuwā; ulā’ika lahum ‘adhābum-muhīn.”

“And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.” (Surah Luqman: 6)

The key to this verse is the term lahwal-ḥadīth (لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ).

A surface-level translation gives you “amusement of speech”, “idle talk” or “diversionary talk.” But we must ask: What did the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) understand this to mean?

The great companion and scholar Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) was asked about this verse. He swore by Allah, “It is al-ghinā’ (الغناء) – singing.”

This is not a lone opinion. This same interpretation—that lahwal-ḥadīth refers to singing and musical entertainment—is famously reported from Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه), the “Interpreter of the Quran.”

This is the depth you find when you move past translation and into Tafsir. You begin to see the language as the Sahabah saw it. This is why a dedicated Tafseer Course is so essential; it connects you to this original, profound understanding.

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Is Music Haram in the Quran?

Yes, music is haram in the Quran. Another verse scholars cite is in Surah Al-Isra, where Allah describes the methods Iblis (Satan) will use to tempt the children of Adam.

“وَاسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُم بِصَوْتِكَ وَأَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِم بِخَيْلِكَ وَرَجِلِكَ وَشَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ وَعِدْهُمْ ۚ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا”

“Wastafziz manis-taṭa’ta minhum bi-ṣawtika wa-ajlib ‘alayhim bi-khaylika wa-rajilika wa-shārik-hum fil-amwāli wal-awlādi wa-‘idhum; wa mā ya’iduhumush-shayṭānu illā ghurūrā.”

“And incite [to senselessness] whoever you can among them with your voice and assault them with your horses and foot soldiers and become a partner in their wealth and their children and promise them.” But Satan does not promise them except delusion.” (Surah Al-Isra: 64)

The focal point here is bi-ṣawtika (بِصَوْتِكَ) – “with your voice.” What is the “voice” of Satan?

The Imam of the Tabi’in (the generation after the Sahabah), Mujahid (رحمه الله), a master of Tafsir, interpreted bi-ṣawtika as “singing and musical instruments” (al-ghinā’ wal-mazāmīr).

Think about the linguistic power of the word wastafziz (وَاسْتَفْزِزْ). It means to startle, provoke, agitate, or incite. It is not a voice of calm, of peace, or of remembrance (dhikr). It is a sound that provokes the nafs (the lower self) and agitates the desires, pushing one towards heedlessness and sin.

Again, we see that the classical interpreters, those closest to the revelation, did not read these verses as abstract concepts. 

They saw them as direct references to the tools of diversion, with music and singing being chief among them. Without a foundation in Quranic-Arabic, these subtle connections are impossible to grasp.

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Where in the Quran Does It Say Music is Haram Directly?

The Quran establishes the principles and the prohibitions, and forbids lahwal-ḥadīth in Surah Surah Luqman (diversionary talk that leads astray) and warns against the ṣawt (voice) of Satan in Surah Al-Isra.

The Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) then comes to specify and clarify these principles. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is the living interpreter of the Quran. He said in a famous narration recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari:

“From among my followers, there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments (المعازف – al-ma’āzif) as lawful.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) places al-ma’āzif (a word which indisputably means musical instruments) in a list alongside zina (adultery) and alcohol—two of the most severe major sins in Islam. 

The Prophet prophesied that people would come and try to make them lawful, which implies they are, by default, unlawful.

Therefore, the Islamic position is built on this methodology:

1. The Quran lays the foundation (e.g., forbidding lahw).
2. The Prophet (ﷺ) provides the explicit clarification (e.g., naming al-ma’āzif as haram).
3. The Companions confirm this understanding in their Tafsir (e.g., Ibn Mas’ud on al-ghinā’).

The ruling is not from a single verse but from the combined, harmonious sources of revelation, as understood by the best generations.

Read Also: What Does The Quran Say About Prayer?

Why the Quran Guides Us to a Purer Heart

The ultimate purpose of these rulings is not to restrict, but to protect. The heart is a vessel. It can be filled with the love of the Quran or with the love of lahw (diversion). It is very, very difficult for them to coexist.

The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim said that singing is the “Quran of Satan” and that the love of it and the love of the Quran cannot gather in one heart.

Read Also: What Does Quran Say About Parents?

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Conclusion

The Quranic expression lahwal-ḥadīth in Surah Luqman and the reference to Satan’s “voice” in Surah Al-Isra were understood by early scholars like Ibn Mas‘ud and Mujahid as denoting singing and musical entertainment. 

Their deep grasp of Quranic Arabic formed the foundation of the classical stance on music.

Prophetic teachings further clarified this understanding, explicitly listing musical instruments among prohibited acts alongside adultery and intoxicants. 

This synthesis of Quran, Sunnah, and early Tafsir establishes the comprehensive Islamic position.