Noting that Islamic law forbids musical instruments will bring you swift charges of "ignorance" and "Islamophobia," but the "militiamen" in Iraq who believe that music is un-Islamic are not ignorant "Islamophobes":
Hadith Qudsi 19:5: "The Prophet said that Allah commanded him to destroy all the musical instruments, idols, crosses and all the trappings of ignorance." (The Hadith Qudsi, or holy Hadith, are those in which Muhammad transmits the words of Allah, although those words are not in the Qur'an.)
Muhammad also said:
(1) "Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments, flutes, strings, crucifixes, and the affair of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance."
(2) "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will pour molten lead into the ears of whoever sits listening to a songstress."
(3) "Song makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water does herbage."
(4) "This community will experience the swallowing up of some people by the earth, metamorphosis of some into animals, and being rained upon with stones." Someone asked, "When will this be, O Messenger of Allah?" and he said, "When songstresses and musical instruments appear and wine is held to be lawful."
(5) "There will be peoples of my Community who will hold fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments to be lawful ...." -- 'Umdat al-Salik r40.0
Sharia Alert from Iraq: "Oud maker labors in secret on Baghdad rooftop," by Hamza Hendawi for AP, March 28:
BAGHDAD -- In a tiny workshop on the roof of his home in a Baghdad slum, Farhan Hassan works in secret, lovingly curving wood and tightening strings to make his ouds -- a traditional Arabic instrument.Only close family and friends know what he is doing, because the militiamen in his neighborhood frown on such frivolities.
The oud's angst-filled tunes define Iraq's music, the same way the Tigris and Euphrates rivers define its landscape. But nowadays few in the country play or make the oud, a pear-shaped, deep-voiced cousin of the lute. Hundreds of artists fled Iraq during the violence in recent years -- and continued instability and the power of religious hard-liners give them little desire to return....
Now Hassan is also hoping to leave Iraq. Like many of the estimated 2.5 million Shiites who live in Sadr City, he has had to cope with some of the city's worst living conditions. Militiamen have closed music stores, prohibited the mixing of the sexes, banned wedding parties, imposed the Islamic hijab on women and murdered gay men -- all while making a living as hired guns....
"I could have gone out on the streets carrying an RPG or a machine-gun and people would either take no notice or commend me on my courage," he mused. "But I would have probably been killed if I had gone out with an oud in my hand," he said with a laugh tinged with bitterness....
The alleged "ban" on musical instruments has to do with the cultural context of the time, in which music accompanied and encouraged immoral sexual behavior and idolatry. The modern equivalent would be rock or rap music. The idea that Islam bans all music, including such as classical and jazz music, is simply wrong (unless you're a Wahhabi). Many mainstream Islamic clerics agree upon this. In addition, the post above is self-contradictory. If there IS a traditional Iraqi form of music or musical instrument, and Iraq has been Islamic almost since the time of the Prophet (upon whom be peace), then how was the development of such music possible? Has music survived in secret for 13 centuries? Of course not. This is Wahhabism, not traditional Islam. Educate yourself and stop spreading irrational hatred and fear.
This is what Islam gives us, nutcase. A miserable and joyless world with no art, no music of any kind, i.e. no Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beethoven or Mozart, no pubs, no nightclubs, no joy, and where playing a flute or guitar can mean death. Only the wailing of the muezzins and the calls to murder infidels that emanate from the mosques. This is the world the trolls want us to live in, like Abdal-Latif, the latest troll to surface here.
Farhan Hassan may well be happier out of Iraq. But I don't want him here, unless he leaves Islam. I would suggest he goes to another Islamic country. Maybe Sudan. They are crazy about music there...so far...
Let's not forget killing male tennis players for wearing shorts.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2006/05/iraqi-tennis-players-shot-for-wearing-shorts.html
Abdal-Latif, I appreciate your attempts at being a moderate Muslim but huge, HUGE numbers of Muzzies disagree.
Mohammed and Allah (via Gabriel via Mohammed) gave absolutely NO context when saying that all music is bad.
Therefore, Allah has stated that all music is bad and your attempts at "reinterpreting it" and changing so much of a word of it constitutes apostasy, and many Muzzies would kill you right now given the chance.
Tell me, do you wish to disobey Allah? If Mohammed were to repeat to you what was in the Hadith to your face then would you avoid all music like cancer in order to keep your ears being filled with molten lead? Or would you dare to defy him.
All that being said, why not just abandon Islam and become Christian or atheist? It's obvious you don't want to bang your head on a rock while screaming "derka derka" at the Swiss, so why lump yourself in with such fanatics?
There is no compromise with Islam, it is a religion of submission. Either resign yourself to burning in hell forever- along with lots of women, since Mohammed said most of the people in hell were women who disobeyed their wives- or join a religion that lets you not be a complete nutcase.
Also, I do think you would defy Mohammed and tell him he was certifiably insane if he lectured you about all music being bad. Come now, you're already reading this blog regularly and you're trying to reinterpret your religion to something more in conformity with your westernized beliefs... it's obvious you're in a crisis of faith about the batshit crazy nutjobs in your religion. Why not take the full plunge and abandon Islam completely?
Granted of course, many Muzzies kill those who leave Islam behind, but if you are in an area without too many crazies- then just leave it. Join a religion in which Jesus preaches love and forgiveness, not one which encourages death to the unbeliever.
islam does an excellent job of spreading rational hatred and fear. It's quite rational that I should fear that which would see me convert, submit or die. It is also quite rational that I, as a free man, should hate the slavery that is islam. muslims are the victims of islam and should be made free of it. You included.
Your false prophet mo (Piss Be Upon Him) was a desert bandit, pedophile, mass murderer who figured out how to exploit religion for his own benefit and the satisfaction of his numerous sexual fantasies and perversions.
Any religion that is OK with sodomizing babies needs to cease to exist. You are aware of how common thighing is in islamic countries? You are also aware that the Ayatoilet Sosmelly...Khomeini that is, had no problem with sex with infants and animals aren't you? Consult his lttile green book of islamic jurisprudence...THEN call me liar.
Can you possibly defend and participate in a religion that sanctions such vile acts? Apparently so or you wouldn't be here attempting to defend same.
My...your feelings of muslim superiority are clearly evidenced by the condescension that is dripping out of my monitor. Good luck with that.
islam is a lie and
Truth is killing it.
Nailed it...
Ah yes, "the cultural context of the time".
I bet Abdal-Latif would try to pull that one when discussing Mohammed's pedophile behaviour with Aisha.
The only problem is that it is still happening in the 21st century and Muslims are still following Mohammed's barbaric and evil example, regardless of the "cultural context" because Mohammed was the perfect of all Muslims, whose example is to be followed for all time, isn't it Abdal-Latif?
If you don't think so, declare it loudly and publicly in Saudi Arabia. See how far you get. Good luck.