Which prominent Sunni scholars say music is not haram?

Question

Music isn't haram par se based on the opinion of prominent scholars of the 4 madhabs and other modern scholars -- Medi1Saif

This makes me wonder who precisely Medi1Saif is talking about. This is at odds with the top answer to Is listening to Music Halal (permissible) or Haram (prohibited) in Islam? which says "...only an exceedingly small minority believe it to be permissible."

Question: Which prominent Sunni scholars say music is not haram?

I got a list of mujtahideen who deemed that music was permissible. Do you want that list in an answer? — Muslim_1234, Commented May 27, 2017 at 21:26
@Armaan: While it sounds interesting, it wasn't what I had in mind for this question (i.e., they're not really scholars). — Rebecca J. Stones, Commented May 27, 2017 at 21:30
Al-Ghazaly is one of those and i've heard that imam Malik wanted to become a singer but his mother guided him by sending him to the course of Rabi'a. — Medi1Saif, Commented May 27, 2017 at 21:30

Muslim_1234 · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-27 22:09:37Z

2

The following are some of the most prominent scholars in our history who, deemed music permissible:

Note: This is what I found so far so there might be more scholars which I will add later. Feel free to edit and add more scholars.

answered May 27, 2017 at 21:53

Muslim_1234

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Please clarify the source of the list. I know that some of the list is accurate, e.g., Dr. Shaltoot through a one-on-one discussion. But I am not too sure about the entire list. Al-Rukhsah Fil-Ghinaa' Wa Al-Tarab by Al-Dhahabi (not his book — an abridged version of Al-Imta' Bi Ahkam Al-Sama' by Ibn Taghlib) does not address music, but discusses poetry without instruments. Al-Shawkani in Ibtal Da'wa Al-Ijmaa' did not say music was permitted; rather, he posed the different views to say there was no ijmaa', and he separated the topics of instruments vs. poetry.
– III-AK-III
Commented May 27, 2017 at 22:40
Do any of them make a distinction with regard to kind of music? It seems like the hand drum (daff) is allowed by a lot more, as is unaccompanied singing, than e.g. string or wind instruments or singing plus instruments.
– G. Bach
Commented May 28, 2017 at 8:40
@III-AK-III virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/sciences-of-quran-and-hadith/…
– Muslim_1234
Commented May 28, 2017 at 9:39
@G.Bach — Yes, they do, and this includes hand drums as well as string or wind instruments.
– III-AK-III
Commented May 28, 2017 at 9:53
@Armaan — Thank you for the link. After reading the article, unfortunately, it did not quote or provide clear reference to where the listed scholars discussed the matter, or declared their opinion.
– III-AK-III
Commented May 28, 2017 at 10:09

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