Question
The person I travel with to work listens to music in his car. Is it permissible for me to read the Quraan Shareef to myself while the music is playing? Note that I will not be reciting from memory, but reading from the pages instead.
Answer
Music is completely prohibited in Islam according to the consensus of all Imams. If the person with whom you are travelling is a Muslim, you must explain to him about the prohibition of music in our Shari’ah and warn him about the admonishments and negative consequences of it. If he is a non-Muslim, you should kindly ask him to turn-off the music or to use earphones. However, if he declines to do so, you should either find another means to commute to work or put something in your ears to avoid listening to the music completely. Reading the Qur’an Shareef (audibly or silently) while the music is playing is very disrespectful towards the sanctity of the Qur’an Shareef which is the Book and the words of Allah ﷻ. Verily, Allah ﷻ said in the Qur’an-ul-Kareem:
وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَأَنصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“When the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may attain mercy.” (7:204)
Therefore, you should avoid reciting Qurân Shareef in such a place where the sanctity of the Book of Allah ﷻ is violated and disrespected. However, it is permissible for you to listen to the recitation of the Qur’an with earphones in such a situation, provided that the earphones muffle the sound of the music and is not audible while listening to the Qurán Karim with the earphones.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
References
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَشۡتَرِي لَهۡوَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٖ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَاب مُّهِينٞ
“وَ اسْتَفْزِزْ مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنْهُمْ بِصَوْتِكَ وَ اَجْلِبْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِخَيْلِكَ وَ رَجِلِكَ وَ شَارِكْهُمْ فِي الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَوْلَادِ وَ عِدْهُمْ ط وَ مَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ اِلَّا غُرُوْرًا”
٥٥٩٠ – وَقَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ: حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَطِيَّةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الكِلَابِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَنْمٍ الأَشْعَرِيُّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَامِرٍ أَوْ أَبُو مَالِكٍ الْأَشْعَرِيُّ، وَاللَّهِ مَا كَذَبَنِي: سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ” لَيَكُونَنَّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ، يَسْتَحِلُّونَ الحِرَ وَالحَرِيرَ، وَالخَمْرَ وَالمَعَازِفَ، وَلَيَنْزِلَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ إِلَى جَنْبِ عَلَمٍ، يَرُوحُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسَارِحَةٍ لَهُمْ، يَأْتِيهِمْ – يَعْنِي الفَقِيرَ – لِحَاجَةٍ فَيَقُولُونَ: ارْجِعْ إِلَيْنَا غَدًا، فَيُبَيِّتُهُمُ اللَّهُ، وَيَضَعُ العَلَمَ، وَيَمْسَخُ آخَرِينَ قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ إِلَى يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ ” – صحيح البجاري
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ اَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ قَالَ : اِنَّ اللهَ حَرَّمَ الْخَمْرَ وَ الْمَيْسِرَ وَ الْكُوْبَةَ وَ كُلُّ مُسْكِرٍ حَرَامٌ – رواه أبو داود وأحمد وغيرُهما