Is Music Haram? or Halal?

Music is haram and the vast majority of earlier Muslim scholars including all great four Imams are agreed with that. But there are few scholars are disagree with it and said music is halal according to few Al-hadith.

Big confusion: Is Music Haram or Halal?

Is Music Haram?

From Quran

Allah says:

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. [31:6]

amusement of speech has been referenced as the following by the following people:

• Ibn Abbas PBUH: Singing
• Mogahed: Drums
• Alhassan Albasri: Singing and Flutes
• Ibn Masood: Singing
• Abi Omar PBUH: Singing

Allah also says:

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. [17:64]

Same source as above, Moghaed claims that your voice references Singing and falsehood.

From Sunnah

The prophet says:

وَقَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَطِيَّةُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الْكِلاَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَنْمٍ الأَشْعَرِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عَامِرٍ ـ أَوْ أَبُو مَالِكٍ ـ الأَشْعَرِيُّ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَذَبَنِي سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ لَيَكُونَنَّ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ يَسْتَحِلُّونَ الْحِرَ وَالْحَرِيرَ وَالْخَمْرَ وَالْمَعَازِفَ، وَلَيَنْزِلَنَّ أَقْوَامٌ إِلَى جَنْبِ عَلَمٍ يَرُوحُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِسَارِحَةٍ لَهُمْ، يَأْتِيهِمْ ـ يَعْنِي الْفَقِيرَ ـ لِحَاجَةٍ فَيَقُولُوا ارْجِعْ إِلَيْنَا غَدًا‏.‏ فَيُبَيِّتُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَضَعُ الْعَلَمَ، وَيَمْسَخُ آخَرِينَ قِرَدَةً وَخَنَازِيرَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏‏.‏

that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "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, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, 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 till the Day of Resurrection."

A small mention that the hadith was also narrated from another source missing the Musical instrument part.

The prophet also mentions that the selling of singers in 2 hadiths, both are weak:

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ مُضَرَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَحْرٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَهُوَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ مَوْلَى عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تَبِيعُوا الْقَيْنَاتِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُوهُنَّ وَلاَ تُعَلِّمُوهُنَّ وَلاَ خَيْرَ فِي تِجَارَةٍ فِيهِنَّ وَثَمَنُهُنَّ حَرَامٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فِي مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ ‏:‏ ‏(‏ومِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ‏)‏ إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ إِنَّمَا يُرْوَى مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ ‏.‏ وَالْقَاسِمُ ثِقَةٌ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ يَزِيدَ يُضَعَّفُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَقُولُ الْقَاسِمُ ثِقَةٌ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ يَزِيدَ يُضَعَّفُ ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Umamah: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Do not sell the female singers, nor purchase them, nor teach them (to sing). And there is no good in trade in them, and their prices are unlawful. It was about the likes of this that this Ayah was revealed: 'And among mankind is he who purchases idle talk to divert from the way of Allah (31:6).'"

Is Music Halal?

From the Quran

Unfortunately, there is no proof from the explicitly allows Music. However, those claim it is Halal does not go to extreme interruption of amusement of speech and your voice that was claimed above.

From the Sunnah

It was mentioned in several hadiths that:

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا وَعِنْدَهَا جَارِيَتَانِ فِي أَيَّامِ مِنًى تُدَفِّفَانِ وَتَضْرِبَانِ، وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُتَغَشٍّ بِثَوْبِهِ، فَانْتَهَرَهُمَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَكَشَفَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ وَجْهِهِ، فَقَالَ ‏"‏ دَعْهُمَا يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَإِنَّهَا أَيَّامُ عِيدٍ، وَتِلْكَ الأَيَّامُ أَيَّامُ مِنًى ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتُرُنِي، وَأَنَا أَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْحَبَشَةِ، وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَزَجَرَهُمْ ‏{‏عُمَرُ‏}‏ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ دَعْهُمْ أَمْنًا بَنِي أَرْفَدَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏ يَعْنِي مِنَ الأَمْنِ‏.‏

That during the Mina days, Abu Bakr came to her, while there where two girls with her, beating drums, and the Prophet (ﷺ) was (lying) covering himself with his garment. Abu Bakr rebuked the two girls, but the Prophet (ﷺ) uncovered his face and said, "O Abu Bakr! Leave them, for these are the days of Id (festival)." Those days were the days of Mina-. `Aisha added, "I was being screened by the Prophet (ﷺ) while I was watching the Ethiopians playing in the Mosque. `Umar rebuked them, but the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Leave them, O Bani Arfida! Play. (for) you are safe."

In this hadith, we are clear few things:
1. Prophet (ﷺ) did not attended with them and enjoyed, but was (lying) covering himself.
2. He also did not protest of what Abu Bakr RA said "this musical instrument of the devil in the house of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)". 
3. It was Eid day. 
4. They were beating drums.

Also, another Sahih hadith mentioned the two young girls were beating the tambourine. So Let us See what is tambourine?

Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all. Tambourines are often used with regular percussion sets. They can be mounted, for example on a stand as part of a drum kit (and played with drum sticks), or they can be held in the hands and played by tapping or hitting the instrument.

- Wikipedia link

Some dafs are equipped with small cymbals, making them analogous to a large tambourine.
- Wikipedia link

And the Daf is allowed in Islam. So it means, they were singing song with Tambourine/Daf on Eid day and our Prophet (ﷺ) & Abu Bakr RA were not enjoying.

We are still in confusion!

Solution:

1. All great four Imams, their followers and the vast majority of earlier Muslim scholars are of the view that musical instruments are Haram, to such an extent that it was narrated that there was consensus on this issue. Read more details at here.

2. If we agree that "Music is Halal" to think a logic ourselves. But it is clear that it is not benefiting us at the Judgement Day.

3. If we agree that "Music is Haram", then we will be far from it and it may save us from Jahannam at Judgement day.


I think some videoes can help to clear your confusion:
1. How can music be haram when Sufis use it to get closer to Allah? - Q&A - Said Rageah, Yusha & Yusuf

2. Music in Islam ( Halal or Haram ) by Top 7 Preachers of Islam. Answered by Nouman Ali Khan, Zakir Naik, Khaild Yasin, Abdur Raheem Green, Yasir Qadhi, Kamal el-Mekki, Abu Mussab Wajdi Akkari.

3. Shaitan's Azan "Music" by Dr. Bilal Philips

4. Is Music allowed in Islam? - Dr. Muhammad Salah

5. Music is Haram in Islam - Assim Al Hakeem