Is it alright for Muslims to sing songs of love to Allah? Is it halal?
I know that singing is not a traditional part of Islamic worship. Last weekend, I had the privilege of going with a group of Christians to sing Christmas carols in a predominately Muslim neighborhood. Almost all the families were very friendly and welcoming to us as we sang outside their homes and businesses (some would invite us in – I love Arab hospitality!). But I remember the response of one Muslim man quite clearly. He said while smoking his hookah, “You can’t sing here. Singing like that is against my religion.”
Singing songs of adoration, affection, and worship to God has always been part of most Judeo-Christian worship traditions. It goes back all the way to the time of the prophet Musa (Moses in the Tawrat, Exodus 15:1-2):
“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
‘I will sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.'”
King Dawud (David) loved to sing to God:
Zabur, Psalm 51:14 –
“my tongue will sing of your righteousness.”
Zabur, Psalm 59:16,17 –
“But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.”
Finally, in the first century, Jesus and his followers sang to the Lord and encouraged us to do the same:
Injeel, Matthew 26:30 – “When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
Ephesians 5:19,20 – “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God. . .”
Colossians 3:16 – “. . .sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. “
Below are examples of songs I like to sing to God and to Jesus for all they have done for me. I cannot thank them enough for rescuing me and singing songs of love is one way to express that appreciation, affection, and adoration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jYLTn4fKYQ
Is it halal for Muslims to sing songs of love to Allah?
For me as a follower of Jesus, it is not only permissible, it is glorious.
Allah is not the God we serve (Jehovah God).
In the Dome of the Rock these words are inscribed on the ceiling. ” Allah is one god and he has no son.”
Respectfully submitted.
Ada, thanks for your comment. It is appreciated.
Ada, are you aware that Arab people who are Christians call God “Allah”? They have for centuries. It is simply an Arabic word for God. Now I know that Muslims and Christians see “Allah” or “God” differently in some significant ways including whether God has a son. My point in this blog post, however, is to see how Muslims view singing as part of worship. Is it permissible or not? If not, why not?
Thanks again and God bless you!
Don’t be a moron. Allah is just a regional word for “God”. When I was a kid, (pre 9-11) and still going to church, we sang songs that referred to God as Allah, Yahweh, God, The Father, Abba, Jehovah, and no doubt other named that I have long forgotten. That all somehow derived from the original name for “God” as given to Moses, which when written in English translates to “YWHY”. It was not until the last decade that Western Self-Righteous Christians stopped using “Allah” as an acceptable term for “God”. It’s an attempt to put more distance between Islam and Christianity, just as the increased use of “Yahweh” is a sad attempt at creating the illusion of solidarity between Christians and Jews. You should know that Christianity had no more in common with Judaism than it does Islam. Jews think Christians are a whacky lot of heretics that believe in a false messiah, much like most Christians view Muslims. You all worship the same god and need to pull your heads out of your asses before you destroy the Earth in warfare over minute differences in ideology that the rest of the world doesn’t care about.
Nick,
Thanks for your response. By the way, how did you find my website?
I am fully aware that “Allah” is the Arabic word for “God.” Arab Christians used the word “Allah” long before Islam began and still use the word in the Middle East today.
I think you have me pegged wrong. I truly love Muslims and I am trying to build bridges and tear down walls between Muslims and Christians, all the while sharing what the Bible says about Jesus and how we can have eternal life.
God bless you Nick and I hope you have – or will – experience the love of Jesus for you through His cross.
Mark
In respect to the use of the word “Allah” for God, or is in correct to directly translate it as simply “God”. In English God can refer to a divine entity in a multitude of religions and faith systems- monotheistic, polytheistic, etc. However, in Arabic, the world Allah only refers to, in its most technical terms, a single God that has no plurality. This is why “Allah” cannot be written in pural form in Arabic language. It can only be written in singular. Allah is a term in used when referring to the Judeo God (God of Jews, Christians, and Muslims; some also include the include Zoroastrians). When referring to gods of other religions (especially ones with many gods, or Pagan roots) the term used is “ilah”. You can use “ilah” to refer to Egyptian gods, Hindu gods, etc. “Allah” is explicitly used for the Judeo religions.
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With regards to singing hymns- singing, while isn’t a tenant of ritual worship in Islam, is an acceptable form of worship in many schools of though. However, most schools do not accept the use of instruments and thus only choir would be permitted (use of the voice only); other schools allow the drum to be included in music making.
There are also limits to who and when singing can be performed. Men are permitted to sing freely. In case with women, a woman’s voice is considered, my most schools, an extension of her awrah (her sexuality). And like her breasts, butt, vagina (and most times hair) are to be covered, a woman’s voice has limits. Women, in most schools of thought, cannot sing in the company of non-mahrams (mahrams are men that a woman cannot marry or have children with- Father, brother, close blood relatives). The use of the voice around males can be seducing and arouse lust, which Muslims are not supposed to do to one another.
As a convert who loves music, I do find myself singing songs of praise from Muslim faith, Jewish faith, and even sometimes Christian faith (there are many songs that exist that don’t conflict with the doctrine of Islam on areas of theology)
Hope this helps.
If any citations are requested then I will be sure to follow up as soon as possible with curable sources.
Blessings to everyone!!! God bless you all!
Love,
Eileen
Mark, what is the conclusion?
Scott,
I think I shared what I believe: yes, it is not just permissible, it is glorious to sing to God! And. . .it is commanded by Him.
I am so glad that what God commands us to do does not just bring honor to Him, it is also what is best for us. It brings us the most freedom, peace, and joy!