The following is an excerpt from the TROID Publication “How to Protect Yourself from Shayṭān”:

17. Ridding your house (if you can) of any type of bells

Abū Hurayrah reported Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) as saying: “The bell is the musical instrument of Shayṭān.”¹

If this is the case – the bell is the musical instrument of Iblīs – then how could it be that a Muslim claiming to fear Allāh, has reverberating in their cars or pounding in their homes; jazz, rhythm and blues, pop, hip-hop, gangster rap tunes or the like? Much worse than that, is the musical tune coming from the mobile/cell phones in the houses of Allāh, especially during the times of ṣalāh!

Shaykh al Islām Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said in his book ‘Madārij al-Sālikīn’ (1/485) said: “How astonishing! That is, what type of faith, light, insight, guidance and knowledge can be gained from listening to tuneful verse and music in which most of what is said is prohibited and warrants that Allāh be angry with and would warrant the punishment of Allāh and His Messenger?”

He also said in his book ‘Ighāthat al-Lahfān’ (1/258-259) “Singing [and music] is worse and more harmful than stories of emperors, because it directs [one] to adultery and fornication and it is the fountainhead of hypocrisy. It is the snare of the Shayṭān, and it intoxicates the intellect. Its obstructing (people) from the Qurʾān is worse than any way in which other types of phony speech blocks them, because the souls of people lean towards [sounds like this] and have the desire to listen to it”.

How can anyone who has the slightest amount of baṣīrah (keen insight) and life in his heart attempt to draw near to Allāh and increase his faith by enjoying something which is hated by Him, and He loathes the one who says it and the one who accepts it?

Endnotes:

[1] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim vol.3; ḥadīth #5279.