Q: Is it permissible for a male to listen to a female singing?
A. Many Ahaadeeth condemn singing by women.
The following Hadeeth is recorded in Tirmidhi Shareef:
It is narrated by Sayyidina Imraan ibni Husayn (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “In this Ummah there will be earthquakes, disfiguration, and showers of stones.” A person from among the Muslims said: “O Rasulullah! When will this be”? He replied: “When singing girls and musical instruments will become rife, and (different types) of wines will be consumed.”
The following Hadeeth is recorded in Tirmidhi Shareef:
It is narrated by Sayyidina Imraan ibni Husayn (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “In this Ummah there will be earthquakes, disfiguration, and showers of stones.” A person from among the Muslims said: “O Rasulullah! When will this be”? He replied: “When singing girls and musical instruments will become rife, and (different types) of wines will be consumed.”
Many jurists are of the opinion that the voice of a female is ‘Aurah’, i.e. part of the female body that must be concealed. Therefore, even if a non-Mahram female is singing Nazams, it will not be permissible to listen to her.
The following is recorded in ‘Shaami’ V3 P255: The melodious voice of a female is ‘Aurah’.
She will not say the Talbiyah aloud (during Hajj), because her voice is ‘Aurah’.
She will not say the Talbiyah aloud (during Hajj), because her voice is ‘Aurah’.
If this is forbidden, listening to their singing is undoubtedly not allowed.
Moulana Yusuf Laher
Checked and approved by: Mufti Siraj Desai