Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra
Question
I create English teaching videos that I add classical music to in the background so as not to make them too boring. I also want to create motivational videos and I notice that music adds to the power of the content. Am I allowed to use background music over videos? I don’t want to get the sin of whoever watches my videos.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
May Allah Most High reward you for your conscientiousness. The issue of instrumental music is one in which there is a dominant majority position of impermissibility and a minority exceptional position of permissibility with conditions. Namely, that the subject matter is wholesome and uplifting, and not leading towards or associated with sin. [Ibn Abidin, Radd al Muhtar; Haytami, Kaff al-Ra‘a‘)
At the same time, it is plain to see that modern standards of videos and presentations demand some type of background musical score to make them marketable and attractive in mainstream society. While some people may be able to stay within the acapella-only or percussion-based songs, this may not work in every field or to every audience, especially due to cultural relevance.
I would suggest you try to do what you can to stay within the majority opinion if you can, but if you cannot, then there are other minority opinions that can be acted upon for the sake of a background score to a video.
Please read the previous answers below to help you make a decision about your situation:
Is it Permissible to Have Music in the Background of an Advertisement? – SeekersGuidance
What Is the Shafi’i Ruling on Listening to Music and Singing? (seekersguidance.org)
Listening to Islamic Songs with Musical Instruments – SeekersGuidance
Is Listening To Music Haram? – SeekersGuidance
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.