Is it permissible to play the dombra?

Music is one of the most debated topics among scholars. This is because the reports that declare music to be clearly haram are not authentic, and the authentic hadiths on this subject do not explicitly state that it is haram [1].

There are hadiths showing that the Prophet (ﷺ) listened to songs accompanied by the duff, and that he approved of Hassan (ra) praising and defending him through poetry. These and other examples indicate that songs and music which promote the religion, patriotism, faith, unity, and good character are permitted. A number of Companions [2], Tabi‘in [3], and several scholars [4] have also allowed this.

Imam ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi al-Hanafi said: “Musical instruments, in themselves and the sounds they produce, are not haram. The singing of birds is also a melody, and scholars unanimously agree that it is not haram. If music is mixed with frivolity or haram things, then it becomes prohibited.” [5]

Therefore, songs and music that promote the religion, patriotism, faith, unity, and good character are permitted. If music leads to immorality, corruption, evil, or other actions prohibited by Sharia, then it is forbidden.

For centuries, the Kazakh people, who have followed Islam, have used their national instrument, the dombra, to sing songs and recite poetry that call listeners to faith, virtue, good character, defending the homeland, and honoring parents. Therefore, it is permissible to play the dombra.

Department of Sharia and Fatwa, SAMK

• [1] Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki, “Ahkam al-Qur’an”, 3/1494.

• [2] ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, Hassan ibn Thabit, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Bilal, etc.

• [3] Kharija ibn Zayd, Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Ata ibn Abi Rabah and many jurists of Madinah, as well as Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm, Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi, ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi, etc.

• [4] Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi al-Shafi‘i (d. 429 AH), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Qurtubi al-Maliki (d. 463 AH), Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghani ibn Isma‘il al-Nabulusi al-Hanafi (d. 1143 AH), Abu al-Fadl Ja‘far ibn Sa‘lab al-Shafi‘i al-Adfawi (d. 748 AH), Hafiz Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi al-Shafi‘i (d. 748 AH), ‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam al-Shafi‘i (d. 660 AH), Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki (d. 543 AH), Abu Hamid al-Ghazali al-Shafi‘i (d. 555 AH), Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (d. 456 AH), Imam Muhammad Tahir al-Maqdisi (d. 507 AH).

• Contemporary scholars: Muhammad al-Ghazali, ‘Abd al-Sattar Abu Ghuddah, Mahmud Shaltut, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, etc.

• [5] “Idah al-Dalalah fi Sama‘ al-Alat”, p. 20.