[Q 704] Qawwali, Ala Hazrat & Chishti Silsila

Question

Ala hazrats prohibition of qawwali had the basis of instruments being associated with sin, whereas the chishti viewpoint is that qawwali is sama’ and a spiritual tool when done right.
in this sense can someone follow the teachings of Ala hazrats and also be a chisti in silsila

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الجواب بعون الملك الوهاب اللهم هداية الحق والصواب

Answer

It is reported that some Shuyukh of Chisht listened to qawwali, but that qawwali was free from musical instruments (mazameer) and fulfilled all the conditions of sama‘ (spiritual listening). Whereas, in today’s era, there is hardly any place where qawwali is in accordance with the Shariah. The qawwali gatherings held among us are never without musical instruments, sinful qawwals, ignorant listeners, and obscene dancing and swaying. Therefore, attributing such qawwalis to the Shuyukh of Chisht to justify them is, in reality, a devilish ploy. Remember that to say about those pious predecessors that they listened with musical instruments, like in the present time, is an absolute slander. Consider for yourself: how could those Shuyukh, who themselves explicitly declared musical instruments haram and clearly stated the conditions of sama‘ in their books, excluding musical instruments from those conditions, then listen to such qawwalis that include musical instruments? Therefore, the qawwali they listened to was strictly in accordance with the pure Shariah and free from all types of musical instruments.

And Ala Hadrat رحمه الله also declared listening to such qawwali haram, which contains musical instruments and un-Shari’i poetry. Therefore, a person can also be a Chishti while acting upon the teachings of Ala Hadrat.

Regarding the condemnation of amusement, play, and musical instruments, it is stated in the Holy Qur’an:

وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ یَّشْتَرِیْ لَهْوَ الْحَدِیْثِ لِیُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰهِ بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ ﳓ وَّ یَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا- اُولٰٓىٕكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِیْنٌ

Translation Kanz-ul-Irfan: “And among people there are those who purchase words of amusement ˹so˺ that they may divert from the way of Allah without knowledge; and take it in mockery. There is humiliating punishment for them.”

(Surah Luqman, P 21, 31:6)

Under this verse, it is stated in Tafsir Sirat-ul-Jinan: “Regarding ‘Lahw-ul-Hadith’ in this verse, one opinion of distinguished exegetes is that it refers to singing and musical instruments.”

(Sirat-ul-Jinan, vol. 7, p. 475, published by Maktabat-ul-Madinah, Karachi)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated:

“لیکونن فی امتی اقوام یستحلون الحرو الحریر و الخمر و المعازف۔”

Translation: “There will certainly be people among my Ummah who will consider unlawful sexual intercourse, silk, intoxicants, and musical instruments to be lawful.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 7, p. 106, published by Dar Tawq al-Najah, Beirut)

It is stated in Kashf al-Qina’ ‘an Hukm al-Wajd wa al-Sama’:

“اما المزامیر۔ ۔ ۔ فلا یختلف فی تحریم سماعہ ،ولم اسمع عن احد ممن یعتبر قولہ من السلف و ائمۃ الخلف من یبیح ذلک و کیف لا یحرم سماع ذلک و ھو شعار اھل الخمور و الفسوق و مھیج للشھوات و الفساد و الجنون؟ و ماکان کذلک لم یشک فی تحریمہ و لا تفسیق فاعلہ و تاثیمہ. . . عن نافع قال: سمع ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنہ مزمارا فوضع اصبعیہ فی اذنیہ و نأی عن الطریق، و قال یا نافع! ھل تسمع شیئاً؟ قال فقلت: لا، قال فرفع اصبعیہ عن اذنیہ وقال کنت مع رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم ، فسمع مثل ھذا ،فصنع مثل ھذا”

Translation: “And as for musical instruments… there is no disagreement regarding the unlawfulness of listening to them. I have not heard of anyone whose opinion is considered among the Salaf or the Imams of the Khalaf who permits it. And how can listening to these things not be unlawful, when it is the symbol of wine-drinkers and transgressors, and an inciter of desires, corruption, and madness? There is no doubt about the unlawfulness of such a thing, nor about declaring its doer a fasiq (sinner) and deeming him sinful. And from Nafi’ who said: Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما heard the sound of a wind instrument, so he put his fingers in his ears and moved away from the road, and said, ‘O Nafi’! Do you still hear anything?’ Nafi’ said, ‘No.’ Then he removed his fingers from his ears and said, ‘I was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he heard something similar, so he did the same.'”

(Kashf al-Qina’ ‘an Hukm al-Wajd wa al-Sama’, p. 72, published by Dar al-Sahabah li al-Turath)

Attributing sama‘ with musical instruments to the Shuyukh of Chisht is, Allah forbid, a pure slander. Therefore, the Imam of Ahl-e-Sunnat, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رحمه الله (passed away: 1340 AH / 1921 CE) writes: “Mawlana Fakhruddin Zarrawi, the Caliph of Hadrat Sayyiduna Mahboob-e-Ilahi رضي الله عنهما, wrote a treatise on the issue of sama‘, ‘Kashf al-Qina’ ‘an Usul al-Sama’,’ during the blessed era of Hadrat’s presence, by his explicit command. In it, it is clearly stated:

‘اماسماع مشائخنا رضی ﷲ تعالیٰ عنھم فبریئ عن ھذہ التھمۃ و ھو مجرد صوت القوال مع الاشعار المشعرۃ من کمال صنعۃ اللہ تعالیٰ۔’

Translation: ‘The sama‘ of our venerable Shuyukh رضي الله تعالى عنهم is free from this slander of musical instruments; it is merely the voice of the qawwal along with poetry that speaks of the perfection of Allah’s craftsmanship.’ (End of translation. The Imam of Ahl-e-Sunnat رحمه الله then, inviting justice, writes further): Allah! Will the statement of this great Imam of the noble Chishti family be accepted, or the baseless and openly corrupt accusation of today’s ignorant claimants? And there is no might or power except with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.”

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol. 24, p. 116, published by Raza Foundation, Lahore)

Similarly, in Fatawa Bahr-ul-Uloom, Mufti Abdul Mannan Azmi رحمه الله states: “The prevalent qawwali that includes musical instruments is neither permissible in the Shariah nor proven from the Shuyukh of Chisht.”

(Fatawa Bahr-ul-Uloom, vol. 5, p. 583, Shabbir Brothers, Lahore)

Answered by: Tabaruk Madani (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 14th August 2026