← Back to Halalify

The Maliki Madhab on Music: From Al-Qurtubi to Ibn al-Arabi

By the Halalify Editorial Team, reviewed against primary sources · Last reviewed:

In brief: The Maliki school holds the widest documented range on music. Al-Qurtubi represents the restrictive tradition (duff at weddings only); Judge Ibn al-Arabi represents the permissive classical position — that no authentic hadith categorically prohibits singing, and instruments are allowed at celebrations with halal content. Both are valid Maliki positions rooted in different readings of the evidence. Compare the four madhabs → · All schools overview →

Of the four Sunni schools, the Maliki madhab preserves the most textually documented internal diversity on music — a spectrum stretching from firm restriction to carefully argued classical permission, rooted in distinct methodological commitments.

Imam Malik ibn Anas and the Al-Mudawwana Transmission

The starting point for any Maliki discussion of music is Imam Malik ibn Anas (d. 179 AH/795 CE) himself — and what makes the school's position genuinely complex is that even his own recorded statements admit more than one reading.

The primary classical source is Al-Mudawwana, the foundational Maliki legal compendium transmitted through Imam Malik's student Ibn al-Qasim (d. 191 AH). In that text, Malik expresses dislike for musical instruments at weddings, using the Arabic phrase la yujibuni — "it does not please me." That phrasing is legally significant: it is language of personal distaste, not categorical prohibition. Later in the same transmission, Ibn al-Qasim himself softened the position further, saying: "If it is something light like the duff that women play, I see no issue with it."

Ibn Rushd (Averroes, d. 595 AH/1198 CE), the great Maliki jurist and philosopher of Cordoba, returned to this phrasing in Bidayat al-Mujtahid and made an important legal distinction: Malik's word choice suggests tanzih (moral undesirability, a level below prohibition) rather than tahrim (outright prohibition). Under this reading, Malik considered the matter among acts whose omission is better — particularly for scholars maintaining public decorum — but not among acts that are genuinely sinful for the general Muslim population. Ibn Rushd thus placed instrumental music in the category of mubah (permissible) from which restraint is preferable, not in the category of haram.

There is also a biographical note, recorded in classical biographical literature, that Malik studied music as a youth before devoting himself fully to the religious sciences. While biographical anecdotes do not constitute legal ruling, scholars in the permissive tradition have cited this as evidence that Malik did not view music as inherently corrupting in the way that, say, wine is.

The Restrictive Current: Al-Qurtubi and Tafsir 14/51-56

Within the Maliki school the most frequently cited voice for restriction is Abu Abdallah al-Qurtubi (d. 671 AH/1272 CE), the Andalusian exegete whose al-Jami li Ahkam al-Quran remains one of the most consulted Quranic commentaries in the Sunni tradition. His treatment of music appears across several passages, most notably at volumes 14/51-56.

Al-Qurtubi's position is that singing and musical instruments are generally prohibited, grounding his argument in the Quranic verse Luqman 31:6 ("those who purchase idle talk to mislead from the path of Allah") and in the hadith literature he regards as sufficiently reliable. He acknowledges exceptions, but frames them narrowly:

Everything beyond these narrow contexts — string instruments, wind instruments, elaborately accompanied entertainment music — al-Qurtubi treats as falling under the general prohibition he derives from the classical sources. He represents the conservative pole within the Maliki spectrum, and his Tafsir is the text most cited by contemporary Maliki scholars who follow the restrictive interpretation.

It is important to note that even within this restrictive current, al-Qurtubi's position is not identical to the Hanafi or Hanbali position. He acknowledges the exceptions above and does not frame music as the "spiritual intoxicant" language found in later Hanbali writing. The Maliki restrictive view retains contextual nuance that the other strict schools largely do not.

The Permissive Classical Current: Judge Ibn al-Arabi

The most important classical voice for the Maliki permissive tradition is Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi (d. 543 AH/1148 CE) — not to be confused with the later Sufi metaphysician Ibn Arabi (d. 1240 CE). Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi was the Chief Judge (qadi) of Seville, a senior Maliki jurist, and a student of al-Ghazali during his time in Baghdad. His legal commentary Ahkam al-Quran (Vol. 3/1494; also cited as Vol. 2 p. 782 in some editions) contains his most direct statement on music:

"None of the hadiths maintaining that singing is prohibited are considered authentic. No sound hadith is available concerning the prohibition of singing."

This is a hadith-critical argument, not merely a contextual one. Ibn al-Arabi examined the chains of transmission (isnad) of the main prohibition narrations and found them wanting. He did not deny that prohibition narrations exist; he denied that any of them meet the standard of sahih (sound) authenticity that would be required to override the default permissibility of actions in Islamic law.

His argument on instruments was similarly grounded in legal principle rather than mere cultural tolerance:

"It is just as permissible to use a drum as it is allowed to use a tambourine to celebrate weddings; similarly all other instruments used to announce and celebrate weddings are allowed, as long as the singers do not use offensive lyrics."

Ibn al-Arabi also interpreted Quranic verses about the "embellishments of God" (zinat Allah) as encompassing music, arguing that beauty of sound is among the legitimate pleasures God has created, and that prohibition requires unambiguous textual evidence — evidence he considered absent.

Other classical Maliki voices in the permissive tradition include Al-Fakihani, who described women of Medina playing the tambourine and similar instruments at Eid and weddings "without there being any dispute about its permissibility," and al-Wazzani, who described the permissibility of music as "the apparent school position" — though this claim overstates the case given al-Qurtubi's documented opposition.

Calibration note: Ibn al-Arabi's permissive reading, while classical and textually serious, represents a minority position within the Maliki school as it has been practiced and taught, particularly in North Africa and traditional Maliki centers. It is not the dominant fatwa-issuing position today, even among Maliki institutions.

Ibn Rushd's Tanzih-vs-Tahrim Reading

Ibn Rushd occupies a mediating position between the two poles described above. His contribution in Bidayat al-Mujtahid — a work structured specifically to map the ikhtilaf (scholarly disagreement) within Islamic law — is to show that the founding statements of the school do not definitively establish tahrim (prohibition) but rather tanzih (moral undesirability short of prohibition).

This distinction matters practically. Under tahrim, engaging in the act constitutes a sin; a person who persists incurs moral accountability before God. Under tanzih, the act is discouraged and omitting it is better, but engaging in it does not make one sinful in the formal legal sense. Ibn Rushd placed much of Malik's recorded dislike for instruments in this second, weaker category.

Ibn Rushd also did something rare in the classical literature: he explicitly mapped the internal disagreement within the school rather than papering over it. He acknowledged that some Maliki scholars permitted instruments at celebrations for announcement purposes, that others restricted more tightly, and that the founding texts support both readings. This methodological honesty about ikhtilaf is itself characteristic of Maliki legal culture, which has historically been more comfortable than some schools with acknowledging that multiple positions within the school carry scholarly weight.

For contemporary Muslims using Ibn Rushd's framework, the practical upshot is that music at genuine celebrations — weddings, Eid, births — using instruments in a context of joyful announcement rather than entertainment falls into the tanzih zone: better to restrain for the scholar maintaining public example, not sinful for the ordinary person who participates.

'Amal Ahl al-Madina: The Methodological Foundation of the Permissive View

The Maliki permissive tradition rests on a methodological principle largely unique to this school: 'amal ahl al-Madina — the continuous practice of the people of Medina. For Imam Malik, the lived practice of the Muslim community in the Prophet's own city, transmitted across generations without interruption, constituted a form of legal evidence that could outweigh isolated hadith reports.

The application to music is direct: if musical celebration at weddings, Eid, and public festivities was practiced openly in Medina through the first Islamic generations — which the classical sources suggest it was — without any authoritative prohibition by the Companions or Successors, then that practice is evidence of permissibility. Silence in the face of widespread practice, under this methodology, is consent.

This argument also informs the school's approach to hadith critique. The permissive Maliki scholars do not simply dismiss prohibition narrations; they subject them to the same scrutiny they apply to all hadith evidence. Their conclusion — shared by Ibn al-Arabi, Ibn Hazm (Zahiri, not Maliki but frequently cited in this debate), and al-Shawkani (Yemeni) — is that none of the main prohibition narrations attain the level of authenticity required to override the default permissibility that applies to all actions absent definitive textual evidence of prohibition.

The restrictive Maliki position inverts this methodology through the principle of sadd al-dhara'i — blocking the means to harm. Even if music is not inherently prohibited, the argument runs, it commonly leads to prohibited outcomes: mixed gatherings, alcohol, arousal of illicit desires. The door should be closed as a precaution. Al-Qurtubi's approach leans toward this precautionary principle, which is why his position, despite being within the same school, reaches conclusions closer to the Hanafi and Hanbali mainstream.

Contemporary Maliki Voices: Bin Bayyah and the Al-Azhar Fatwa

The internal Maliki diversity documented in classical texts has not disappeared from contemporary scholarship.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, the Mauritanian-born scholar and former vice-president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, represents a moderate contemporary Maliki position. He has acknowledged openly that the question of music is among the most contested in Islamic jurisprudence, stating: "There is great controversy among scholars." His practical guidance: to be on the safer side, prefer non-string and non-wind instruments — drums, tambourine, other percussion — while acknowledging that scholars who permit more cannot simply be condemned. On the use of musical accompaniment in nasheeds by artists such as Sami Yusuf, he stated: "I cannot disapprove of his use of music in chants unless there are evident considerations that entail prohibition." This is a characteristically Maliki response: declining to condemn what falls within a documented range of legitimate scholarly disagreement.

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the oldest continuously operating university in the Islamic world and an institution whose legal methodology is substantially Maliki-influenced, issued a significant fatwa through Grand Mufti Sheikh Jad al-Haq Ali Jad al-Haq in the 1980s. The ruling stated that listening to music, attending musical gatherings, and studying music of all genres and instruments is permitted, provided it is not accompanied by immoral or sinful acts. The theological basis given was the principle of original permissibility — that all things are permissible until unambiguous Sharia evidence establishes otherwise — and the recorded practice of the people of Medina.

A former Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mahmud Shaltut, described music as a natural human instinct that Islamic law regulates rather than suppresses, arguing that music is not haram in itself, only when associated with vices.

Critical framing required: The Al-Azhar fatwa represents one contemporary scholarly opinion within a Maliki-influenced Egyptian institutional context. It is not a universal Maliki ruling, and it is not binding on Muslims who follow other Maliki scholars or other schools. Many Maliki scholars globally — particularly in Morocco, Mauritania, West Africa, and traditional Maliki academic centers — maintain the restrictive classical position following al-Qurtubi. Applications and educational resources must present the Al-Azhar position as "Contemporary Maliki Permissive View (Al-Azhar & related scholars)" rather than "The Maliki Position."

What the Two Currents Agree On

Despite the documented disagreement, the restrictive and permissive currents within the Maliki school share significant common ground. Understanding these points of agreement is as important as understanding the disagreements.

Content is always primary. Every Maliki scholar — al-Qurtubi, Ibn al-Arabi, Ibn Rushd, bin Bayyah, Al-Azhar — agrees that music with prohibited lyrical content is prohibited. Lyrics that glorify fornication, mock religion, describe the private beauty of non-married persons in a lustful way, promote alcohol, or contain slander are unanimously condemned. The permissive view does not open a door to haram content; it only concerns the permissibility of instruments and musical forms in appropriate contexts.

Context shapes the ruling. Both currents distinguish between music at genuine celebrations (weddings, Eid, births) and music at drinking parties or gatherings involving prohibited mixing. Al-Qurtubi makes explicit exceptions for celebration contexts. Ibn al-Arabi grounds his permissive view specifically in announcement and celebration rather than entertainment for its own sake. The Maliki school as a whole treats context as legally operative.

Music must not displace religious obligations. All Maliki positions agree that music which causes a person to miss obligatory prayers, neglect religious duties, or become heedless of God is prohibited by that effect, regardless of the content of the music itself.

Moderation matters. Even the permissive scholars do not endorse unlimited or habitual music consumption. The Maliki tradition, following its emphasis on masalih (public interests) and avoiding harm, treats excess as legally problematic independent of the question of instruments.

Practical Guidance for Maliki-Following Muslims

Given the documented spectrum, a Muslim following the Maliki madhab faces a genuine choice among positions that are each grounded in classical scholarship. The following framework, based directly on the source material, may help:

If following the restrictive position (al-Qurtubi tradition):

If following the moderate position (Ibn Rushd tradition):

If following the permissive position (Ibn al-Arabi & Al-Azhar tradition):

Across all three tiers, personal consultation with a qualified scholar who knows your specific circumstances remains the appropriate channel for individual religious decisions. Educational tools and apps can map the scholarly landscape; they cannot replace a scholar's judgment about your particular situation.

Sources

Educational disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute a fatwa or binding religious ruling. The Maliki madhab contains documented positions across a spectrum, and the appropriate ruling for your individual circumstances depends on your personal situation, the scholar you follow, and factors that an educational article cannot assess. Please consult a qualified scholar for personal religious guidance.

The other Sunni schools

Compare with the other madhabs, or read the full overview:

Check a specific song

Halalify analyzes any song against each of these schools and returns a per-school verdict with the reasoning behind it.

Analyze a song now →

Frequently asked questions

What did Imam Malik himself say about music?

Through the Al-Mudawwana transmission by his student Ibn al-Qasim, Imam Malik expressed personal distaste for musical instruments using the phrase 'it does not please me' — language that Ibn Rushd interprets as tanzih (moral undesirability) rather than tahrim (prohibition). Ibn al-Qasim himself later softened this, saying light instruments like the duff played by women at weddings presented no problem. Malik's position is therefore not a clear categorical ban but a more nuanced expression of personal and scholarly preference.

Is the Maliki school really more permissive on music than other schools?

It is more accurate to say the Maliki school has the most documented internal diversity. The restrictive Maliki position, following al-Qurtubi, is similar in practical outcome to the mainstream Hanafi or Shafi'i position. The permissive Maliki position, following Ibn al-Arabi and contemporary Al-Azhar scholarship, is more accommodating than any mainstream position in the other schools. The school contains both, which is why characterizing 'the Maliki position' as simply permissive or simply restrictive misrepresents it.

What was Ibn al-Arabi's argument for permitting music?

Judge Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi (d. 1148 CE) argued that none of the hadith narrations used to prohibit singing and music meet the standard of sound (sahih) authenticity required to override the default Islamic legal principle that all acts are permissible unless definitively prohibited. He also held that the recorded practice of people in Medina using instruments at celebrations constituted evidence of permissibility. His position appears in Ahkam al-Quran (Vol. 3/1494).

What is 'amal ahl al-Madina and why does it matter for music?

'Amal ahl al-Madina — the continuous practice of the people of Medina — is a distinctive Maliki source of legal evidence. For Imam Malik, the uninterrupted communal practice of the Prophet's own city, transmitted across generations, carried evidential weight that could outweigh isolated hadith reports. Maliki scholars who permit music at celebrations argue that such music was practiced openly in early Medina without Companion prohibition, making that practice itself evidence of permissibility.

Does the Al-Azhar fatwa mean music is halal for all Muslims?

No. The Al-Azhar fatwa permitting music under conditions of clean content and appropriate context represents one contemporary scholarly opinion within a Maliki-influenced Egyptian institutional framework. It is not binding on Muslims who follow other madhabs, and it does not represent the position of all Maliki scholars — many Maliki scholars in North Africa, Mauritania, and West Africa maintain the restrictive classical position. It is one documented opinion within a legitimate scholarly debate, not a universal ruling.

What do all Maliki scholars agree is prohibited?

Across the restrictive and permissive currents, all Maliki scholars agree that: music with haram lyrical content is prohibited (lyrics glorifying fornication, mocking religion, promoting alcohol, containing slander); music that causes a person to miss obligatory prayers or neglect religious duties is prohibited by that effect; and music in contexts involving prohibited activities such as alcohol consumption or improper gender mixing is prohibited by association with those activities.

How does Ibn Rushd's tanzih-vs-tahrim distinction work in practice?

Ibn Rushd distinguished between tahrim (prohibition that makes an act sinful) and tanzih (moral undesirability where omission is better but commission is not sinful). He placed much of Imam Malik's recorded dislike for instruments in the tanzih category. Practically: under tanzih, a scholar might personally avoid instruments to maintain public example, but would not condemn an ordinary Muslim who plays music at a wedding celebration as having committed a sin.

Where can I learn more about the rulings across all four Sunni schools?

See our overview at /sunni-music-rulings for a comparative summary across the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali schools, or visit /is-music-halal for an introduction to the key questions and how different scholarly traditions approach them.

Halalify Music is an educational tool, not a fatwa service. It summarizes documented scholarly positions and is not a substitute for consulting a qualified Islamic scholar for a personal ruling.