Top English Nasheed Artists
What are Nasheeds?
Nasheeds are Islamic songs which are supposed to be sung without musical instruments, but it has becomes very common in this day and age for most Nasheeds to contain a musical element, some cannot be called Nasheeds anymore, but simple music. Islam has clearly prohibited music in the Quran and Hadith.
Nasheeds are popular throughout the Islamic world. The material and lyrics of Nasheeds usually make reference to Islamic beliefs, history as well as current events happening all over the world, such as Palestine.
The use of musical instruments is implicitly prohibited in Quran and Hadith. There is however some scholars of Islam who say the use of the duff is ok, this is like a drum. If there is a difference of opinion its best to go for the tough option and don't listen to any Nasheeds that contain drums as well, its not going to kill you, if the artist has a beautiful voice, who cares about music or drums.
Instrument Free Nasheed Artists
- Ahmed Bukhatir - Arabic & English Nasheeds
Most artists that sing Arabic Nasheeds only sing nasheeds in Arabic, but Ahmed Bukhatir sings English Nasheeds beautifully, check out the 'Last Breath' nasheed he sings, excellent. - Zain Bhikha
Not all his Nasheeds are instrument free, but this artist does two versions for both markets.
English Nasheed Artists
Belal Assaad
Kamal Uddin
Labbayk
Qari Ziyad Patel
Hafiz Mizanur Rahman
Zain Bhikha
Ahmed Bukhatir
These are music free Nasheeds, many other Nasheed artist out there but they contain too much music.
Prohibition of Music in the Quran:
Allah rebukes those who listen to music in the following verses
أَفَمِنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ (59) وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ (60) وَأَنْتُمْ سَامِدُونَ (61) فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا (62)
"Are you astonished at this recitation (the Quran)? And you laugh and do not cry, (Wasting your time) in vanities (music). So fall in prostration to Allah and worship him." (An Najm 59-62)
The following distinguished commentators suggest that ‘vanities’ refers to music…..
a) Ibn Abbaas radiyallâhu ‘anhu
b) Abu Ubaidah radiyallâhu ‘anhu
c) Ikrimah rahimahu Allah
d) Mujahid rahimahu Allah
e) Baydhawi rahimahu Allah
[Zad al maser 5/448, An Nukat wal uyoon 4/195, Tafseer al Qurtubi 14/51, Tafseer al Baydhawi 5/245, Fath al Qadeer 7/85, Tafseer Ibn Katheer 7/468, Tafseer at Tabari 22/559, Ruh al ma’ani 20/44, Bahr al uloom lis Samarqandi 4/217, Tafseer And ar Razzaaq 7/13, Ahsan al fatawa 8/381]
Prohibition of Music in Hadith:
Hadith One
Abû `Amir (or Abû Mâlik) al-Ash`arî (radiyallâhu ‘anhu) mentions that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:
"Indeed, there will be in my Ummah such people who will regard as permissible for themselves fornication, silk, wine and musical instruments….." (Narrated by Imam Bukhari in his Saheeh, Abu Dawood in his Sunan, Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh, Tabrani in Mujam al Kabeer and Musnad ash Shamiyeen and by Da’laj in Al Muntaqa).
Hadith Two
Anas bin Malik (radiyallâhu ‘anhu) mentions that Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) has said:
"Two voices are cursed in this world and the hereafter; Music at the time of happiness and wailing at the time of calamity" (Narrated by Al Bazzar, Adh Dhiyaa al Maqdisi, Ibn Murduyah, Al Bayhaqi, Abu Nuaim and others. Allama Haythami and Allamah Mundhiri both said: “The narrators are reliable” i.e. this hadith is authentic).
Many more Quran and Hadith sources with explanation on the prohibiton of Music in Islam can be found here titled prohibiton of Music.
