One of the most important duties of jurisprudence (fiqh) is to examine the legitimacy of the issues and matters needed by Islamic society, and artistic matters—in their general sense and irrespective of certain instances—have been and continue to be part of humanity's perennial needs. We are well aware that among artistic subjects, the issue of "music" holds a special place. A study of the legal inquiries (istiftā'āt) addressed to eminent jurists in the contemporary era bears witness to the attention and significance of this issue among the religious community and reflects the deep concern of the faithful regarding it. Does Islamic jurisprudence consider all forms of instrumental performance as forbidden and an instance of "forbidden art," or is there a differentiation—such that the legal ruling changes depending on the effect and purpose of the artistic work? Our effort in this article is to answer this question through a deep examination of the evidences. It is hoped that this brief work will be of benefit to the learned.
Theology of Art