OCTOBER 27 — In his well-celebrated book Al-Halal Wa Al-Haram Fi Al-Islam (The Permissible and the Prohibited in Islam), the late Dr Yusuf al-Qardhawi recalled a hadith from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him – pbuh) as follows:

A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: “Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), came to my house while two girls were singing beside me the songs of Bu’ath (a story about the pre-Islamic war between the two tribes of the Ansar, the Khazraj and the Awus). The Prophet (pbuh) laid down and turned his face to the other side. Then Abu Bakr came and spoke to me harshly saying, ‘Musical instruments of Satan near the Prophet (pbuh)?’ Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) turned his face towards him and said, ‘Leave them.’ When Abu Bakr became inattentive, I signaled to those girls to go out, and they left.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Al-Qardhawi explained the hadith as one by which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wanted to teach that Islam has room for merriment and that he himself was sent with a moderate and flexible legislation.

There is also another important lesson to learn – that is, one needs to introduce Islam to others in a good fashion, along with displaying its moderateness and magnanimity.

That Islam is moderate and magnanimous can be gleaned from the Quranic verse: “They ask you (O Muhammad) what is made lawful for them. Say: (all) good things are made lawful for you.” (Al-Ma’idah: 4)

Merriment is a human instinct. It is not for Islam to defy humankind’s instincts.

Islam came to refine and promote the human instinct. Ibn Taymiyyah, the 13th century Islamic scholar of the Hanbali school who sought the return of the Islam to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, wrote: “Prophets were sent to polish and discipline man’s instinct and not to change or modify it.”

This is pursuant to the hadith that reads: “When Allah’s Messenger came to Madinah, he found them – that is, the people of Madinah – celebrating two days. He said, ‘What are these days?’ They replied, ‘We used to rejoice in these days during the pre-Islamic era.’ The Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘Verily, Allah Almighty has given you two alternative days which are much better: these are Al-Adha and Al-Fitr days. (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa’i)

Islam is moderate and magnanimous. When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim joined President Donald Trump who performed his signature campaign-style dance – a slow, rhythmic movement involving air punches and hip sways – in response to the performers who were welcoming the US President, it was spontaneous and not excessive.

It displayed what Islam is: moderate and magnanimous.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.