Why is religious music not encouraged in Islam?

Because music has a strong effect of its own that easily takes the place of the remembrance of God and leads people to music rather than to God. The true music of religion is a heart moved by the remembrance of God.

Anyone who visits a mosque will hear no organ and no choir there. This surprises many people, because in other religions music plays a large part in worship. The reason lies in the effect music has on human beings.

Music moves people deeply. It can make them sad or joyful, calm or stirred up. Yet that effect comes from the music itself. Someone who gives themselves over entirely to its sound has little room left for the remembrance of God. Religious music can therefore easily lead people astray. They think they are close to God, while in fact they are only moved by the music.

At the beginning of religions there was no music in worship. Only when religions drifted away from their pure origins was it gradually added to attract people. The hope was to bring them back to religion that way. But music brings people back to music, not to God. A performance can touch listeners deeply, and yet afterwards nothing in their lives changes.

This does not mean that Islam has no sense for beauty of sound. The Holy Qur’an is recited with a beautiful voice, and the hadith above expressly encourages this. The call to prayer, too, has a simple beauty of its own. But here the word of God stands at the centre, not the melody.

Religion has its own music. It arises when the heart begins to beat with the remembrance of God. Someone whose feelings are moved by God in this way needs no outward music to feel close to Him. This is what the verses above speak of.