Is It Haram to Listen to Women Singing If There Is No Fear of Temptation?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it haram to listen to women singing if there is no fear of temptation, or is it always prohibited?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

It is prohibitively disliked to listen to the melodious, beautiful voice of a woman, regardless of whether there is a fear of desire or not.

Allah Most High says to women, “O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other woman: if you are mindful ˹of Allah˺, then do not be overly effeminate in speech ˹with men˺, or those with sickness in their hearts may be tempted, but speak in a moderate tone.” [Quran, 33:32]

Although this verse is addressing the mothers of the believers, its injunctions apply to all Muslim women. Thus, for a woman to overly effeminate (or soften) her voice such that marriageable men could hear her, she would be considered sinful for doing so. And that which is sinful to speak is sinful to hear. [Jassas, Ahkam al-Quran]

Hope this helps.

Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.