Firstly, regarding a woman’s voice:
The majority of scholars agree that a woman’s voice is not ‘awrah (something that needs to be concealed) and there is no difference between normal speech, recitation of the Quran, or singing poetry, as long as the performance is not arousing or sexually provocative to those who hear it from men. However, if the lyrics of the songs are obscene or the woman’s voice itself is sexually arousing, then it is prohibited to allow it as it becomes a means to temptation and should be prevented not because it is an ‘awrah. Allah says: “And do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet” (Al-Ahzab 33:32). Thus, women are prohibited from speaking in a soft manner that may arouse desire, but this does not mean that their speech itself is prohibited.
Secondly, it is established in the Sunnah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, listened to women’s singing on several occasions, including:
1- Abdullah ibn Buraida reported: “I heard Buraida say: ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, went out on one of his military expeditions, and when he returned, a black slave girl came and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I had vowed that if Allah brought you back safely, I would beat the duff (tambourine) in front of you and sing. He said to her: If you have made such a vow, then do it, but if you have not, then do not do it.” So she started to beat the duff and sing, while Abu Bakr entered and she continued to do so. Then Ali entered and she continued, followed by Uthman and she continued. Finally, Umar entered and she threw the duff under her thigh and sat on it. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to Umar: “O Umar, Satan fears you. I was sitting here while she was beating the duff, and Abu Bakr entered and she continued, then Ali entered and she continued, then Uthman entered and she continued, but when you entered, O Umar, she threw the duff under her thigh.”‘” (Sunan Abu Dawud) Abu Eisa said: “This is a good and authentic hadith.” The hadith is also narrated by al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Hibban, and it is an authentic hadith.
2- Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reported: “Abu Bakr came to me while I had two bondwoman with me from the Ansar who were singing about the day of Bu’ath. She said they were not professional singers. He said: Are these the singing women of Satan in the house of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, on the day of Eid? The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him: O Abu Bakr, indeed every people have their festival, and this is our festival.” (Sahih Muslim) The term “bondwoman” refers to young unmarried girls and slave-girls, and it is understood from the hadith that they were not slave-girls, but rather they were girls from the Ansar.
3- Bukhari narrated from Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh ibn Afra’: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to me in the morning of the day after my wedding while I was in my bed, and sat down on it like you are sitting here now. Then some young girls started beating the duff and singing about the Battle of Badr and lamenting my fathers who were killed. One of them said: And among us is a Prophet who knows what tomorrow will bring. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Leave this and say what you were saying before.” This hadith indicates that the Prophet listened to them while they were singing and lamenting.
4- Ahmad narrated, and Al-Haythami mentioned that its narrators are trustworthy, from Abdur-Rahman ibn Mahdi who narrated from Shu’bah who narrated from a sheikh from Bajilah who said: “I heard Ibn Abi Awfa say: Abu Bakr sought permission from the Prophet, peace be upon him, to enter while there was a slave-girl striking the duff. Then Umar sought permission and entered, and then Uthman sought permission but she stopped (playing the duff). The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, then said: ‘Indeed, Uthman is a man of shyness.'”
5- At-Tirmidhi narrated, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Abu al-Husayn whose name is Khalid al-Madani, who said: “We were in Madinah on the day of Ashura, and the slave-girls were beating the duff and singing. We went to Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh and mentioned that to her. She said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came to me one morning during my wedding, and I had two slave-girls who were singing and lamenting my fathers who were killed on the day of Badr, and saying: And among us is a Prophet who knows what tomorrow will bring. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Do not say this, but say what you were saying before.’ This hadith indicates that the Prophet and the companions listened to the singing of slave-girls on the day of Ashura.
6- At-Tirmidhi narrated from Aisha who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was sitting when we heard a commotion and the voices of children. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stood up and saw an Abyssinian woman dancing while children were around her. He said, ‘O Aisha, come and see.’ So, I came and leaned my chin on the Messenger of Allah’s shoulder to see what was between his shoulder and his head. He said to me, ‘Have you had enough, have you had enough?’ I said, ‘No,’ because I wanted to see my position with him. When Umar appeared, the people then moved away from her, and the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: ‘I am looking at the devils of humans and jinn who fled from Umar.’ I then returned.” Abu Isa said: “This hadith is Hasan Sahih Gharib in this manner.” Note that “Tazaffan” means to dance. In this chapter, it is mentioned that the Prophet listened to and permitted various forms of entertainment, and the senior companions also listened and permitted them.
Therefore, no one should claim to be more religious than the Prophet or the noble companions. And Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr