The Extreme Dislike of Poetry to be Recited in a Masjid

Click Here to download this article in PDF format

السلام عليكم

Here is an article by brother Abu Abdullaah (from Shiachat) concerning Poetry:

             I have seen many masaajid around the world that allow poetry, e.g. Nasheeds, Qaseedahs, Nauhas/Latmiyyah, Marsiyas, etc, to be recited in it. The following is the perspective of the Ahlul Bayt (عليهم السلام) regarding the impermissibility of reciting poetry in the masaajid and other such times. The only thing that is allowed is the recitation of the Holy Qur’aan in the masaajid.

            Now, as you will see from ahaadeeth, the A’immah (عليهم السلام) are very strict when it comes to having ONLY the Holy Qur’aan recited in the masaajid. Also, it is disliked to recite poetry in the month of Ramadaan (night and day), or in any night, when one has ihraam on, on the day of Jum’ah, and in the haram (Ka’bah), and in the masaajid:

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ (وَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ) عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ تُكْرَهُ رِوَايَةُ الشِّعْرِ لِلصَّائِمِ وَ لِلْمُحْرِمِ وَ فِي الْحَرَمِ وَ فِي يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ وَ أَنْ يُرْوَى بِاللَّيْلِ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ إِنْ كَانَ شِعْرَ حَقٍّ قَالَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ شِعْرَ حَق‏

Muhammad bin al-Hasan in his isnaad from ‘Alee bin Mahziyaar (and in his isnaad from Ahmad bin Muhammad all from Ibn Abee 'Umayr) from Hammaad bin 'Uthmaan, He said I heard Abaa '‘Abd Allaah (عليه السلام) say: Narrating poetry is disliked while fasting, and while in iHraam, and in the Haram and on the day of Jum'ah and to narrate in the night. He said: I said: and If the poem was true? He said: And (even) if the poem was true.

Source:

1.        Al-‘Aamilee, Wasaa’il Al-Shee’ah, vol. 10, pg. 169, hadeeth #13137

2.       Al-Toosee, Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 4, pg. 195, hadeeth #6

Grading:

1.             Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Da’eef ‘Alaa Dhaahir Aw Muwaththaq (Apparently Weak or Reliable)

è Milaadh al Akhyaar, vol. 6, pg. 516

But the alternate chain for this is SaHeeH (Authentic), taken from Tahdheeb:

 و عن علي بن مهزيارعن محمد بن يحيى عن حماد بن عثمان قال سمعت أبا عبد الله ع يقول‏

وَ بِالْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ لَا يُنْشَدُ الشِّعْرُ بِلَيْلٍ وَ لَا يُنْشَدُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بِلَيْلٍ وَ لَا نَهَارٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَا أَبَتَاهْ فَإِنَّهُ فِينَا قَالَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِينَا 

And in the isnaad from Hammaad bin 'Uthmaan from Abee 'Abd Allaah (عليه السلام): says "Do not sing/recite poetry in the night and do not sing/recite (poetry) in the month of Ramadaan in the night and the day. So Ismaa`eel (bin Ja`far) said to him (عليه السلام): Oh Father, even if it is about us (meaning Ahl Al-Bayt)? He (عليه السلام) said: Even if it is about us.”

Source:

1.       Al-‘Aamilee, Wasaa’il Al-Shee’ah, vol. 10, pg. 169, hadeeth #13137

2.      Al-Toosee, Al-Tahdheeb, vol. 4, pg. 195, hadeeth #4

Grading:

1.   Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH (Authentic)

è Milaadh al Akhyaar, vol. 6, pg. 515

وَ رَوَاهُ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ ع‏ لَا يُنْشَدُ الشِّعْرُ بِلَيْلٍ وَ لَا يُنْشَدُ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بِلَيْلٍ وَ لَا نَهَارٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ يَا أَبَتَاهْ فَإِنَّهُ فِينَا قَالَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ فِينَا 

And his narrating Al-Kulaynee from ‘Alee bin Ibraaheem from his father from ibn Abee ‘Umayr from Hammaad bin ‘Uthmaan from Al-Saadiq (عليه السلام): "Do not sing/recite poetry in the night and do not sing/recite (poetry) in the month of Ramadaan in the night and the day. So Ismaa`eel (bin Ja`far) said to him (عليه السلام): 'Oh Father, even if it is about us (meaning Ahl Al-Bayt)'? He (عليه السلام) said: 'Even if it is about us.'"

Source:

1.       Al-Kulaynee, Al-Kaafee, vol. 4, pg. 88, hadeeth #6

Grading:

1.             Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good)

è Miraat al- ‘Uqool, vol. 16, pg. 249

Al-Majlisee says about this hadeeth in Mir'aat Al-`Uqool:

و يدل على مرجوحية الشعر في الليل مطلقا و في شهر رمضان ليلا و نهارا و إن كان في مدح الأئمة عليهم السلام

"This indicates the unconditional incorrectness of poetry during the night, and during the night and day of the month of Ramadan, even if it is in praise of the imaamsعليهم السلام

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ص قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ يُنْشِدُ الشِّعْرَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ فَقُولُوا فَضَّ اللَّهُ فَاكَ إِنَّمَا نُصِبَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِلْقُرْآنِ‏

Muhammad bin YaHyaa from Ahmad bin Muhammad from ibn MaHboob from ‘Abd Al-RaHmaan bin Al-Hajjaaj from Ja’far bin Ibraaheem from ‘Alee bin al-Husayn (عليه السلام): The Prophet (صلى الله تعالى عليه واله وسلم): “(If you) hear someone singing poetry in the masaajid say to him: ‘May Allaah tear your mouth. Verily, the masaajid is only appointed for the Qur’aan (recitation).’”

Source:

1.             Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 3, pg. 369, hadeeth #5

Grading:

1.             Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Majhool (Unknown)

è Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 15, pg. 246

Here is a breakdown of the sanad (chain of narrators):

Muhammad bin YaHyaa Al-ATTaar is thiqah (trustworthy) according to:

1.           Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 353, person # 946

2.          Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 157, person # 110

3.          Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 18, pg. 40, person # 12004

Ahmad bin Muhammad bin ‘Eesaa Al-Ash’aree is thiqah according to:

1.             Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 81-83, person # 198

2.            Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 61, person # 75

3.            Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 351, person # 5197

4.           Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 13, person # 2

5.            Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 2, pg. 296, person # 897

Al-Hasan bin MaHboob Al-Suraad is thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 140, pg. 160, person # 198

2.      Al-Toosi, Fihrist, pg. 123, person # 162

3.      Al-Toosi, Rijaal, pg. 334, pg. 354, person # 4978, 5251

4.      Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 37, person # 1

5.      Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 5, pg. 89, person # 3070

6.      Al-Kashee, Rijaal, pg. 556, from the aSHaab al-Ijmaa’

‘‘Abd Al-RaHmaan bin Al-Hajjaaj is thiqah according to:

1.         Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 238, person # 630

2.        Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 113, person # 5

3.        Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 9, pg. 310, person # 6359

4.        Al-Kashee, Rijaal, pg. 442

Ja’far bin Ibraaheem Al-Ja’faree Al-Haashimee is thiqah according to:

1.       Al-Najaashee, Rijaal, pg. 183, under his son’s title, Sulaymaan bin Ja’far (#483)

2.      Al-Hillee, Al-KhulaaSah, pg. 33 person # 64

3.      Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 4, pg. 47, person # 2111

Majlisee grades this hadeeth as majhool, but when he grades other ahaadeeth with the same sanad (chain of narrators), except for Ja’far bin Ibraheem, then it is SaHeeH:

1.       Al Kaafee, vol. 2, pg. 647, hadeeth # 2

2.      Al Kaafee, vol. 6, pg. 293, hadeeth # 9

3.       Al Kaafee, vol. 7, pg. 88, hadeeth # 3

So the problem with the chain has to be Ja’far bin Ibraaheem narrating from Imaam Zayn-ul-‘Aabideen (عليه السلام) or giving the narration to ‘‘Abd Al-RaHmaan. But Ja’far is trustworthy, and he was the companion of the 4^th and 6^th Imaams (عليهم السلام).

Then, Majlisee contradicts himself in Bihaar ul-Anwaar by saying:

الشَّيْخُ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَلَى الظَّاهِرِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ ع قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ يُنْشِدُ الشِّعْرَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ فَقُولُوا لَهُ فَضَّ اللَّهُ فَاكَ إِنَّمَا نُصِبَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِلْقُرْآنِ

The Shaykh (Toosee) in the apparently SaHeeH (hadeeth) from ‘‘Alee bin Al-Husayn (عليه السلام): The Prophet (صلى الله تعالى عليه واله وسلم): “(If you) hear someone singing poetry in the masaajid say to him: ‘May Allaah tear your mouth. Verily, the masaajid is only appointed for the Qur’aan (recitation).’”

Source:

1.       Al-Majlisee, Behaar ul-Anwaar, vol. 80, pg. 363

Conclusion:

When poetry is being done in the masaajid, it is our duty to make sure we try to adhere to the sunnah and stop poetry from being done.

Finally, the ahaadeeth say not to do poetry in the month of Ramadaan (night and day), or in any night, when one has ihraam on, on the day of Jum’ah, and in the haram (Ka’bah), and finally, in the masaajid.

السلام عليكم