‘Urs, Qawwali, Playing the Tabla and Sarangi

Question

Holding an ‘urs (an annual festival at a saint’s tomb on his death anniversary), qawwali (Sufi devotional singing with music), playing the tabla (a pair of Indian hand drums) and sarangi (an Indian bowed string instrument), and taking part in a gathering at places where these acts are performed — is this permissible according to the Sacred Law in the view of the ulama of Deoband and other Hanafi ulama, or not?

Answer

Holding this ‘urs and qawwali, playing the tabla and sarangi, listening to it, and taking part in such gatherings — all of this is impermissible and bid‘a (innovation in religion). ‘Allama Shami, in “Tanqih al-Fatawa al-Hamidiyya”, has written that it is forbidden. In the well-known and authoritative book of Hanafi fiqh “Sakb al-Anhur Sharh Multaqa al-Abhur” (vol. 2, p. 551)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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