The Lajnah (Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’) were asked:
Question:
What is the ruling on beautifying one’s voice when reciting the Qur’an or announcing the Adhan [call to Prayer]?
Answer:
If beautifying the voice when reciting them does not reach the level of singing them, this is permissible.
Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah be merciful to him) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) liked a beautiful voice calling the Adhan and reciting the Qur’an and would listen to it.” It is authentically reported that he [peace be upon him] said:
Allah does not listen to anything as He listens to a prophet with a beautiful voice reciting the Qur’an sweetly and loudly.
[Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
He (peace be upon him) also said: Beautify the Qur’an with your voices.
[Related by Ahmad and the Compliers of the Sunan, except Al-Tirmidhy, and also by Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim, on the authority of Al-Bara’]
Al-Hakim related it with the following addition:
… For a beautiful voice increases the beauty of the Qur’an.
Some scholars are of the opinion that the meaning of Taghanny [beautifying one’s voice] when reciting the Qur’an is to recite the Qur’an properly, in a beautiful, modulated, raised voice in accordance with what Abu Musa said to the Prophet [peace be upon him]:
“Had I known that you were listening to my recitation, I would have embellished it for you.”
Reciting the Qur’an or Adhan in a melodious and musical rhythm is not permissible. Ibn Qudamah (may Allah be merciful to him) said in Al-Mughny: “Abu ‘Abdullah hated melodious recitations and said that it is Bid‘ah [innovation in religion].”
He further stated: “The opinion expressed by Ahmad should be understood in the context of exaggerating the recitation to the extent of turning diacritical marks into letters or lengthening short vowels.”
May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
[An excerpt from alifta.net]
Mentioned by
AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
—
This is a benefit I wanted to share in shaa Allah:
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam, said:
ليس منا من لم يتغنَ بالقرآن
“He who does not recite the Qur’an in a pleasant tone is not of us.”
[al-Bukhaari].
Some of the scholars said this means to recite it with tajweed along with having a melodious and audible voice or a sweet loud voice according to the capability of the person in naturally embellishing his voice when reciting.
A Side Benefit:
A person may ask what about a person who doesn’t have a good voice, does the ruling of this hadeeth apply to him also?
[The narrator of the aforementioned narration Abdul-Jabbar] said to Ibn Abi Mulaykah:
Abu Muhammad, what do you think if a person does not have a pleasant voice? He said: He should recite with a pleasant voice as much as possible.
Shaykh Albany, rahimahullah, mentioned in his book ‘Aslu Sifatu Salah’:
ومن تأمل أحوال السلف؛ علم أنهم بريئون من التصنع في القراءة بالألحان المخترعة، دون التطريب، والتحسين الطبيعي؛ فالحق أن ما كان منه طبيعة وسجيَّة؛ كان محموداً – وإنْ أعانته طبيعته على زيادة تحسين وتزيين -؛ لِتأثُّرِ التالي والسامع به. وأما ما فيه تكلف وتصنع بتعلم أصوات الغناء وألحان مخصوصة؛ فهذه هي التي
كرهها السلف والأتقياء من الخلف “.
“Whosoever ponders over how the Salaf were, he will come to know that they were free from overdoing the recital [of the Quran] with innovated musical tunes, [which is] contrary to naturally elongating it and embellishing it. The truth is that whatever is a natural skill and talent, then it is praiseworthy – and if his natural talents aid him in embellishing and beautifying [his recitation] in order that the reciter along with those listening become emotionally affected by it. As for burdening oneself and overdoing it by learning musical rhythms and certain tunes, then this is that which the Salaf and the righteous of the latter scholars disliked.”
Translated by
AbdulFattaah bin Uthman
Abu Fajr
Also there is more speech by the scholars about a related issue here.
