Did the Prophet ﷺ Listen to Singing? The Eid Hadith Fully Explained
The hadith of Aisha describing singing slave girls and the Abyssinians playing with spears on Eid is among the most frequently misrepresented narrations in Islamic literature. Critics have attempted to use it to impugn the character and infallibility of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — yet the hadith, when read carefully and in its full scholarly context, is one of the clearest demonstrations of his compassion, wisdom, and legislative guidance for the nation.
The Hadith
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me while I was with two slave girls singing the songs of Bu’ath. He lay down on the bed and turned his face away. Abu Bakr entered and rebuked me, saying: “The flute of Satan in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ!” So he ﷺ turned to him and said: “Leave them.” When he was distracted, I signalled to them and they went out. It was a festival day when the Abyssinians were playing with shields and spears. I either asked the Prophet ﷺ or he said: “Do you want to watch?” I said: Yes. So he made me stand behind him, cheek to cheek, and he said: “Here you go, O sons of Arfada” — until I grew tired. He said: “Is that enough for you?” I said: Yes. He said: “Then go.”
This narration, which demonstrates the Prophet’s ﷺ noble character with his family, has been seized upon by certain claimants of knowledge as an attack on his infallibility — alleging that it attributes to him ﷺ listening to female singers in his home and inviting his young wife to watch a dance performance in the mosque.
The Objections
“The Messenger of Allah is further from playing, higher than fooling around, and more knowledgeable about the sanctities of Allah and His Messenger than to give the ignorant room to play in the mosque in his presence. His noble times, which are filled with worldly and otherworldly tasks, do not allow for any playfulness, and Allah forbid that His noble mosque be occupied with playfulness, amusement, or idle talk.”
How could the Mother of the Believers place her cheek on the cheek of the Prophet ﷺ after standing behind him — was she taller than him? Or did she cling to his neck like a child? Since she did not explain this, and we were not present, should we not say: we do not know? How could Abu Bakr prevent female singers in the Prophet’s house while the Prophet remained silent? Is Abu Bakr better than the Prophet? What kind of prophet remains silent while a companion prevents female singers? What kind of prophet invites his young wife to watch a dance party in the mosque and allows her to place her cheek on his cheek?
Six Scholarly Responses
First: The Hadith Is Authentic and Contains a Practical Ruling for the Nation
The hadith is authentic in both its chain of transmission and its text, and it does not contradict the infallibility of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his conduct and guidance. Rather, it is a practical clarification of what is permissible for the nation on the days of Eid.
This understanding was grasped by the imams of the Sunnah, both ancient and modern. Imam al-Bukhari included the hadith in several places in his Sahih: first in the Book of the Two Eids under the chapter on spears and shields on Eid, and again in the chapter on the Sunnah of the Two Eids for the people of Islam. Imam Muslim placed it in the Book of the Two Eids as well.
The hadith establishes that playing, amusement, dancing, and singing — when free of sin — are permissible on Eid. The scholars stated that showing joy on holidays is a symbol of religion. This is made explicit in Muslim’s narration, where the Prophet ﷺ said: “Leave them, O Abu Bakr, for they are days of celebration” — making the day of Eid itself the reason for permitting what would otherwise be discouraged.
Scholars further extended this ruling by analogy to all legitimate occasions of joy: the wedding day, the feast, the ‘aqeeqah, the circumcision, the day of returning from a journey, and every occasion of joy that Islamic law permits. This ruling is derived from this hadith and what resembles it.
Second: Abu Bakr’s Rebuke Was Proper Manners, Not a Critique of the Prophet ﷺ
The rebuke of Abu Bakr (RA) toward Aisha and the slave girls was not an attack on the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Rather, it was an expression of his deep reverence and care for the sanctity of the Prophet’s ﷺ household. Abu Bakr had been raised with the understanding that singing and amusement were generally to be avoided in the Prophet’s presence, so he hastened to object — relying on what appeared to him to be the ruling.
It is also possible that Abu Bakr thought the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had fallen asleep, and feared he would awaken and become upset with his daughter — so he moved to prevent that pretext. The Prophet ﷺ then explained to him both the permissibility of the act and its wisdom: that it was a day of celebration, a day of legitimate joy, and such things are not to be denied on it — just as they are not denied at weddings and similar occasions.
The same explanation resolves ‘Umar’s (RA) rebuke of the Abyssinians playing in the mosque in a parallel narration. ‘Umar acted on the default principle that mosques are not places for weapons play, and the Prophet ﷺ explained to him the reason for permissibility. It is also possible that ‘Umar did not see the Prophet ﷺ watching, and did not know he had sanctioned the scene. And given ‘Umar’s well-known severity in religion, he consistently preferred to object to anything less than the best — while the Prophet ﷺ was in the process of establishing the permissibility.
Third: The Prophet ﷺ Did Not Listen to Sinful Singing
There is nothing in the hadith supporting the claim that the Prophet ﷺ listened to sinful or prohibited singing. Two internal pieces of evidence from the hadith itself establish this:
First: The hadith states explicitly that he ﷺ covered himself with his garment — wrapping it until it covered his face and ears — and turned his face away. This indicates a turning away, because his station required that he be above listening to such a thing. However, his not prohibiting it indicates its permissibility in the manner it occurred, since the Prophet ﷺ does not approve of falsehood. His covering of his face and ears is simultaneously a declaration of his complete compassion, patience, and good character toward his wife Aisha and her companions, so that they would not feel ashamed or be cut off from what was permissible for them.
And even granting that he did hear something of the slave girls’ singing: the singing was of a permissible type, and it came from those who had not made singing a profession or habit.
Second: Aisha (RA) herself clarified this explicitly. In the narration she said: “And they are not singers” — meaning singing was not their habit or profession. What they sang was the poetry of Bu’ath: war poetry, boasting of bravery, display of courage, and celebration of victory. This does not incite to evil. It is the raising of the voice in chanting — not the singing that is disputed and condemned: the singing of excitement and passion, allusion to obscenities, flirting with strangers, and the moving of souls toward desire. Nor were these slave girls among those famous for the technically refined singing that includes melodic stretching and works that arouse what is dormant. Nor had they taken singing as a profession and livelihood.
“And they are not singers” — she denied from them by way of meaning what she confirmed for them by wording, in order to distinguish their chanting from the singing that is customary among those who are famous for it.
Let the opponents bring something that contradicts what the hadith states: that the Prophet ﷺ covered himself with his garment, lay down on the bed, turned his noble face away — and that the slave girls were explicitly not singers, singing nothing but war poetry. Without this, their claim collapses entirely.
Fourth: The Hadith Demonstrates the Prophet’s ﷺ Infallibility in Character
Far from undermining the Prophet’s ﷺ infallibility, our hadith demonstrates it. It shows what he ﷺ was in terms of compassion, mercy, good character, and good treatment of his family — in compliance with the command of Allah:
“And live with them in kindness.”
The Prophet ﷺ himself said: “The most perfect of the believers in faith is the best of them in character, and the kindest of them to their families.” And: “The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family.”
Aisha (RA) herself stated in Muslim’s narration at the end of the hadith: “So appreciate the status of a young girl, eager for entertainment.” When she saw the Abyssinians dancing in the mosque while the boys watched, she asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to watch, and he gave her permission — as established in Muslim’s narration: “So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up, and I stood at the door looking between his ears and his shoulder.”
As for the question of how she placed her cheek on his cheek despite her short stature: al-Nasa’i answers this in his Sunan al-Kubra, where she said: “I came from behind him ﷺ, and he kept lowering his back so that I could look.” In another narration from al-Nasa’i she said: “I put my chin on his shoulder, and I leaned my face against his cheek.” This resolves the question of Hisham Al-Qutait entirely. The Prophet ﷺ leaned down for her — an act of tender care that itself demonstrates his infallibility in good character, not a violation of it.
Fifth: The Spear-Play in the Mosque Had a Religious Purpose
The Prophet ﷺ approved of the Abyssinians playing with spears in the mosque not merely for the sake of play, but for training brave soldiers for the battlefield, preparing for the enemy, and practicing with weapons and war machines. Although such activity is not appropriate for mosques in our time, the approval of the Prophet ﷺ establishes that children playing in the mosque on Eid does not violate the sanctity of the houses of Allah.
The scholars derived from his approval the permissibility of any activity in the mosque that combines benefit to the religion and its people — because the mosque was established for the community of Muslims. This is consistent with the Quranic verse:
“In houses which Allah has permitted to be raised and that His name be mentioned therein.”
His approval ﷺ of the Abyssinians’ play indicates that everything beneficial to the religion and its people, if it occurs in the house of Allah, does not contradict this noble verse nor violate the sanctity of the mosque.
Sixth: Aisha’s Watching Did Not Contradict Her Modesty
The approval of the Prophet ﷺ for Aisha (RA) to watch the Abyssinians’ games is a statement of his good character with his family, of his generous companionship, and of Aisha’s great position with him ﷺ. There is nothing in her watching that contradicts her being veiled from strangers, because the hadith does not state that she looked at their faces or bodies — she looked at their toys and their spears. Unintentional glances do not require the same ruling as deliberate, lingering gazes, and the latter she would have immediately averted.
From this, the scholars derived the permissibility of a man allowing his wife to watch permissible games and amusements — because what is disliked for women is gazing at the beauty of men and taking pleasure in it, not the watching of sport and play.
Conclusion
The hadith of Aisha on singing and Eid-day play is a practical clarification of Quranic commands to live with families in kindness, and of the Prophet’s ﷺ own words that the best of men is the best to his family. It establishes the permissibility of Eid joy, the distinction between lawful and unlawful singing, the wisdom of correcting companions with gentleness, and the impermissibility of attributing sinful intent to what the Prophet ﷺ explicitly approved. Those who attack this hadith have failed to read it — and failed the basic standard of honest scholarship.
The Prophet ﷺ in this hadith carried out a practical clarification of the Lord’s command: “And live with them in kindness” — and of his own words: “The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family.” Good manners in pleasing the hearts of women and children through permissible amusement are better than the harshness of asceticism in preventing them — especially on Eid days and all occasions of legitimate joy, provided the play and amusement contain no sin.