The Paradox of Music

While doing some research on Islam I came across an interesting irony in their beliefs. I will start by pointing out what is taught in Islamic law by appealing to Muhammad's forbidding of music mentioned in multiple Hadith.

'Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments. Flutes, strings, crucifixes, and the affair of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will pour molten lead into the ears of whoever sits listening to a songstress. Song makes hypocrisy grow in the heart as water does herbage. "This community will experience the swallowing up of some people by the earth. Metamorphosis of some into animals, and being rained upon with stones." Someone asked, "When will this be, O Messenger of Allah?" and he said, "When songstresses and musical instruments appear and wine is held to be lawful, There will be peoples of my Community who will hold fornication, silk, wine, and musical instruments to be lawful."' (Umdat al-salik r40.0)

'The Prophet said that Allah commanded him to destroy all the musical instruments, idols, crosses and all the trappings of ignorance.' (Hadith Qudsi 19:5)

Even Iran's Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989) spoke vehemently about the evil of all music when he said that, "Music corrupts the minds of our youth. There is no difference between music and opium. Both create lethargy in different ways . If you want your country to be independent, then ban music. Music is treason to our nation and to our youth."

Why does this stand out to me? Why is this a problem? Well at first glance, I just read past it without thinking about the issue; but then some time later, after doing additional research on various other parts of Islam, a realization flashed in my memory that I had not seen before.

Among other books of the Bible, the Quran affirms the inspiration of the Psalms of David when it says, "We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms". (Quran 4:163)

Now it is well known to many readers of the Bible that David was greatly talented at playing the lyre (1 Samuel 16:16-23) which was a stringed instrument, much like a U-shaped harp. He was also known as a talented songwriter (2 Samuel1:17–27; 22:1–23:7) and even had the reputation of the 'sweet Psalmist of Israel' (2 Samuel 23:1). Besides it being because of David's musical talent that Saul first came to know of him, there is a very important additional note that should put a 'stone in the shoe' of Muslims.

David wrote no less than 73 Psalms, most if not all of which are believed to have been written to the tune of music. Many Psalms open with the mention of musical instruments, several of which plainly instruct the choirmaster to the use of a stringed instruments (Psamls 4, 6, 54, 55, 61). If in Islam musical instruments are to be done away with and music itself should be banned, then Muslims are forbidding one of the tools used to write scriptures their Quran says is given to us by God. That is what I find Ironic.