Music and Ghinā’: Is It Permissible to Listen to or Distribute Western Lahwī Music?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Music and Ghinā’: Is It Permissible to Listen to or Distribute Western Lahwī Music?

English:

Question #1135:

What is the ruling in the matter of listening to Western lahwī songs and music and working as a distributing agent for such products?

Answer #1135:

It is ḥarām to listen to lahwī ghinā’ or music that deviates people from the way of Allah and is suitable for the gatherings of lahw and sin, regardless of the language it is composed in or the country of origin. Accordingly, it is not permissible to buy, sell, or distribute such cassettes, should they contain the lahwī ḥarām type of music and singing. By the same token, it is not permissible to listen to them.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Music and Ghinā’