The Legal Status of the Income of Female Singer from Singing and Selling Singers (Slave-girls)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ كَسْبِ الْمُغَنِّيَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّتِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّجَالُ حَرَامٌ وَ الَّتِي تُدْعَى إِلَى الْأَعْرَاسِ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ‌[3].

“I once asked Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the legal status of the income from female music playing singers. He (the Imam) said, ’Such singing and playing music of females where men are also present is unlawful. There is no offense in inviting female singers on the occasion of a wedding program. It is in the words of Allah

الْمُغَنِّيَةُ الَّتِي تَزُفُّ الْعَرَائِسَ لَا بَأْسَ بِكَسْبِهَا.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ’The income of a female singer who attends wedding ceremonies is lawful.’”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ أَجْرُ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ الَّتِي تَزُفُّ الْعَرَائِسَ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ لَيْسَتْ بِالَّتِي يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّجَالُ.

‘The payment that a female singer receives from singing in wedding ceremonies is lawful, provided men do not attend her singing program.’”

سُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع عَنْ شِرَاءِ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ فَقَالَ قَدْ تَكُونُ لِلرَّجُلِ الْجَارِيَةُ تُلْهِيهِ وَ مَا ثَمَنُهَا إِلَّا ثَمَنُ كَلْبٍ وَ ثَمَنُ الْكَلْبِ سُحْتٌ وَ السُّحْتُ فِي النَّارِ.

“Abu al-Hassan al-Rida’ (a.s.), was asked about the legal status of purchasing a female singer. He (the Imam) said, ‘Sometimes a slave-girl of a man makes him go astray. What is then paid for such a slave-girl is like payment to purchase a dog. Payment for a dog is Suht (unlawful and filthy) and Suht is in the fire.’”

سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ بَيْعِ الْجَوَارِي الْمُغَنِّيَاتِ فَقَالَ شِرَاؤُهُنَّ وَ بَيْعُهُنَّ حَرَامٌ‌[3] وَ تَعْلِيمُهُنَّ كُفْرٌ وَ اسْتِمَاعُهُنَّ نِفَاقٌ.

“A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about selling slave-girl singers. He (the Imam) said, ‘Buying and selling them is unlawful, teaching them (singing) is disbelief and listening to them is hypocrisy.’”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ الْمُغَنِّيَةُ مَلْعُونَةٌ مَلْعُونٌ مَنْ أَكَلَ كَسْبَهَا.

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘A singer female is condemned, and condemned is one who consumes the income from her singing.’”

أَوْصَى إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عُمَرَ عِنْدَ وَفَاتِهِ بِجَوَارٍ لَهُ مُغَنِّيَاتٍ أَنْ نَبِيعَهُنَّ وَ نَحْمِلَ ثَمَنَهُنَّ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَبِعْتُ الْجَوَارِيَ بِثَلَاثِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ حَمَلْتُ الثَّمَنَ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ مَوْلًى لَكَ يُقَالُ لَهُ- إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عُمَرَ قَدْ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ بِبَيْعِ جَوَارٍ لَهُ مُغَنِّيَاتٍ وَ حَمْلِ الثَّمَنِ إِلَيْكَ وَ قَدْ بِعْ

“Ishaq ibn ‘Umar made a will about his singer slave-girls at the time when he was about to die that said, ‘They must be sold and funds from their sale delivered to abu al-Hassan (a.s.). Ibrahim has said, ‘I sold the slave-girls for three hundred thousand dirham and took it to him (the Imam) and said, ‘One of your follo