A report on the situation regarding teaching music to Muslims in an inner-city school

Abstract

This research was carried out as part of an extensive investigation into why some music teachers were experiencing difficulties teaching music to Muslims in their classes. For some Muslims, music is pronounced haram and is forbidden in Islamic law due to its associations; it has frequently been linked with sex, drugs and alcohol and has been ‘tarred with the same brush’. For many more Muslims it is seen as mubah, indifferent in relation to law, but for cultural reasons they would still prefer their children not to take part. Some forms of music are more acceptable than others, and some are acceptable under certain conditions, but of course most non-Muslim teachers are unaware of these. This article reports on observations of music lessons in a school with a high proportion of pupils from Muslim backgrounds. Interviews with pupils and several relevant adults are included. A report of the background to this research, and other aspects of it, can be found in the suggestions for further reading.