Farabi’s Viewpoint on the Reason of Prohibition of Music

Farabi has well-known opinions regarding music. He has spoked about the types of music and the extent of the positive and negative effects of it. During these discussions, Farabi addressed the ethical issues and, in addition, analyzed the reason of the prohibition of music in many religions. Farabi’s words show that different religions have prohibited music. On the one hand, this prohibition is due to its intense influence on human souls and the fact that many people have abused this power. For Farabi, this prohibition cannot be inherent; Because he has considered a transcendent position for musicians and composers in the utopia, and has considered them, along with other people of media and art, as bearers of the truth of the religion and publishers of the contents of divine revelation and reasonable happiness and verbal good life. That is to say, music has been afflicted with pests and thus condemned; But as an ideal or the music of the utopia has been considered a social and cultural necessity.