The Music in al-ʿIqd al-Farīd by Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih (860–940 AD.): Permission, Male and Female Musicians, and Various Musical Instruments

One of the most important sources about the music and the situation of musicians in the Umayyad and Abbasids period is the twentieth chapter of al-ʿIqd al-Farīd (the unique Necklace) by Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, titled "Kitāb al-yāqūta al-thāniya fī ʻilm al-alḥān wa-ikhtilāf al-nās fīh" (The Book of the Second Ruby on the Art of Song and Dissenting Opinions Thereof). In this chapter, he argues in favor of religious permission for music and related arts such as playing music and singing. He also introduces seventy-seven musicians of the Umayyad and Abbasid period, most of whom were men artists of the court, he portrayed a friendly relationship between the caliphs and the artists. He informs us about several common musical instruments of the time. In this article, a statistical and analytical review of his opinions and arguments about music and musicians will be presented.