Question:
Salam,
I was at dhikr and was clapping palm to palm along with the drums. After the dhikr one of the brothers who was new to the tariqah said to me it was wrong to clap during dhikr and gave this reference from the Quran.
The (Kuffaar of makkah) Salaah prayer) at the House (of Allaah, i.e. the Ka‘bah at Makkah) was nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Therefore taste the punishment because you disbelieved.
[al-Afaal 8:35] and said to me that clapping shouldn’t be done as this ayyat mentions that kufr did it as part of their prayer and they’ll get punished, what can I say in reply to his reference from the Quran?
Answer:
Alaykum Salam,
If his reasoning were true then why did Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) order women to use clapping inside salat if they want to warn the imam about something? And why did he allow drums on festive occasions, which are like tens of pairs of hands clapping at once? Most importantly there is no comparison between Muslims and pagans even if they both do the same act because their niyya is completely different. We do not read Qur’an in a vacuum but in the context of the whole Shari’a which ensures its proper understanding.
Hajj Gibril Haddad
