Are windchimes in the same ruling as bells?

Question:

Are windchimes in the same ruling as bells? Answer: ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful First and foremost, it is important to understand the Islamic perspective on bells before answering your question; The Prophet ﷺ said, “The bell is the musical instrument of Shaytan.” (Muslim: 2114) The bell, in this Hadith, is attributed to Shaytan because his voice continuously occupies people from remembering Allah ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ and reflection (Mirqatul Mafaateeh: v. 7, p. 410 [DKI]). Furthermore, it is mentioned that Shaytan finds comfort and amusement in the sound of the bell just how he finds comfort and enjoyment in the sounds of musical instruments (Al-Fatawa Tatarkhania: v. 4, p. 201 [DKI]). In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said, “The angels (of mercy) do not accompany such a group who have with them a dog and a bell.” (Muslim: 2113); this is because such bells resemble church bells (which Christians use to gather people for worship) (Mirqatul Mafaateeh: v. 7, p. 410 [DKI]). It has also been said that the angels dislike the sound of the bell (Sharhul Nawawi Li Sahih Muslim: v. 14, p. 95 [Daru Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi Beirut]). Notwithstanding, if a person has a valid reason for using a bell, e.g. a doorbell or the ringtone on one’s phone, then it would be permissible (Fatawa Hindiya: v. 5, p. 433 [DKI]). We can conclude from the abovementioned texts that using a bell without a valid reason is prohibited, and windchimes will take a similar ruling because of it being its variant. The main difference between the two is a bell has a piece of metal inside of it called the “clapper” that strikes the internal sides of the bell to produce a sound, and a chime produces sound by hitting other chimes, e.g. via wind.The ilat (cause) of the

impermissibility of the bell is its sound which can also be found in the wind chime. In addition, windchimes are a type of percussion instrument which makes it more melodious than the bell and brings it under the category of music. Nowadays, people generally hang windchimes outside their homes for amusement and enjoyment, thus there being no benefit therein. The prohibition is more intensified due to the belief of certain ancient people that chimes ward off evil spirits

(http://www.windchimesaustralia.com.au/history-of-wind-chimes.php) which obviously contradicts Islamic beliefs.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham