Can Music Lead to God? The Sufi’s Answer to the Artist’s Dilemma
Introduction: The Spiritual Power of Music
“Music is the language of the soul, the bridge between the seen and the unseen.” – Sufi Saying
Throughout history, music has been a source of both divine inspiration and spiritual controversy. Many religious traditions, including aspects of Islam, have debated whether music is a distraction from God or a means of approaching the Divine.
For Sufis, however, the question is not whether music can lead to God, but how it can be used as a tool for spiritual awakening. In Sufism (Tasawuf), music is not merely entertainment—it is a sacred vehicle for remembrance (dhikr), ecstasy (wajd), and divine connection.
Yet, for the musician, there is a dilemma:
• Can music be a path to transcendence, or does it trap the ego in self-expression?
• Does sound elevate the soul, or does it become an illusion that distances us from reality?
• How can an artist use their gift without becoming enslaved by their own talent?
The Sufi answer is profound: Music can lead to God—but only if it is played with the right intention, discipline, and surrender.
1. The Sufi Perspective on Music: Sound as a Doorway to the Divine
A. The Spiritual Power of Sound
In Sufism, everything in the universe is seen as a vibration of divine energy.
• The Qur’an describes creation as coming into existence through the Word of God (Kun fa-yakun – “Be, and it is” – Surah Ya-Sin 36:82).
• Many Sufi traditions believe that sound, when approached with purity and devotion, can awaken the heart to divine presence.
• The human voice, the flute, the drum, and the ney (reed flute) are all seen as tools to dissolve the self and return to the Origin.
“We have fallen into the place where everything is music.” – Jalaluddin Rumi
For the Sufi, music is not just about listening—it is about experiencing the unseen.
B. Music as Dhikr (Remembrance of God)
• In Sama’ (spiritual listening), music is used to bring the heart into a state of divine awareness.
• Qawwali, the devotional music of the Chishti order, is built on repetitive phrases of poetry and melody, much like the rhythm of the heart beating in longing for God.
• The Whirling Dervishes (Mevlevi Sufis) use music to accompany their spiritual dance, symbolizing the soul’s journey back to its Source.
For the Sufi, the goal is not just to play music, but to use music to dissolve the ego and enter divine presence.
Example: The great Sufi musician Hazrat Inayat Khan believed that music is a form of divine tuning, where the soul is harmonized to higher states of consciousness.
But if music is so powerful, why is it also seen as dangerous?
2. The Dilemma: When Music Becomes a Distraction
A. The Risk of Ego and Self-Glorification
Music has a dual nature—it can elevate or entrap the soul.
• If a musician becomes attached to their own skill, they risk turning music into a performance of the self, rather than a surrender to the Divine.
• In Sufism, the goal is not self-expression, but self-annihilation (fana’)—letting go of the ego so that only God remains.
• If music feeds personal pride, it loses its power as a sacred tool.
“Music is only dangerous when it is used for self-worship instead of God-worship.” – Sufi Saying
B. The Illusion of Sensory Pleasure
Some Islamic scholars have warned against music because it can:
1. Distract the mind from prayer.
2. Create emotional highs without real spiritual depth.
3. Lead to indulgence in worldly pleasure instead of devotion.
The Sufi approach is not to reject music, but to refine its purpose.
• If music pulls the listener away from God, it becomes a veil.
• But if it brings the listener deeper into remembrance, it becomes a path to Him.
The difference is in intention, discipline, and surrender.
3. How Can Music Lead to God? The Sufi Approach
A. The Role of Intention (Niyyah)
In Sufism, intention defines the spiritual quality of an action.
• If music is played for personal fame, it serves the ego.
• If music is played for divine remembrance, it serves the heart.
• The musician must ask: Am I playing to be heard, or am I playing to disappear into the Sound?
“Sing until your soul dissolves into silence.” – Sufi Wisdom
B. The Discipline of the Sufi Path (Tarekat)
A musician must have spiritual training, just as they have musical training.
• The Sufi path teaches self-purification—removing arrogance, distraction, and worldly attachment.
• Many great Sufi musicians were also disciples under a spiritual guide (Murshid), ensuring that their music remained a form of worship, not self-indulgence.
• Without spiritual discipline, even the most beautiful music can become an idol rather than a prayer.
C. The Secret of Surrender (Tawakkul)
The highest form of music is not controlled by the musician, but received from the Divine.
• When a Sufi master sings or plays, they do not claim ownership of the sound—they surrender to the flow of divine inspiration.
• The musician disappears; only the music remains.
• This is the true state of divine intoxication (sukr) and self-annihilation (fana’).
Example: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of the greatest Qawwali singers, spoke of moments where he felt that the music was not coming from him, but through him.
This is the state where music becomes prayer, and sound becomes silence.
4. The Ultimate Answer: Can Music Lead to God?
The Sufi answer is: Yes, but only if the musician is willing to let go of themselves.
• Music can become a bridge to divine presence when played with the right intention.
• It requires discipline, so that music does not serve the ego but serves the heart.
• The musician must not seek glory, but disappearance into the Sound of the Divine.
“When the soul remembers, even silence will sing.” – Sufi Saying
For musicians who walk the Sufi path, music is not just sound—it is the longing of the soul calling out to its Source.
And if played with sincerity, music does not just lead to God—it dissolves everything until only God remains.
Conclusion: The Musician as a Seeker of Truth
Final Lessons for the Artist on the Sufi Path:
1. Music is sacred—but only when played with the right intention.
2. A musician must refine the soul, just as they refine their instrument.
3. True mastery is not control, but surrender.
4. Sound is only meaningful if it leads to silence—the silence of divine presence.
If a musician seeks God through music, they must ask:
• Am I playing for my own voice, or to hear the Divine?
• Does my music awaken the soul, or does it distract it?
• Am I seeking to be heard, or seeking to disappear?
The greatest musician is not the one who plays the loudest, but the one who loses themselves in the Sound of Truth.
And in that moment, there is no musician, no instrument—only God.