Can music be used to treat depression?

Question

Praise be to Allah.

The four Imams, their followers and the vast majority of
earlier Muslim scholars are of the view that musical instruments are haraam,
to such an extent that it was narrated that there was consensus on this
issue.

Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to flutes, stringed instruments and drums, there
is no difference of scholarly opinion that it is haraam to listen to them. I
have not heard from anyone whose word carries weight among the early
generations and later imams that any of them regarded that as permissible.
How can it not be haraam when this is the habit of drinkers and evildoers,
and it stirs up desires and corruption and immorality. Whatever is like that
is undoubtedly haraam and the one who does it is an evildoer and a sinner.

This was narrated from him by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in his
book az-Zawaajir ‘an Iqtiraaf al-Kabaa’ir, 2/193

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

The view of the four imams is that all musical instruments
are haraam.

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 11/576

If al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that musical
instruments in his time – and he died in 671 AH – were “the habit of
drinkers and evildoers, and it stirs up desires and corruption and
immorality”, what would he say if he could see the state of musical
instruments, singers and the people who love them nowadays?!

See also the answer to questions no.
5000 and
5011.

With regard to fondness of musical instruments, see the
answer to question no. 50687

Secondly:

Allah has not put the healing for this ummah in that which He
has forbidden to them; rather it is a disease for them, whether it is a
disease for the body or the heart or both of them. Allah, may He be exalted,
does not forbid anything to people except that in which there is nothing but
harm or that of which the evil effects outweigh any benefits.

It was narrated that Abu’d-Darda’ said: The Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has sent down
the disease and the remedy, and He has created a remedy for every disease,
so seek treatment (of illness) but do not treat (illness) with anything that
is haraam.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3874; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

It was narrated from Waa’il ibn Hajar (may Allah be pleased
with him) that that Taariq ibn Suwayd al-Ju‘fi asked the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) about khamr, and he forbade him – or
expressed his disapproval of his making it. – He (Taariq) said: I only make
it as a remedy. He said: “It is not a remedy; rather it is a disease.”

Narrated by Muslim, 1984

See also the answer the questions no.
11941,
138842,
41760

Thirdly:

With regard to what some people say about music being used as
a remedy for depression and that it is beneficial in that regard, we do not
know what this really means. Does it mean listening to certain types of
music, which have an effect on a person, or is it just the imagination of
the sick person that is suggested to him by the doctor?

Whatever the case, whether this opinion is correct or not,
that does not alter the ruling at all because Allah, may He be exalted, does
not limit the remedy to something that is haraam. If it so happens that this
listening may be a remedy for some people, the remedy for this disease is
not limited to that; rather if he gives it up for the sake of Allah, he will
find some other type of remedy that will help him and he will have no need
for it.

Better than that – indeed it is the best means by which a
person may seek healing – is listening to the Qur’aan, because the Qur’aan
is beneficial in and of itself, and Allah has benefited many people with
healing just by listening to the Qur’aan, including some people who are not
Muslim.

Prof. ‘Abd ad-Daa’im al-Kaheel (may Allah guide him) has
written a useful scientific article on “How listening to the verses of Allah
affect brain cells, and what is the scientific explanation for the
phenomenon of healing by means of the Qur’aan, and is there a hidden energy
in the Qur’aan?” You can read this article by clicking on the following
link:

http://www.kaheel7.com/ar/index.php/2010-02-02-22-31-09/78-2010-02-26-11-31-50

To sum up:

Music is haraam and Allah, may He be exalted, has not put
healing in anything that He has forbidden to us. Music is a disease for the
heart (i.e., a spiritual disease) and it has bad effects that are quite
obvious.

The ruling on using music as a remedy has been previously
discussed in the answers to questions no.
106605 and
9321.

And Allah knows best.