Responsum: On Listening to Music

Moses Maimonides (attrib.)

Late 12th Century

Illustration of five people in colorful robes and gold turbans sitting under trees, playing instruments and holding drinks, with Arabic lettering above.
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This Judeo-Arabic responsum, attributed to Moses Maimonides, addresses the propriety of listening to music. It lists five different prohibitions that may factor into determining whether a particular type of music is permitted. While some interpreters understand this as a sweeping prohibition against all music, others construe the rulings much more narrowly.

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Related Guide

Early Medieval Law and Religious Observance

7th to 12th Century

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