The debate over whether playing the dombra is a sin from an Islamic perspective has reached a new level on social media. More and more experts are coming to the defense of this legendary instrument, but leaders of certain branches of Islam insist that the dombra is sinful!

A preacher named Abdulmalik ustaz stated that playing the dombra is inappropriate for a Muslim. As proof, he cited verses from the Quran. Nevertheless, he faced an angry response.

Deputy Bolatbek Aliev directly stated: ‘I believe that those who are against the dombra and its sound are against the Kazakhs. Once, I studied music for five years in the dombra class, learned the basic melodies, mixed foreign compositions with the dombra, participated in the orchestra of the music school… It’s been a long time since I played—it’s time to make it my companion again!’

Blogger Syrym Itkulov also defended the instrument and criticized the preacher, emphasizing that the state is losing to such activists on the ideology front: ‘If you dislike the dombra, please, do not play it yourself, but do not impose your prohibitions on others.

Indeed, faith is not just lectures about incomprehensible prohibitions in music. It also includes helping people, enlightening them about humanity, protecting children’s rights, real support for society, and social initiatives. It seems that these imams would be better off preaching about the hell that awaits those who even think about violence towards children.

Abdulmalik ustaz is very popular in Northern Kazakhstan, garnering huge views on TikTok. The ideology is not just going off track, it is absent altogether.

Another public activist, Chingiz Lepsibaev, even proposed restricting the broadcasting of such preachers:

‘The dombra is haram… It’s time to explain to this character in a Chinese way that we live in a secular state and define the themes of broadcasts through a judicial process. Otherwise, soon they will force us to grow beards and wear narrow trousers. Look, our bloggers have already started covering up, as if we forgot how they made their living all this time.'»