[1]

Lahw, meaning amusement, refers to every falsehood which leads to heedlessness regarding righteous actions and beneficial speech; this includes baseless tales, fables, magic, impermissible jokes and playing music. To buy or sell such instruments of play and amusement is also prohibited. Sayyidunā ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbās رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما states: “Speech which makes one heedless of the path of Allah and takes one towards forbidden acts is “لَھْوَ الْحَدِیْث”, and music is also from this type.” (Tafsir Al- Tha’labī, Surah Luqmān, under the verse 6, vol. 7, p. 310)

[2]

This verse was revealed about Nadr ibn Ḥārith. He would purchase books consisting of stories about non-Arab people, and after relating them to the Quraysh, he would say, “Muhammad (صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) relates the incidents of ʿĀd and Thamūd to you, whereas I relate the stories of Rustam, Esfandyār, and the kings of Persia.” Some people became so absorbed while listening to his stories that they were deprived of listening to the Quran. Consequently, the verse was revealed.