What is the ruling on “beatboxing”?

Firstly: 

Beatboxing is an art which involves
producing the sounds of drums, percussion and other musical sounds by using
the mouth, nasal passages and throat; sometimes these artists also use their
hands or other parts of their bodies to expand their repertoire of vocal
effects and percussion. 

This has been widespread in the West for decades and has
begun to appear and become widespread in Arab countries in recent years. 

Secondly: 

These human sounds that are produced in a way that resembles
the sounds of musical instruments are haraam sounds. It is haraam to produce
them in this manner and it is also haraam to listen to them. 

This is indicated in a number of ways: 

1.Musical
instruments, as mentioned in the texts which forbid them, are not limited to
specific instruments; rather the prohibition applies to everything that may
come under this general heading.

The linguists did not limit it to any particular type; rather
they included under this heading everything that may be called
entertainment. The word ma‘aazif (musical instruments) is a name that covers
flutes, drums, and the like, as it says in Jamharat al-Lughah by Ibn
Durayd (1/425). 

As the prohibition of musical instruments is not limited only
to one type and not another, the prohibition is not because of what it is,
rather it is because of what it produces of haraam types of entertainment.
If this haraam type of entertainment was produced by something else, it
would also come under the same ruling as these instruments. If it did not
have these features, then this prohibition would not apply to it. 

Ibn ‘Aabideen (may Allah have mercy on
him) said: The musical instrument is not haram because of what it is; rather
it is because it is intended for (haraam) entertainment, either for the one
who listens to it or for the one who plays it.

End quote from Haashiyat Ibn ‘Aabideen (6/350). 

2.Islam does not
differentiate between things of a similar nature, so it is not appropriate
to suggest that the wise Lawgiver would prohibit one sound then permit
another, similar sound.

As Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Islam
does not differentiate between things that are similar at all, and it does
not regard as equal things that are different. It does not forbid one thing
because of its harmful effects then permit another thing that is equally
harmful, or permit one thing because it serves a useful purpose and forbid
another thing that could serve an equal purpose. There is no suggestion that
the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did any such thing
at all.

End quote from Baada’i‘ al-Fawaa’id (3/663). 

These sounds are so similar to musical sounds that even sound
engineers themselves may sometimes find it difficult to distinguish between
these sounds and actual music. 

3.What matters is
the consequences or results of things. If the human voice is changed and
turns into a musical sound, then what matters is what it turns into, not
what it was originally, such as if a man’s voice is turned into the voice of
a teenage girl or adult woman.

Although these sounds are basically permissible, after this
change they come under a different ruling. If rulings were to be based on
what things originally were in the past, then we would say that alcohol is
permissible, because it originally comes from grapes or raisins which are
known to be permissible. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on
him) noted how the Shaytaan misleads people with regard to matters of this
nature, as he said:

When the Shaytaan despaired of devoted worshippers ever
listening to haram sounds such as flutes and drums, he looked at what
results from these instruments, then he tried to make singing (without
musical accompaniment) produce the same effect, and he made it attractive to
those who lack understanding and have little knowledge. His aim is to
mislead people step-by-step. But the one who has knowledge would look at
what things may lead to and their likely results; he would look at the
ultimate purpose behind things. 

End quote from Kalaam ‘ala Mas’alat as-Samaa‘ (p.
167). There is a similar discussion in Talbees Iblees by Ibn al-Jawzi
(p. 274). 

4.The kind of
pleasure that comes from these sounds is similar to that which comes from
musical instruments, so they should be included under the same heading.

The scholars have stated that some things are haraam because
of the kind of pleasure they lead to. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (may Allah have
mercy on him) said that it is possible to determine that reed flutes are
haraam by analogy with other haraam musical instruments, because they
produce the same kind of pleasure.

End quote from Kaff ar-Ru‘aa‘ (p. 160). 

Shaykh ‘Abdullah ibn Jibreen (may Allah
have mercy on him) was asked: What is the ruling on producing sounds from
the mouth that are similar to the sounds of musical instruments? 

He said: In our opinion it is haraam because it sounds like,
and could be taking the place of, musical instruments, which are forbidden
and which distract people from remembering Allah. So whatever takes their
place is also haraam. We quoted this from him previously in the answer to
question no. 1867. 

Thirdly: 

With regard to human sounds that do not resemble the sound of
musical instruments, they are permissible, just as the sound of flowing
water or the sound of the wind or the sounds of animals – such as horse’s
neighing or birds’ tweeting – or the human voice – whether it is crying or
laughing – or the sounds of guns and shells, or the sounds of cars, falling
objects and breaking glass etc. are also permissible. 

And Allah knows best.