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View Full Version : Five tips to break the addiction to music



Khalid Saifullah
05-16-2016, 01:01 PM
By Zahra Anjum

With all its charm and magnetism, music, no doubt, is hard to let go off. However, when a heart becomes inclined to what is dearer, Allah and His Messenger (sa), and the longing surges to please Allah (swt), the love of music is overtaken by the love of Quran. Music may appear to have a temporary soothing effect on the soul; however, it actually destroys the soul and is followed by acts forbidden in Islam. This is why we never see those close to Allah listening to music.

The Quran, on the other hand, is pure and brings nothing but relish. Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran: “O humankind, there has to come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts and guidance and mercy for the believers.” (10:57)

The two are opposites of each other; the Quran being the word of Allah and music being the tool of Shaitan.

At times, we understand the right and wrong, but there is a constant struggle within ourselves. A part of us wants to increase in righteousness, while another part pulls us back and reminds us of the pleasures that come with sins.

How can we leave the habit of listening to music altogether and replace it with the Quran? Below are some tips that can help us, Insha’Allah:


Make a firm decision

Once you have understood the position of music in Islam, make a strong resolve to never return to it. Remember the love and wrath of Allah, and that He knows all and sees you all the time.

We claim to love the Prophet (sa) and wish that we were born in his time. But imagine, if Prophet Muhammad (sa) comes to meet you, will you be able to share your playlists and CDs with him? Or would you wish that he does not see any of those? Ask yourself; will music add to your scale of good deeds or bad deeds? It has to be either of the two as there is nothing in between.

Allah (swt) warns in the Quran: “Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.” (17:36)


Get rid of the resources

Do not linger or delay separating yourself from the sources of sin. When the Companions of Muhammad (sa) heard the announcer telling them that alcohol was forbidden, they did not wait. They acted instantly and without any second thought broke all the vessels containing alcohol.

Similarly, delete all the music files that you may have in all your devices. This makes it easier to stay steadfast and control the desire to return to the sin.


Quran and Nasheeds

Replace the songs and music in your devices with Quran and beneficial Nasheeds (Islamic poems) without music or instruments. Download the recitations of various Quran reciters and accustom yourself to listening to the Quran. At first, you may find it difficult but with the passage of time, the Quran will indeed bring delight to the heart.

Also learn the correct manner of reciting the Quran and adorn the Quran with your recitation. Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: “Make your voices beautiful when you recite the Quran.” (an-Nasai; authentic)

Nasheeds that contain words of wisdom and encouragement to do good deeds can act as an alternative to music and songs, but we must take care to not replace the Quran with them. We should not regard them as a habit to engage in on a regular basis. Rather, it should be something that we listen to from time to time and on appropriate occasions (Source: IslamQA)

The Sahabah (Companions) did at times say words of poetry, while they were digging the trench, travelling for jihad, and building the Prophet’s Mosque, but it was not the focus of their daily tasks.


Sports and hobbies

When there is an urge to listen to music, divert your attention by engaging in other fruitful activities that you enjoy. Busy yourself with physical sports that are beneficial for your health, or in other hobbies like crafting, cooking, graphic designing, writing, and so on.


Dua (supplications)

Nothing is possible without the help of Allah and nothing remains difficult when the aid of Allah is by our side. Ask Allah to give you the love of Quran and other deeds beloved to him. Following are two of the supplications taught by Prophet Muhammad (sa):

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَحُبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّكَ وَالْعَمَلَ الَّذِي يُبَلِّغُنِي حُبَّكَ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي وَأَهْلِي وَمِنَ الْمَاءِ الْبَارِدِ
“O Allah, indeed, I ask You for Your love and the love of those who love You, and for the actions that will cause me to attain Your love. O Allah, make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family, and cold water.” (at-Tirmidhi; reliable but odd)

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَـدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي، وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي
“O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your Hand; Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart, the light of my breast, the departure for my sorrow, and the release for my anxiety.” (Ahmad; authenticated by al-Albani)

When something is forsaken for the sake of Allah, Allah (swt) does replace it with something much better. Every struggle that we do to obey Him is counted and will come in the form of a cherished reward in the hereafter.
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strivingobserver98
05-16-2016, 04:21 PM
:jz: for sharing the tips. Music is one of the most popular addictions in this day and age. May Allah protect us from these habits. Ameen.

"Sometimes music feeds a part of yourself you don’t want to feed." - Yasmin Mogahed
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MorbidEntree
05-16-2016, 04:24 PM
I don't mean to attack your stance or anything, I just don't understand how listening to music can "destroy the soul." Can you explain further for me?
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_E_3
05-16-2016, 04:39 PM
:sl:
Brother thank you for posting this i am listening to the Qu'ran at the moment
av been looking for somewhere where that has a list and a media player or radio that plays voice only nasheeds also i watch tv like islam channel they have music on there adverts and programs can someone point me to Islamic tv- English that dont have music
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BeTheChange
05-16-2016, 05:43 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by _E_
:sl:
Brother thank you for posting this i am listening to the Qu'ran at the moment
av been looking for somewhere where that has a list and a media player or radio that plays voice only nasheeds also i watch tv like islam channel they have music on there adverts and programs can someone point me to Islamic tv- English that dont have music
Walaikumasaaam,

Is it possible for you to choose which ayat or mini lecture you want to listen to and create your own playlist?

You can convert youtube videos (i think the maximum limit is 15mins) into mp3 for free using this link http://www.youtube-mp3.org/

Hope this helps insha Allah.

Commenting on the thread:

Prevention is better than cure
:D
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noraina
05-16-2016, 06:21 PM
JazakAllah khayr for sharing,

In response to your question @MorbidEntree , I will reply in more detail later on inshaAllah, but many scientific studies have confirmed music affects hormonal levels in humans and has almost drug-like effects on the brain. And the harmful effects of music are even more damaging today, just take a look at the music industry and the content they are producing, even non-Muslims find it shocking.

Music is forbidden as it distracts us from the remembrance of Allah swt. And tbh, this is my own opinion, we as humans have been created to reflect and think. And sometimes we can be so frightened of reflecting, of seeing the true states of our hearts, we feel the need to stimulate ourselves and try to forget- usually through music. We have become scared to hear our own thoughts, and reflect on Allah swt and the purpose of our life, and so to keep ourselves 'busy' we distract ourselves with music. This is coming from someone who listened to music a lot when younger.
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anatolian
05-16-2016, 06:45 PM
Music is a very wide subject. There were and are and probably will be all kinds of musics. What kind of Music is forbidden? All kinds? What about nasheeds? A nasheed is a song with Islamic themes.
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noraina
05-16-2016, 07:19 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by anatolian
Music is a very wide subject. There were and are and probably will be all kinds of musics. What kind of Music is forbidden? All kinds? What about nasheeds? A nasheed is a song with Islamic themes.
I agree, I enjoy listening to nasheeds myself, :), I was referring to music which extensively uses musical instruments or have haraam content (which is the majority of the mainstream industry tbh). Nasheeds remind you of Allah swt alhamdulillah, so anything which doesn't distract you from His remembrance is a good thing.
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anatolian
05-16-2016, 08:22 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by noraina
I agree, I enjoy listening to nasheeds myself, :), I was referring to music which extensively uses musical instruments or have haraam content (which is the majority of the mainstream industry tbh). Nasheeds remind you of Allah swt alhamdulillah, so anything which doesn't distract you from His remembrance is a good thing.
Salam. I didnt refer you specifically. I wrote it to the general audience. Music has been used in the history of Muslims to heal the psychological diseases where the non-muslims were thinking those people were tempted by the devils Alhamdulillah. It seems to me we are loosing our gains instead of improving.
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czgibson
05-16-2016, 08:23 PM
Greetings,

I hear music in Islamic videos posted here all the time. Even nasheeds contain signal processing and audio mastering on the vocal tracks as well effects such as panning, reverb and delay. This is effectively using the recording studio as an instrument, but it is still apparently permissible, for reasons that are not clear.

Peace
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Misbah0411
05-16-2016, 09:44 PM
This is an paraphrased excerpt from Ibn Jawzi's "Devils Deception"

"Know that listening to songs results in two things: First, it occupies the heart away from contemplating (tafakkur) Allah's greatness and servitude towards Him. Second, it leads to falling into all other physical lusts (shahwat) mainly sexual. It encourages people to gain more and more sexual satisfaction even through fornication. As for he who says, 'I do not listen to these songs for worldly reasons. I only do so to take heed of the wisdom therein', we say that he is making two mistakes: First, you will be affected even without contemplating the lyrics of songs. Secondly, rarely do these songs include wisdom. Imam Ahmad said: "Singing (al-ghina) grows hypocrisy in one's heart, therefore I dislike it." Imam Shafi'i said: Singing is a forbidden form of leisure. It resembles falsehood, and whoever does much of it is a fool whose testimony must be rejected. Umar ibn Abdul Azis wrote a letter to the caretaker of his son: Let the first thing that he (my son) learns from you is the etiquette of disliking instruments of play (al-malahi). They begin with Satan, and their ending is Allah's anger. I have been told by trustworthy scholars that attending sessions of music (al-ma'azif) and listening to songs (al-ghani) causes hypocrisy to grow in the hearts just as water makes grapes grow. It is better for a person to avoid such sessions that to gain this hypocrisy in his heart."
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czgibson
05-16-2016, 11:15 PM
Greetings,

format_quote Originally Posted by Misbah0411
Second, it leads to falling into all other physical lusts (shahwat) mainly sexual. It encourages people to gain more and more sexual satisfaction even through fornication.
Does the writer offer any evidence for this assertion?

Peace
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Bhabha
05-17-2016, 04:01 AM
I cannot believe people are actually addicted to music. I listen to things randomly as parents and siblings pop music into their rooms, but addiction? Is that for real?
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Bhabha
05-17-2016, 04:08 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by czgibson
Greetings,

I hear music in Islamic videos posted here all the time. Even nasheeds contain signal processing and audio mastering on the vocal tracks as well effects such as panning, reverb and delay. This is effectively using the recording studio as an instrument, but it is still apparently permissible, for reasons that are not clear.

Peace
I agree with you. And this is something that I am confused, due to the lack of clarity.

For example where are the verses and the Hadiths that stipulate music is forbidden? If it stipulates, does it mention at a which specific time it is forbidden? With what company?

For example I think there's a verse and I am not sure 100% that said the wearing silk, the singing of women, alcohol and the sound of the drums were forbidden. (If someone could please tell me where that verse comes from). But I remember arguing that this verse stipulated the wearing of silk, it is forbidden for men but not for women. Secondly, as alcohol is always forbidden perhaps it was a verse that was creating an environment that is haram (not permissible) for men such that men would wear silk, drink alcohol and listen to music ...

While another verse somewhere said that the singing in special occasions was allowed?

So maybe it's in specific circumstances, or the kind of music that is being listened to. For example nasheeds might not be forbidden because it is for the purposes of singing good things, whilst listening to music (regardless of the content) in a situation where you are consuming alcohol and free mixing is haram.

So then it depends on the context?
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Misbah0411
05-17-2016, 10:01 AM
Aside from Nasheeds that may contain good, today's music of pop, rap, rock n roll etc, along with its indecent lyrics that stir up the desires into inappropriate passions and thoughts are haram. It is hard to give up music that you grew up with all your life. It's appealing or it may bring back memories, though it is usually memories when you were disobedient to Allah. That is what the shaytan wants from this music. For the servant to forget his Lord, to reminisce and make appealing the time he was disobedient to his Lord, to motivate him to do the wrong thing when his desires overcomes him. And Allah Knows Best.
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~ Sabr ~
05-17-2016, 10:24 AM
:salamext:

Music is such a controversial topic SubhaanAllaah.

Every scholar has a different opinion on this, and I believe nothing is stated outright in the Qur'aan/Sunnah with using the word "music" specifically.

That being said, I hardly ever have time to listen to it lol
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czgibson
05-22-2016, 02:35 AM
Greetings,

format_quote Originally Posted by Bhabha
I agree with you. And this is something that I am confused, due to the lack of clarity.
Part of the problem is that an attempt is being made to force seventh-century ideas onto the modern world. Music is a human art form that has developed in ways that could never be imagined by people living in the time of Muhammad (pbuh), and it resonates with humans from all parts of the world. Nobody can deny that music is felt to be valuable by large numbers of people; there are certainly far more people who enjoy it than there are Muslims, for example.

Islamic scholars who pronounce on this issue are, perhaps inevitably, usually totally ignorant on the subject of music, and their simplistic attempts to link it to immoral sexual behaviour indicate more about the way their minds work than anything about the multivalent world of music.

Peace
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Cpt.America
05-22-2016, 08:48 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by MorbidEntree
I don't mean to attack your stance or anything, I just don't understand how listening to music can "destroy the soul." Can you explain further for me?
Heres a video that discusses the history of music and how it harms.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uM8B1DWdt1U

It is pretty much agreed upon by the ulema that music with instruments is definitely haram.
The reason why we should avoid music is because it is something disliked by Allah, period.
However to satiate curiosity and grow our understanding it is perfectly fine to seek knowledge on the matter, and I think the video above was a rather good explanation.
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hisnameiszzz
05-22-2016, 10:42 AM
Sorry but music is a necessity for me. I have ignorant neighbours who make my life very hard to live. Think trying to sleep at night and the cow who sleeps in the room next door opens and slams drawers and wardrobe doors at random times during the night. Don't get me started on how loud the door slams are. Why my stupid father didn't move from this hell hole is beyond me especially when the ignorants had all their doors put onto our party wall, the door that attaches their house to ours. Also there is a damned ventilator fan which sounds like a helicopter taking off which is switched on all day and night. The ignorants being ignorant had that put right up to our house. And then they run up an down stairs like a brigade of soldiers and you guessed it, the stairs are against the party wall. Hoovering after midnight or after 7am in the bedrooms is also another regular trauma.

So if I didn't listen to loud boom boom music I would have panic attack after panic attack and end up collapsing or throwing up or doing a number two in my bed due to stress taking over my body. I've tried listening to the Quraan but there isn't any loud shouty recitations and the person praying normally stop after each sentence so I can noises from the ignorant family. Poems are good but there are silences and pauses in between.

I felt bad because it was Shabbe Raat last night but I have to listen to the music or I would end up becoming so poorly.

So I don't listen to music because I am addicted. I listen because I have to. Ear plugs don't drown out the noise. Even the industrial ones. And it would cost close to 30k to soundproof all the walls, ceilings and floors so that's out.
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Cpt.America
05-22-2016, 01:13 PM
[Posted in wrong thread. Sorry >.< ]

Well as long as I'm editing:

Sikk beats make you sick.
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