Listening to music

Assalamu-alaikum,

I have the same problem from time to time.

I think it really indicates the addictive nature of music.

And some people struggle to give it up much more than others.
e.g. someone as myself - who is much a day-dreamer, and tends to get 'lost' in certain types of music - esp. soppy love songs (lol)


Ive adopted the following to try and restrain myself from listening to music:

- In the past, my problem was listening to the radio when driving.

And once I had stopped listening to music - I found the silence very uncomfortable.
So now, I listen to Quraan with translation (Alhamdulillah - this has been of huge benefit to me.....theres nothing more beautiful than the words of our Creator).
(however please realise, that Quraan deserves our respect and attention when being recited - so, its not possible to have it playing while everyone else is engaging in conversation).

Other alternatives (to filling in the silent spaces):

Listening to lectures,
Islamic nasheeds (without musical instruments) - theres many that can be downloaded off YT (with translation - so that theres meaning behind the words, if u are not arabic speaking).

And, if you are really bored or need some variety - you can listen to novels/ stories on audio.


The best 2 advises that i can ever give though, is:

1. DONT EVER TURN ON THAT RADIO/ PLAY-LIST.

Sounds harsh - but honestly, once u start - its hard to pull yourself away from it again.
And dont fool yourself into believing that you will just listen to the news/ sport review - and be able to turn the radio off thereafter (it just doesnt work! - sooner or later, you hear a tune that hooks into your senses all over again :/)
The safest radio channels are the 'Talk' stations - not only are they informative, but theres no music : )


2. DESTROY ALL PLAY-LISTS/ CD'S/ MUSIC VIDS, ETC.

This is advice to myself firstly......for I have realised, that just having access (e.g on your laptop) to your favourite songs is an unnecessary temptation as well.


And if we are really sincere in wanting to give up this fitnah, for the sake of attaining Allah's pleasure - then this becomes easier to fulfill.

And finally, try not to forget:

Allah Taa'la - Our Creator, the One who continues to bestow His mercy and favour upon us, despite our disobedience each and every day.......is watching.
Imagine His displeasure as you use the ears that He has given you - against Him.

This alone should be enough to stop us in our tracks! (no pun intended : ) )



Hope this is of some help, insha Allah.

We are all in the same boat Akhee - dodging the poisonous arrows of shaytaan as best we can.

O Allah, help us.....for your sinful slaves are so weak.
Ameen.

Alhamdulillah i stopped lsitening, but still have the urge sometimes, sometimes i fail, sometimes not. but small steps and u will achieve Insha'Allah takes some effort yes, but for the sake of Allah it won't be a problem.

format_quote Originally Posted by crimsontide06

To me, music is a beautiful art. I like to hear stuff from the 70's 80's and 90's. A little from the 2000's but now its all computerized garbage, no actual talent needed.

A question... lets say I gave up listening to music, which would be VERY hard.. if I (inshallah) made it into heaven, I could have all the music I want right??

I'm not sure where to begin here lol. The music you know now is but a fragment of what music really is, so if we make it to Jannah (inshaAllah), the music u will hear there is nothing like what modern music is, and by modern I mean the last 6 centuries or so. All of today's music is based on 5 pentatonic notes and what lies in between them (creating scales) . The greeks called these 5 notes "pentas". As far as your question, I can't answer that. As far as I know, Allah will reward us with something much better when we give up things for his sake, so I can't begin to imagine what that reward will be or what I will want at that time personally. Perhaps youw ill be just happy being in Jannah and you'd forget all about this music junk. Allahu Alim

Let's remember the words of our prophet (saw).

Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments, flutes, strings, crucifixes, and the affair of the pre-Islamic period of Ignorance.” [Abu Dawud]

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.494B Narrated by Abu Amir
that he heard the Prophet (saws) saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3153 Narrated by Muhammad ibn Hatib al-Jumahi
The Prophet (saws) said, "The distinction between what is lawful and what is unlawful is the song and the tambourine at a wedding."

This video I'm gonna show you is from a series, and it is not meant to paint music in a bad light. The series is quite long and explains how music works and how "great" it is. However, I'd like you to watch it from an Islamic perspective, this first part alone should be enough to help you begin to understand the damage you are doing to yourself when listening to music, once u can see its foundations. The rest is not necessary, but if you want to learn more, it's up to you.



Here is Harmony, which plays a big role in making music what it is today.





This next short video is the Author who wrote a book called "musicophilia" (a very good read if you have the patience), he got an MRI in order to record how the brain reacts to music. The point of this video is that your brain recognizes things YOU don't recognize. From this you can conclude that, music really does have hypnotic effects and your brain picks up information that you do not recognize, after all as I said on another thread to you, music itself is a language. When you know how to speak, read and write it fluently, it is only then hat u can really grasp what exactly it is.




Also, we are told that Listening to the recitations of teh Quran is healing for us, and we are encouraged to listen to it often. It would be nice to see the brain in action when listening to the Quran. Check out this article on the neuro-psychological effects of Quran recitation.

http://mohamedghilan.com/2012/01/12/how-the-quran-shapes-the-brain/

- cOsMiC

I pray that Allah gives us the strength to do what pleases him and refrain from what displeases him, Ameen! This is a reminder for myself first and foremost...

Waalikum Salaam Brother

I had been in this condition which you are feeling now.Its never been easy to put a boot on your nafs,walk towards Ar-Rahmaan and moves away from Shaytaan.This is indeed devil's game,Music does provides a playground for it.I don't know how deep the rabbit hole goes but i can show you a pattern from my own meandering experience.
I've left listening music in early 2010 or so,crushing all my CD's,deleting the songs all over my HD and it doesn't take more than few minutes to do this all.But after that,the bigger stage came upon i.e to show steadfastness or istiqama'h on the decision i made.As an avid learner,i do watch a whole lot of documentaries and this where my love for the Soundtracks started.But soon i feel its another trap of my nafs,so i left listening them anyway.The last attack was the Nasheeds,all those Nasheeds creep into my mind,defocusing myself from Salaat,once again i feel they are not doing what they should do,so i am now keeping myself aside from them too.The reason I am telling you this we don't know when we get caught in Satan's web.he never feel lazy and he never quit playing twisted mind games with us.He is not a human being that we can see where he is coming from.This is why Quran mentioned good seven times the story of Iblees not prostrating towards Adam (A.S).Satan was cast out of paradise due to his pride but he took a promise from Allah to be left alive until the day of judgment.
"He said: Reprieve me till the day when they are raised (from the dead).
He said: Lo! You are of those who are reprieved? (al-Araaf 14-l 5)."
Then the accursed one made a promise and vow to himself that he would mislead the offspring of Adam and plot against them.
"He said: Now, because you have sent me astray, verily I shall lurk in ambush for them on your Right Path. Then I shall come upon them from before them and from behind them and from their right and from their left, and you will not find most of them beholden (to You)(al-Araaf 15-16)"

"Allama Ibnul Qayyum Al-Jowzy, a fourteenth century scholar narrates a dialogue between Shaytaan and Allah when Shaytaan. When he was evicted from Paradise, he complained to Allah, I have been evicted from Paradise and it is going to be my task to make human life on earth a mission impossible. Im going to make sure that he boards the joy ride to Hell. That is my mission, but I will need some tools for that.

Shaytaan said: Where will I go in the world?
Allah replied: Your place is the public baths i.e., swimming pools, beaches, etc. (places of nudity).

Shaytaan: Where will I sit and spend my time?
Allah: In the town centers, in the market places i.e., malls, shopping centers, street corners.

Shaytaan: What will be my food?
Allah: Every animal that is not slaughtered according to Shariah principle, in the name of Allahthat will be your food i.e., haraam food, and you influence will penetrate into the person who eats such a food. (What do we see in the world today?)

Shaytaan: What will be my drink:
Allah: Every intoxicant will be your drink. (Notice that the word intoxicant is used, which means anything that intoxicates and not only alcohol.)

Shaytaan: What will be my Quran?
Allah: Your Quran will be music.

Shaytaan: You will have a person who will call towards prayer and success, so who will be my prayer caller?
Allah: Your prayer caller will be the musician.

The Quran tells us music and musicians is this and society tells us music and musicians are something else. Compare the two versions.

Shaytaan further asks: What will be my speech with which my influence will permeate within that person?
Allah replied: Lies.

Shaytaan: What will be my trap with which I can fish the human being into coming towards my way?
Allah: Women. "

It is the duty of every Muslim to strive his utmost to find acceptable (lawful) alternative to the
prohibited forms of music and song as delineated in the treatise. No doubt, for every unlawful thing
there is a lawful alternative available.You can Read And Recite Quran Or As the Brother Biz mentioned earlier,listen to your favourite reciter or gather audios of different reciters and listen to them.English translator of the Quraan, Muhammad M. Pickethall,describes his experience as "that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy."Constant Dhikr on your tongue could do the job,The glorious Quraan says, {Yes, verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility}.You can also engage yourself in health activities such as sports,They will not only keeps you fit and strong but also brings benefit by developing physical and mental acumen.Insha-Allah,You will succeed in overcoming worldly desires and tempatations,may Allah keeps us in His blessing and guide us to the right path,Ameen

Regards

omg it was so hard for me to leave music cuz alhumdulillah i hav a really good voice n i love singing i was crazy abt music i;ve played the piano n recorder n other instruments wen i was in HK used to know abt all the latest songs buh alhumdulillah alhumdulillah i stopped listening 6 yrs back, the sad part is tht i remember all the songs i used to listen to and sometimes sing them wen i meet my frnds i've planned to stop tht too inshaAllah , i sliped once recently and listend to the song called who says buh afta tht i felt so bad i cried lots n asked for forgiveness n havn't listend to songs afta tht i sometimes listen to nasheeds buh usually i just sing my self...

i agree with sis cosmicintuition tht there r no set steps u just decide to stop listening n stop right away

just stay away from it, for me its hard to go to malls cuz theres usually music in everyshop n it gets stuck in my head.

May Allah help u inshaAllah He'll reward u for trying n inshaAllah u'll leave it completely like i did. inshaAllah

is it ok to sing?? i mean nasheeds n nursery rhymes n all?? cuz i work in a skool n sometimes hav to sing to the kids...

format_quote Originally Posted by cOsMiCiNtUiTiOn

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.494B Narrated by Abu Amir
that he heard the Prophet (saws) saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful.”

Sis, in this hadith what are the arabic words used for musical instruments? Are not our vocal cords also musical instruments?

And I dont consider illegal sex, wearing of silk or drinking of alcohol as lawful. So does this hadith apply to me as I believe in 75% of it?

format_quote Originally Posted by Yanal

Wouldn't you rather listen to the Quran or a nasheed?

What if someone listens to both Quran and music? This is not a good argument against music, brother. Its like saying "would you not listen to Quran when you are about play soccer? or about to talk to your wife?"

It is not my place to analyze the meaning of a hadith and I am sure scholars have differing opinions on it as well. I would say that from my own personal observation music can shape a society's way of thinking (subtly).

I find it interesting that society often views "heavy metal" or any of its sub genres as satanic. While it's true that there are some subgenres of it has a "satanic" theme, most are about generic things, some about fantasy etc. I'm not saying its good, but compare that to what is in pop culture today, hiphop or rnb. They might not be themed on "satan" but they "preach" promiscuity, alcohol, what have you. The problem with metal in my opinion is not so much as in the lyrics but in the culture itself, go to any metal gigs(don't go its just an example) and you will see for yourself.

That is for the audience.

It's a whole other experience for the performer.

But still I dare not say whether it is haram or halal. I have stated the negative(certainly not all of it), but there are positive as well and the question I have in my mind is whether it can be purified much like how Islam purifies the cultures of people. Of course, if it is haram then we must avoid it definitely. In that case we must define what is meant by music.

Is Music Haram?
Al-Haadi Vol. 10 Issue No. 4

Q: Is music haraam? Some people are propagating the view that it is not Haraam. Many Islamic songs are sung with the playing of the duff. Is it permissible to listen to them? Also, some Islamic songs are recorded with the zikr of “Allah” played in the background. It sounds very much like drums are being played. However, it is a group of people who are saying “Allah” in unison. Is there any problem in listening to this?


A: Hazrath Anas (R.A.) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:“There will certainly be people from my Ummah who will attempt to legalize fornication, the wearing of silk (for males), the consuming of wine and the use of musical instruments” (Al-Jaamius Sagheer - Pg. 139). Indeed this prophesy of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is glaring before us. Despite the clear prohibition of the use of musical instruments, great efforts are being made to “legalize” their use. While some people wish to declare all music permissible, others are opening the door slowly by declaring that only the use of the “duff” is permissible. Thus it is necessary to examine the reality of these claims in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
In Surah Luqman Allah Ta’ala declares:

“And among the people are those who purchase idle talk in order to mislead others from the path of Allah in ignorance.”

Hazrath Abdullah bin Masood (R.A.) states emphatically that this verse was revealed regarding singing and musical instruments. The same has been reported from Hazrath Abdullah bin Abbas (R.A.) and Hazrath Jaabir (R.A.) (Tafseer Qurtubi). Thus when these illustrious students of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), who witnessed the revelation of the aayaat (verses) of the Qur’an are clear that this verse prohibits music and musical instruments, the “view” of any twentieth century “scholar” to the contrary holds no weight.


BLOCK OUT SOUND
Various Ahadith also clearly prohibit music and the use of musical instruments. Hazrath Abdullah bin Umar (R.A.) reports that once Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) heard the sound of the flute of a shepherd. He immediately placed his fingers into his ears (to block out the sound) (Musnad Ahmad). How tragic it is that our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) blocks his ears to the sound of music but his Ummah opens their ears wide to the same sounds. In another narration Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is reported to have said:“ Verily Allah Ta’ala has sent me as a guidance and as a mercy to the Believers and He has commanded me to destroy musical instruments”(Musnad Ahmad).


DUFF
As for the duff, it is also a musical instrument and therefore it will primarily be included in the above prohibition. However, some concession was given for the use of the duff on the occasion of a Nikah. The Sahaaba (R.A.), who were the direct students of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) understood the commands of the Qur’an and Hadith far better than we can ever hope to understand. It is reported regarding Hazrath Umar (R.A.) that if he heard the sound of a duff he would immediately send somebody to investigate. If it was found to be the occasion of a Walima, he would not do anything. Otherwise he would go for his whip (i.e. he would forcefully stop the playing of the duff) (Fathul Qadeer - Vol. 6, Pg. 389).


EXTRACTING LAWS
Nevertheless, to extract the laws of Shariah directly from the Qur’an and Sunnah is possible only for one who is a mujtahid [in the calibre of the four great Imaams viz. Imaam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), Imaam Malik (R.A.), Imaam Shaafi (R.A.) and Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (R.A.)]. Together with an expert in-depth knowledge of the Qur’an and hundreds of thousands of Ahadith, they had also mastered all the numerous sciences pertaining to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
According to the Zaahirur Riwayah (the most authentic narrations) of the Hanafi school of thought, the use of the duff is completely disallowed. Latter day scholars who have attributed a restricted permissibility to the Hanafi school have erred. This complete disallowal is based on the Juristic principle of “saddan lil baab” i.e. to restrict an act that would invariably lead to impermissible actions.
The Shafi’ee Ulama have permitted the use of the duff only on the occasion of a walima subject to several conditions. Allamah Ibn Hajar Makki, Shafi’ee has detailed the various conditions, among which is that the duff should not be beaten in a manner that produces a musical sound, but rather just a simple beating which does not produce any tune or melody. Only the palms may be used to beat the duff and not the fingers. It should also be beaten only for a short while. Having stated this he says that “in our era it is makrooh to beat the duff” (since people cannot fulfil the stringent conditions).
Therefore in the light of the above one should not listen to such nazams which are accompanied by the playing of the duff.


BACKGROUND ZIKR
As for the “background zikr,” this should be considered very carefully. What is the purpose of having people say “Allah” in unison in the background? Is it for the purpose of zikr itself? If yes, then why in the background? If the purpose is to create a background effect to make the nazam more entertaining, in the manner that background music is used, this is an extremely dangerous thing. It is abuse of the name of Allah Ta’ala. The name of Allah Ta’ala is not for the purpose of entertainment. If it has been deliberately made to resemble the beating of drums, it will be even more serious and even dangerous for one’s Imaan. One should totally refrain from listening to such nazams.

Source: http://www.beautifulislam.net/halalharam/music.htm

I found the above to provide a good insight into the issue of Music in Islam...

Scimi