Struggle with Music since 2006

[~ Sabr ~]

I have been struggling to stop listening to music since 2006.

I stop listening, then start listening, then stop, then start, etc.

Any tips?

[aadil77]

theres no real alternative to music, you can listen to those girly nasheeds they have now a days or you can listen to Qur'an but none of them will give you the same effect

unfortunately only way to stop is to stop

[~ Sabr ~]

Ok my main problem is that I do not enjoy the music that much - I actually listen to the poetry in the music and the beat in the background. That's it.

[Muhaba]

it is haram and that should be enough to make you stop. not only is there punishment in the next world, but also think of how unpleased our Creator would be with us when we listen to something He told us not to. And Prophet Muhammad (SAW)! He would be greatly unpleased.

write these points (adding more if you like) and read them every day. hopefully that should make you refrain from listening to music.

you can get nasheeds without music or acapella songs that don't have music. I don't know if acapella are haram but since they don't have music (as i've heard) so hopefully they won't be haram if they don't have any bad words.

finally studying Quran commentary also helps. check out my Surah Al-Anaam commentary that i will be posting soon.

[~ Sabr ~]

Also I have been listening to music for a good 20 years, so makes it even harder to quit.

[sister herb]

This may sound strange but my first idea was when I read your post as what if you would stop trying this too hard - just let yourself get used to life without music slowly. Changing old habits takes own times - sometimes longer than we expect. Be mercy to yourself and don´t try too much too fast. Remember that Allah too is mercy to you.

Hopely I managed to explain my idea even my not-so-perfect-english.

[Aprender]

I struggle with this too. I had many friends who worked in the music industry so to know that it was prohibited in Islam wasn't easy.

But alhamdulillah I don't really listen to music much at all anymore aside from whatever others are listening to in the house in their rooms and sometimes I hear it when I walk by. This is going to sound strange but honestly whenever I feel like listening to music I'll go clean something up in the house, or find a new recipe to make cookies online and I'll go into the kitchen and occupy myself with that. Then the next thing you know it's time for salah and then I go to pray and usually the urge to listen to music is gone by then and I want to sit down and relax. And if that doesn't work, I'll go and work out for a bit, do some running, some sit ups, go visit a friend.

But when I am up late at night and I think of wanting to listen to music I usually turn on the sounds of nature and find myself falling or sleep or just turn on some cartoons to watch and then by that time the day is done and it's time for me to go to sleep.

[dqsunday]

I never really listened to music myself. preferring to not always have my ears bombarded with noise day in and day out, not really sure why people feel a need to have to have music on, constantly having ear plugs in their head listening to ipods or whatnot. In my view it just makes the person all the more cut off to everything, including physical dangers. It wasn't all that long ago a young woman was killed because she had her music so loud she couldn't hear the horn of a train (and she was walking on the tracks). I don't know how many of you have heard the sound of a train's horn but its very loud, far louder than a car's horn.

About the the only time I listen to music is whatever happens to be on the radio station when I am in the car but I don't really pay attention to it as I prefer to focus on my driving. Its not on very loud either, as again I don't like my hearing obstructed.

For some advice, I suggest you cut music out slowly. There are plenty of mp3's of the Holy Qur'an which you can listen to. I find the Arabic language quite beautiful to listen too, especially when the Qur'an is recited. During the times you feel an urge to listen to music, listen to the Qur'an, try to copy the sounds yourself (unless you are already fluent in Arabic, then again even if you are, could use this suggest to memorize the Qur'an too).

[marwen]

Any tips?

listen to Justin Bieber, that should get the job done !

Now seriously, (from personal experience) get rid of all your music stuff : CDs, mp3 files on PC, mp3 player, etc. Then avoid listening to music in online videos, music in TV, and try to not concentrate on the music you hear unintentionally in the street and avoid places where there music is always played. And finally, convince yourself that you can stop listening to music and it's only Shaytan who makes you feel so weak against this fitna.
And always try to empower yourself spiritually and increase eemaan.

[CosmicPathos]

it is haram and that should be enough to make you stop.

do you have any evidence for that? Music is one of the most creative activities of humankind. Is creativity haram? I am not talking about stupid rap or hiphop or rocknroll music. I am talking about the real deal. Sitar, santoor, sarangi, sarod, bansuri, piano, violin, organ, orchestra.

Is living in kaafir countries haram? Is watching hollywood movies haram? Is enjoying worldly stuff (because it certainly takes us away from zikr of Allah) haraam? Why dont you condemn that but only music which for some people is an escape from the vicissitudes of time and life?

Why is it assumed that people who listen to such introspective music do not have emaan? I have found some of such ppl to be more humble, more humane, more pious, more God-fearing than the namesake "believers."

[ILuvAllah]

Music is not haram, it is makru. I think listening to music once in a while is no big deal. yes but dont be addicted to it. Addiction would do much damage.

[CosmicPathos]

Music is not haram, it is makru. I think listening to music once in a while is no big deal. yes but dont be addicted to it. Addiction would do much damage.

Addiction of anything is wrong and abnormal. if someone is addicted to even Quran that they dont fulfill rights of their parents, ignore salah, ignore human relationships, then that is abnormal as well.

Even the recitation of Quran is music. We are creating rhythm and intonation via vocal cords, larynx, tongue, lips when we recite Quran in a beautiful way. Music itself is not haram. Musical instruments are nothing but replacement of human vocal cords, tongue and lips with strings and keys and holes.

Dont get me wrong, I am open minded. Show me a clear cut proof from Quran and hadith which single handedly prohibits ALL types of music and musical instruments in ANY circumstances, I'd accept the command of Allah, inshAllah. I want this proof to be as clear as the proof against zina, against shirk and against other evils which are so clearly illustrated in Quran and hadith.

[aadil77]

[~ Sabr ~]

I've listened to that lecture lol, and a million other lectures about music. It's just not sinking in.

[Samiun]

Addiction of anything is wrong and abnormal. if someone is addicted to even Quran that they dont fulfill rights of their parents, ignore salah, ignore human relationships, then that is abnormal as well.

Even the recitation of Quran is music. We are creating rhythm and intonation via vocal cords, larynx, tongue, lips when we recite Quran in a beautiful way. Music itself is not haram. Musical instruments are nothing but replacement of human vocal cords, tongue and lips with strings and keys and holes.

Dont get me wrong, I am open minded. Show me a clear cut proof from Quran and hadith which single handedly prohibits ALL types of music and musical instruments in ANY circumstances, I'd accept the command of Allah, inshAllah. I want this proof to be as clear as the proof against zina, against shirk and against other evils which are so clearly illustrated in Quran and hadith.

but I've read all(or maybe three) of the 4 imams of the madhabs prohibits it inside the book about music which you can find in kalamullah.com

[~ Sabr ~]

I don't want this thread to turn into a DEBATE please!

Just need some tips on cutting back listening to music InshaAllaah!

[Hulk]

There are many things that can be defined as music so I won't say whether it's haram or halal but the thing about music is that it can alter your state of being. It stimulates a certain part of your brain, so it can influence your emotion, mood, movements.Used to be in a heavy metal band that gigged frequently and what I observed was that the influence of music is far reaching. It can shape your worldview, how you dress, how you choose your friends.

[Samiun]

maybe this could help? I dunno, but worked for me when I tried to stop listening.

week 1:Say your goodbyes to Musics
week 2:Listen to a bit of Qur'an and nasheed
week 3:Listen to nasheed
week 4:Stop thinking about nasheed and find some more awesome nasheeds
week 5:You would probably think that nasheed is better than music. Hence, you will like nasheed better since it's halal and nice to listen to.
week 6:You figured out that listening nasheed become boring but since music is worse so you would quit inshallah
week 7:By now you've completed the training of anti-music, now live life as you usually would and you would only listen to music in shopping malls, movies and documentaries.

[Danah]

I have been struggling to stop listening to music since 2006.

I stop listening, then start listening, then stop, then start, etc.

Any tips?

I found this lecture awesome on that topic. I strongly recomend everyone to listen to that lecture:
End of Music - Kamal El Makki

Also this video: