When you listen to Music a lot

[abo mussaab]

When you listen to Music a lot, then you get absent minded you find that! your mind keeps repeating songs and music.

When you listen to Quran a lot, then you get absent minded, you will find that your mind keeps repeating Quran verses.

This is not the problem
the problem is when it's time to die your mind will keep repeating what it is used to...

What would you like your mind to be repeating at such a time?

OUR LAST WORDS SHOULD BE
La ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah (saw)

 

[Camilla]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but is the call to prayer that Muslims use considered music?
It sounds like it. And what about instrumental music? Is leaning to play an instrument encouraged or discouraged?
Also, is dancing frowned upon?

 

[M.I.A.]

personally i think music is like any other medium.

it sends out a message.

be it commercial consumerism, ideals, stories or culture... or anything else for that matter... iv heard some pretty good protest masquerade under music.


but its still just a viewpoint that is often questionable.

i mean it reaches a huge number of people.


i for one do not often hear music in my head, when i do i just know thats not who i am and it passes.


its funny because i cant recall such things happening when i actually did listen to music frequently.

 

[Tyrion]

And what about instrumental music? Is leaning to play an instrument encouraged or discouraged?

It's never really encouraged, since music has never played a major role in worship or anything religious (As far as Islam goes, anyway). As for it being discouraged, that depends on who you ask. The majority opinion here is that musical instruments are forbidden, which also seems to be the classical position based on some implications made by various Hadith/sayings of the Prophet.

 

[Camilla]

I still don't really understand what is so inherently wrong with music. Is it that it takes time away from religious reflection?
What about other forms of art: poetry, painting and other crafts?
I do agree that songs can have negative content. But, on the other hand, there is music that has a great message.

 

[Tyrion]

I still don't really understand what is so inherently wrong with music. Is it that it takes time away from religious reflection?

I don't think there's a good answer to this from the anti-music point of view, and all the non religious justifications I've heard on this forum don't really hold up. The primary reason people hold that position seems to be exclusively religious, in that they believe it was forbidden to them for whatever (divinely inspired) reason. It can be similar to how Jews/Muslims don't really need a reason for not eating pork outside of scripture/teachings.

What about other forms of art: poetry, painting and other crafts?

Poetry can be pretty big in Islamic circles. Painting/drawing on the other hand has some opposition, with some claiming that it is forbidden (also due to Hadith, some of which might imply that recreating a living thing in any capacity is blasphemous). There doesn't seem to be an issue with crafts in general, though I wouldn't say most forms of entertainment are really encouraged from a religious standpoint. (Not to say they're all discouraged)

songs can have negative content. But, on the other hand, there is music that has a great message.

I agree.

 

[Camilla]

So, it really just boils down to the principle of it?
Do Muslims really adhere to it?

Also, I keep interchanging Muslim/Islam(ic). And I don't know if I'm correct in doing so.

 

[Tyrion]

So, it really just boils down to the principle of it?
Do Muslims really adhere to it?

For many, yes, it can just boil down to the principle of it, but you'll find plenty of Muslims who'll try and justify their position with other non religious reasons. Like I said though, it depends on the person. I'd say that most people I know personally, including myself, don't agree with the anti-music position. In fact, I had never heard of it until I came to this site a few years ago, so in practice it probably depends on the community. However, in my previous responses I tried to present a fair overview of the position that is popular here and considered to be the 'majority' position.

 

[Tyrion]

Also, I keep interchanging Muslim/Islam(ic). And I don't know if I'm correct in doing so.

A person who follows the religion of Islam is called a Muslim. Things that have to do with Islam can be referred to as Islamic.

 

[Camilla]

Thank you so much, you've been really helpful and patient with me.

 

[greenhill]

Salaam all:shade:

It all boils down to intention. Very hard to peel this to the ‘quick’ so to speak.

Music has become an integral part of the ‘ambience’ surrounding human life in the developed and developing world. Without it life becomes kind of silent. You’ll notice that in European movies there are minimal background music as compared to Hollywood movies and the impact is very different. Straight away when you watch European movies the attention is on the actors and the set compared to the Hollywood type movies where the sound adds to the effects, often heightens the impact, like suspense, sad, happy etc.

Likewise is our own daily lives, where the house, the car etc will ‘feel’ awfully quiet without some form of music in the background to lift up the mood or just plainly fill in for the silence.

However, music has developed so much and in so many diverse ways that it has picked up huge audiences from various backgrounds.

So coming back to intention, there are many ‘remedies’ offered in Islam through prayers, wirid(?), reading of the Quran, dua, and various recitations (I know I have missed out things here) that goes a long way to giving us peace of mind, calmness, blessings etc., that has been substituted with music. Rather than taking Allah as our Lord (and friend?), we turn to music to take our mind off it or to enhance the feeling of it. (This is really not coming out the way I want to say it). Hence, we ‘float’ away into a zone where we forget the existence of God and get totally immersed in this expressive medium.

In the current world we live in, it gets much harder to live in ‘moderation’, and music plays a role in the vast majority of peoples’ lives that we rather drive around listening to the radio, cd of favourite artists than Quranic verses, for example. Bring other entertaining materials instead of the Quran or other Islamic materials on our travels. In this world, I believe ‘music’ is the biggest distraction to our ‘taqwa’, closely followed by the tv and internet?

That’s why I am glad to spend more time here, at least here I am ‘floating’ in the territory of Islam. I am not saying that I am anti music, I LURVE music at one stage more than anything, rock and blues especially! But my taqwa then was pitiful. I'd rather get 'high' on those beautiful leads by the guitar heroes and be transported into another world! I cannot change those days, In syaa Allah I can make a better future.:nervous:

Peace (Rock On?)

 

[Camilla]

Thank you,
I think understand your explanation. But for me (I live in America) I can't imagine how hard it would be to avoid music. It's absolutely everywhere here. It's not something that i've ever thought of before, it was simply the norm. It's in restaurants, hotels, any sort of shopping center.
Ok, so what about other forms of entertainment. movies or theater? sporting events?

 

[Ahmad H]

But for me (I live in America) I can't imagine how hard it would be to avoid music. It's absolutely everywhere here.

Tell me about it. I live in Canada, it's the same here. It is very difficult to avoid music. To be honest, in order to avoid terrible songs and not waste my idle thinking on listening to them, I drown it out with prayers in my head. It is a perfect escape and it provides me with the benefit of becoming closer to God.

Islam is about being moderate. Music is everywhere even in Muslim countries. No one can escape music. If someone lived on a mountain, they would definitely try to find something to make music with, even if only they enjoy it themselves. Music is a form of expression. it is definitely better for a Muslim to listen to Qur'anic recitations more than music, but in all honesty not every Muslim can reach that level where they can always listen to Qur'an recitations and nothing else.

As for movies and other forms of entertainment, it is discouraged to waste too much time on it in Islam. It is better for a Muslim to read the Qur'an, Ahadith, books on Islam, sit in prayer-gatherings, do Tasbih, spend time with family, with friends, go outside and play, exercise, etc. There are so many things to do which are important that if one spends too much time in front of TV or movies, then they will just waste away. sporting events are fine also, as long as a Muslim doesn't engage in any vile behavior like fighting with others over their own teams or cursing others, especially betting. There are a lot of evils to avoid, but there is no harm in sporting events. If they cost too much, then staying away from spending that money needlessly is better. It is better for a Muslim to spend their money on charity than all of it on recreational activities.

 

[Camilla]

Oh, you share a country with Justin Bieber? My condolences.
Thank you for the explanations. Music is just so integral to my life and I've never questioned it,
this viewpoint is fascinating.

And martial arts or boxing, are these acceptable sports to practice?
Or is the violence prohibited?

I'm still curious about the call to prayer, though.
How is that not considered music?

 

[Tyrion]

How is that not considered music?

The issue tends to arise with musical instruments, not music in general.

 

[Ahmad H]

Oh, you share a country with Justin Bieber? My condolences.
Thank you for the explanations. Music is just so integral to my life and I've never questioned it,
this viewpoint is fascinating.

And martial arts or boxing, are these acceptable sports to practice?
Or is the violence prohibited?

I'm still curious about the call to prayer, though.
How is that not considered music?

Haha, that's funny. I don't like Justin Beiber either. just another product of the engineered pop industry with terrible music.

As for sports like boxing or martial arts, etc., these are all acceptable. Hazrat Umar (ra) used to wrestle himself. And in fact Hazrat Junayd Baghdadi (ra), a very famous Sufi saint was a great ascetic and spiritual teacher to many, and he earned from wrestling as well. If wrestling is allowed, so are other fighting sports. As long as the sports themselves are humane, nothing with mutilation, killing, fighting with animals, or making animals fight, mistreating animals, etc. I mentioned animals because some people would think that using animals for fighting or torture is entertainment (such as the rodeos).

The call to prayer, and in fact any prayer, is not considered instrumental as someone else pointed out. We are supposed to sing the praises of Allah in a beautiful voice so that it is pleasing to Allah and to the ones who listen to it. We are supposed to beautify His praises. Thus, His words can be sung, but not with instruments. Poetry about Allah is usually sung in very beautiful voices. You honestly don't need music when you listen to the poetry, people can make some amazing sounds with their voices.

 

[Camilla]

I don't think any sane person is much of a Bieber fan. I honestly don't know how he's successful.

Okay, I think i finally understand the difference now.
Because I've listened the call to prayer, and what I heard was beautiful.
Even though I didn't understand a word of it.
I can also see how music could be traded for poetry quite easily.

And thanks for the information on the wrestling.