HOW I STOPPED LISTENING TO MUSIC

All of us have a certain time in life of which we are ashamed of and I really hope that Allah will forgive me! I'll be frank here: I was a massive music addict. When I say I was a music lover, I don't just say that I listen to it to kill boredom. I listened to music because I loved it, and there were nights where I'd sit up until late midnight. Past 3 a.m too, listening to music. And yes, in most cases, I ended up missing my Fajr prayer. I am ashamed of what I did. I really am... May Allah forgive me.

I know that there are a lot of Muslims who are struggling with their addiction with music. I can relate a lot to this, having been a music addict myself. I knew that listening to music is Haraam, but that didn't stop me. I regret all what I did. There were times though when the reality of the fact that music is prohibited in Islam hit me, and I did make some vague resolutions to stop myself from listening to it, but generally after a few weeks or so, I'd get back to my disgusting addiction.

The fact it, I've always thought that giving up listening to music was going to be really tough, but now that I have stopped it, I realize how exceptionally easy it was. Subhanallah! A word of advice for those who are reading this: If you are trying to avoid music, the first thing you should do is have a firm intention and resolution. I guess the only reason why I have not been able to avoid music was due to the fact that my resolutions were always weak. If you set your heart on your intentions, everything becomes easy. If you try for the Sake of Allah, not matter how hard it may seem to be, Allah will make it beautifully easy for you. I know this because that's how I gave up listening to music.

Wallahi, avoiding music might seem like a really daunting task, but it's so much more easier- if you are firm in your intentions. I made a promise to Allah that I would never listen to music again, and that promise has made me far stronger than I thought I could be, and I would never want to break that promise I made with Allah. May Allah protect me!

From my years of listening to music, I can definitely relate to one fact: I did take pleasure in music, but it was always accompanied by a massive sense of guilt of disobeying Allah. I tried to push away that guilt away, but it always persisted. Now, after avoiding music, my eyes opened up to so many possibilities. So many 'What if's'.... 

Be truthful to yourself: Are you really at peace when you listen to music? Doesn't the thought that you are disobeying Allah cross your mind? Is it worth the momentary pleasure of music at the cost of earning the displeasure of Allah? Is that one song, which is probably no longer than 5 minutes, worth your losing Jannah? What if you die in that state, may Allah protect all of us! What if that music is the cause of your entering Jahannum? What if all those songs you listened to will stop you from uttering the Kalimah at the time of your death? What if music and the disgusting lyrics in that tempts you towards committing more sins? What if your listening to music takes you away from your Allah, the One Who created you, is forever compassionate towards you and is forever merciful to you?

Is it worth it? 

Now, Alhamdulillah, not only have I avoided music, but I have a raw hatred for it. And once you hate it, you'll never be tempted again, In Sha Allah! Music today, is more or less audio pornography. Women are spoken of as sexual objects, the lyrics encourage vile behaviour and provoke haram desires within a person. And this is what we have grown addicted to, this is what we listen and this is what we take pleasure in... May Allah forgive us all for our ignorance. It exactly because of this that Prophet Muhammad Sallahi Alaihi Wasallam has said:"Verily, singing generates hypocrisy in the heart just as water causes farm-produce to grow". (Baihaqi)

There is nothing more soothing than the recitation of the Quran and the beautiful meaning of it, so if music is just a portal you use to calm your mind, kow that you can NEVER find peace that way. How can we expect to find peace, consolation and happiness in something Allah has proibited? You want peace and happiness? Listen to the Quran, read the meaning of it or listen to Nasheeds without music of course. There are some beautiful ones, MashaAllah. For a start, you can listen to 'Al Habib' and 'Heartsong' by Talib Al Habib. I couldn't help but cry when I heard it, Subhanallah!

If you have any songs on your phones, computers or iPods, delete them. You can't listen to them if it's deleted, right? Replace all those who recitation of the Quran, Islamic lectures or Nasheeds, and if you still persist in listening to music when you can easily listen to the Quran/Nasheeds/lectures, the guilt would be too much to bear. Trust me on that.

Never do the love of songs and the love of Qur`an come together in a person’s heart except that one expels the other.

Something in you might tell you that you might miss out on so much of fun when you avoid music or movies, but know that this is nothing but the whispers of Shaytan. What kind of enjoyment can you ever find in doing something Haraam? You are not missing out on fun when you avoid music/movies. You are only earning for yourself the Pleasure of Allah and sacrificing your desires for the Sake of Allah. This in itself, would help you rise in ranks on the Day of Qiyamah. After all, isn't the greater Jihad struggling against your own desires for the Sake of Allah?

Finally, if you want to stop listening to music and watching movies, make lots of Du'aa. Du'aa can change anything, and so long as you are sincere in your Du'aa, Allah will surely show you a way out. When you listening to music, you are sinning and moving away from Allah, and each time you avoid it, you are strengthening your relationship with Allah. Do it for the Sake of Allah. Allah will help you, make it easy for you, reward you and above all, love you... And where does this immeasurable Love of Allah count with the love of music and movies?

Avoiding music is not difficult. It's about the easiest thing I have ever given up. And this, coming from a massive music addict, really relates to quite a lot. 

“And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and provide for him from whence he could never imagine.” [ Sûrah al-Talâq : 2-3]

Stay strong in your intentions, make Du'aa and fear Allah. Everything else will naturally be made easy for you!

"Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: 'Verily, the bell is of the musical instruments of shaitaan." (Muslim and Abu Dawood)

"The Malaaikah do not associate with a group in which there is a dog or a bell." (Muslim and Abu Dawood)

"Most certainly, there will be in my Ummah people who will make lawful fornication, silk, liquor and musical instruments." (Bukhaari)

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Most certainly, people from my Ummah will consume liquor which they will describe with some other name. Over their heads will be playing musical instruments and singing girls. Allah will cause the earth to swallow them, and from among them He will transform into apes and pigs." (Ibn Maajah)

FASTING ON THE 9TH AND 10TH OF MUHARRAM & ITS VIRTUES

Praise be to Allaah.  

Fasting the day of ‘Ashoora’ does expiate for the past year, because the Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Fasting the day of ‘Arafah I hope Allaah will expiate thereby for the year before it and the year after it, and fasting the day of ‘Ashoora’ I hope Allaah will expiate thereby for the year that came before it.” Narrated by Muslim, 1162. This is by the bounty that Allaah bestows upon us, whereby fasting one day expiates for the sins of a whole year. And Allaah is the Owner of great bounty. 

The Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to be very keen to make sure he fasted on the day of ‘Ashoora’ because of its great status. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I never saw the Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) so keen to make sure he fasted any day and preferring it over another except this day, the day of ‘Ashoora’, and this month – meaning Ramadaan. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1867. 

What is meant by being keen to make sure he fasted it is so as to earn its reward. 

With regard to the reason why the Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) fasted on the day of ‘Ashoora’ and urged the people to do likewise is mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (1865) from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: The Prophet (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Ashoora’. He said, “What is this?” They said, “This is a good day, this is the day when Allaah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moosa fasted on this day.” He said, “We have closer to Moosa than you.” So he fasted on this day and told the people to fast. 

The words “this is a good day” – according to a version narrated by Muslim, “This is a great day when Allaah saved Moosa and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people.” 

The words “so Moosa fasted on this day” – Muslim added in his report: “In gratitude to Allaah, so that is we fast on this day.” 

According to another version narrated by al-Bukhaari, “So we fast it out of respect for it.” 

The expiation of sins that is achieved by fasting ‘Ashoora’ refers to minor sins; with regard to major sins, they need separate repentance. 

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Fasting the day of ‘Arafaah expiates for all minor sins, in other words this brings forgiveness for all sins except for major sins. 

Then he said: 

Fasting the day of ‘Arafaah is an expiation for two years, and the day of ‘Ashoora is an expiation for one year, and if a person’s Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven… Each of the things mentioned may bring expiation. If he does something that expiates for minor sins he will be expiated, and if there are no minor or major sins, it will be recorded for him as good deeds and he will rise in status thereby… If there is one or more major sins and no minor sins, we hope that it will reduce his major sins.  Al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, part 6. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The expiation of purification, prayer, and fasting Ramadaan, ‘Arafah and ‘Ashoora’ applies to minor sins only.  Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 5.

Via Islamic Q & A

PICTURES OF HIJABIS FOR DAWAH- IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

I’ve noticed a lot of Islamic Dawah pages on Facebook, and MashaAllah, the messages are really good and inspiring. But the thing is, particularly when the topic of Hijab comes up, there are some things that had better be avoided. For one thing, when putting up a message about the correct Hijab, the explanation that’s given, together with Quranic Aayahs and Hadith to back it up are really, really good. And it is something that needs to be addressed. The point is that, the images that accompany the messages aren't so good.

It’s really disappointing to see these pages have images of sisters donning the incorrect Hijab, with tight jeans and the camel hump Hijab style, etc. These have to be corrected - yes- but not by exposing the sins of other sisters. Having cartoonified images may be ok, but how can we put up pictures of sisters without their permission? For one thing, the sister who had donned the incorrect Hijab may have corrected herself and for all we know, she might even be a Niqabi. So how can we expose their sins for the whole world to see? Allah would have forgiven them for their mistake, but would He forgive us for exposing the sins of another?

The other thing is that uploading pictures like that- even though the message you intend to give is good- is certainly not the proper way to give Dawah and it might even push certain sisters away from the Hijab. One thing we really need to remember is to be gentle when giving Dawah and that too particularly where the Hijab is concerned.

I recently saw a post like this together with an image of two sisters wearing the Hijab with tight jeans, and a lot of fans on the page have mentioned that the image should be removed. And it's right too… We should try our best to not be the cause of another person sinning and this calls for special attention online. Remember that if you are posting images of sisters in Hijab/Niqab or even a picture of a brother to use it alongside your Dawah message, be exceptionally careful. Think twice whether an image is actually necessary. And also remember that each time someone sees those images, you’re being the reason for them to not lower their gaze. None of us would want to bear that sin, right? And imagine how many people are going to see, stare or get attracted to those images… and each time they do so, we will have to bear that sin too. And how many more people are going to see it if the post gets shared? Subhanallah.

So this is my message- try as much as you can to avoid putting up pictures of Hijabis/Niqabis or even images of brothers because just as men have to lower their gazes, so should women. You can get your message across even without an image, so why use such pictures? And also, please be gentle and understanding when giving Dawah. It’s not only Muslims who may read it but non-Muslims too, so maintain good Akhlaq and be kind and gentle in your Dawah- just like our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam was. And trust me, this will not only inspire Muslims but non-Muslims too, In Sha Allah.

Please share this message with other Islamic Dawah pages too.

Jazakallah Khair!