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)