How to Stop Listening to Music:
Bismillaahir Rahmanir Rahim
“Whoever leaves something for the Sake of Allah, Allah will
provide him with a better thing.” (Related by Ahmad)
Tips on How to Stop Listening to Music
1. First, let’s see what the Qur’aan and what the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallaam said regarding the issue in shaa
Allaah
(Allah) said: “Go, and whosoever of them follows you (Satan),
surely! Hell will be the recompense of you (all) an ample
recompense.” And Istafziz [literally means: befool them gradually]
those whom you can among them with your voice (i.e. songs,
music, and any other call for Allah’s disobedience), make assaults
on them with your cavalry and your infantry, mutually share
with them wealth and children (by tempting them to earn money
by illegal ways usury, etc., or by committing illegal sexual
intercourse, etc.), and make promises to them.” But Satan
promises them nothing but deceit. (Qur'an 17:63-64)
And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks (i.e.music, singing,
etc.) to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah without knowledge,
and takes it (the Path of Allah, the Verses of the Quran) by way
of mockery. For such there will be a humiliating torment (in the
Hell-fire). (Qur'an 31:6)
Ibn Masood (ra) said about this verse “I swear by the One other
than Whom there is no God that it refers to singing [ghinaa].”, and
he repeated this three times. Ibn Abbaas (ra) said it refered to
‘singing and the like’ while Jaabir (ra) is reported to view its
meaning to signify singing and listening to songs. Many taabi’oon
such as Mujaahid, Ikrimah, Mak-hool and Umar ibn Shu’ayb
viewed it as a censure of music and song. ~ Bukhari, #787 (Also
related by Tabari)
Sa’id ibn Jbayr reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said about the verse:
”And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks” (31:6), that,
“ldle talks means singing and the like.” (Qur'an 53:57-62)
The Day of Resurrection draws near, None besides Allah can
avert it, (or advance it, or delay it). Do you then wonder at this
recital (the Qur’an)? And you laugh at it and weep not, Wasting
your (precious) lifetime in pastime and amusements (singing, etc.).
So fall you down in prostration to Allah, and worship Him
(Alone).
‘Ikrimah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: it was narrated
from Ibn ‘Abbaas that al-sumood [verbal noun from saamidoon,
translated here as “Wasting your (precious) lifetime in pastime
and amusements (singing)”] means “singing”, in the dialect of
Himyar; it might be said “Ismidi lanaa” [‘sing for us’ – from the
same root as saamidoon/sumood] meaning “ghaniy” [sing]. And
he said (may Allaah have mercy on him): When they [the kuffaar]
heard the Qur’aan, they would sing, then this aayah was
revealed.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning) “Wasting your (precious) lifetime
in pastime and amusements (singing)” – Sufyaan al-Thawri said,
narrating from his father from Ibn ‘Abbaas: (this means) singing.
This is Yemeni (dialect): ismad lana means ghan lana [sing to us].
This was also the view of ‘Ikrimah. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’
al-Fataawa, 3/423-424:
“Ma’aazif refers to singing and musical instruments. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that at the
end of time there will come a people who will allow these things
just as they will allow alcohol, zina and silk. This is one of the
signs of his Prophethood, for all of this has happened. The
hadeeth indicates that [musical instruments] are haram
(prohibited), and condemns those who say they arehalal
(permissible), just as it condemns those who say that alcohol and
zina are allowed. The aayaat and ahaadeeth that warn against
singing and musical instruments are many indeed. Whoever claims
that Allaah has allowed singing and musical instruments is lying
and is committing a great evil. We ask Allaah to keep us from
obeying our desires and the Shaytaan. Even worse and more
seriously sinful than that are those who say it is mustahabb.
Undoubtedly this stems from ignorance about Allaah and His
Religion; it is insolent blasphemy against Allaah and lying about
His Laws.
Bukhari: “There will be a people of my ummah [nation] who will
seek to make lawful: fornication, the wearing of silk, wine-
drinking and the use of musical instruments…”
2. Replace a Bad Deed with a Good One
Remove ALL the music from your ipod/computer, and replace
them with Qur’aan recitations! Here are a few websites to
download them from:
http://quranicaudio.com/
http://tanzil.net/#19:1
http://www.quranexplorer.com/
3. What does Music really do?
- Wastes time
- Makes you daydream of events that most likely WON’T happen,
since it’s created in your head, not by the will of Allaah subhana
wa ta’ala
- Diverts your attention from reality
- Envokes pain
- Envokes emotions that aren’t from the Qur’aan and Sunnah
- Envokes emotions that aren’t a result of remembrance of Allaah
subhana wa ta’ala
- It’s the evil whispering of Shaytaan
- Diverts your attention from Allaah subhana wa ta’ala
- Makes you think of things that could possibly lead you to
commit sin
4. What can you do instead?
- Listen to Qur'an
- Make dhikr! Instead of crying over “someone like you”, cry over
saying “SubhanaAllaah, Alhamdullilah, Allaahu Akbar” 33x after
each Salaat and before you sleep!
- Learn ayahs instead of lyrics!
- Learn the arabic transliteration of the ayahs
- Perfect Salaat
- Gain ilm (read free ebooks on Google, attend lectures at your
local masjid etc)
- Read about the Sahabah may Allaah be pleased with them all
- Read about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salaam
- Read about the Prophets alayhi salaam
- Memorize the 99 names of Allaah subhana wa ta’ala
- Know the true essence of Tawheed
- Write down all the sins you can remember, then repent
- Watch beneficial lectures (YouTube)
- Feed animals (be merciful to His creation)
- Spend time with your parents
- read the Qur’aan (!)
- Make du’a
There are plenty of ways to remove music from your interest, and
the first is through taqwa in shaa Allaah. Try your best to keep
your tongue moist through dhikr, instead of through lyrics that
does nothing on the scales.
May Allaah make you one of the successful and keep us all
guided on the Sirat al Mustaqeem. Aameen.
Wa salaam alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakatu