American Muslim

Music

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The Look on Her Face

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I don't like listening to music. 

It may be because of my religious influence, but I decided that music is something of unimportance. I once imagined the look on her face, how my (former) best friend since kindergarten would look at me if I said that. It would be a look of disbelief and worry.

"You're joking," she'd say. And then when I wouldn't reply, she'd respond with, "How can someone not listen to music?" her voice would be rising, and my cheeks would burn as I could tell others were listening in.

"I don't know. I just don't like music...."

"Music is like, well I don't know, everyone listens to music! How can someone just not like music?!" Her having 2 iPods, and an ear plugged in to one of them even as we speak, I could imagine how important music is to her life. But it isn't for me. YouTube is not my best friend. I don't listen to music to calm myself when I'm angry or to help me feel better when I'm in low spirits. I have my religion for that.

There are so many people who could say otherwise to my opinion in music. They sit on the bus, train, ride their bikes, and walk down the street with their head immersed in music. Do these people even know what goes on around them, with their music blasting their ears, hearts content in a musical folly?

But you can't change someone's mind once it's made. So no matter who says what, I'll still say, "Music? Eh, I don't really listen." And I'm sure they'll still say, "Who are you to tell me we shouldn't listen to music? Who am I harming?" And I'll tell you, "I'm just proposing what's already been said before me. What we aught to do isn't always about 'harm'."  

You might find me listening to music, but it doesn't change my perspective on the necessity of music which is, to me, very low.

So when you ask me what kind of music I like, and I'll say, "I don't really have any favorites" because the real music in my ears is nothing to yours. Because the music I hear are the voices who praise Allah, who recite His words, His teachings. Call me weird, call me creepy, call me anything but oppressed because I would rather live a hundred years without a second of music than a music-filled life that could surely deny me my right to Jannah (Heaven).