I used to have a library of lyrics in my head, and would always be up to date with new songs, and share them with my friends. I wouldn't leave my house without headphones. It was something I was dependent on to study, relax, while in my car... it was just a significant part of my life. And then I gave it up!
I used to hear stories about people giving up music. I never thought that would be me. "No way!" I thought to myself. However, after Ramadan 2015...everything changed.
Mind you, I didn't give up music because I thought it was haram. In fact, I didn't even look into the fiqhi ruling back then, and so it didn't affect my decision.
I gave up because I wanted to be closer to Allah SWT and I realized that Music was preventing me from doing so.
Let me share with you how I gave it up, and what were the benefits I reaped from this decision.
It was Ramadan 2015, and everyone knows what Ramadan means. We try to refrain from wasteful activities and instead, immerse ourselves in worship as much as we can. For a lot of people, this could mean reducing -or completely refraining from- things like music, video games, TV (especially inappropriate shows and movies) and/or profanity in general.
Some of us seek to take advantage of this blessed month by establishing, or consolidating our relationship with Allah So as I learnt more about Islam and deepened my connected with Allah, The Exalted, this time felt a little bit different.
I discovered a soothing feeling of peace and tranquillity that I could only find through my efforts to strengthen my relationship with Allah However, as Ramadan eventually drew closer to an end, I had a genuine feeling of sadness and worry.
I worried about whether I'd immediately slip back to my old habits: excessive music, TV, profanity, wasting time, etc. So, I made dua to Allah to keep me steadfast on that decision I made in Ramadan.
It was eid...also known as "welcome back shaytan party" for some people because they celebrate eid with what they avoided in Ramadan.
For me, I didn't want that to happen, I wanted to continue practicing what I had been doing in Ramadan , as though nothing had changed.
I was touched by a reflection made by Shaykh Omar Suleiman who mentioned the saying: "Whoever used to worship Muhammad pbuh knows that he has died, but whoever used to worship Allah knows that HE is alive and does not die. -Abu Bakr RA
The message was clear. Whoever used to worship during Ramadan, Ramadan has passed, but whoever used to worship Allah SWT, He is Alive and Eternal.
I continued refrain from my bad habits especially music. All I knew is that when I came out of Ramadan I realised what a distraction music was to my deen. So here are the benefits I got from giving up music.
A friend of mine said that Salah is a barometer for a person's life. It accurately indicates yourrelationship with Allah, and everything that affects it because, if your Salah is good, then everything else is good. Even if you are going through obstacles, as long as you have your salah and performing it with sincerity and humility, your Iman will be your strength. When I listened to music, I found that it became stored in my heart and mind like data, only to be played out when I was talking to my Lord. You know those times when you're praying and everything is silent, and in the back of your mind, a song is replaying over and over which makes it hard to concentrate... You get onto your third raka'ah and you're like "Wait! Is this the third or Fourth raka'ah?" It made my Salah feel like basic physical yoga rather than a conversation with my Lord.For me, that stopped after giving up music. I was no longer feeding my soul what could be considered audio pornography. Instead, I was feeding it Qur'an and beneficial knowledge. If you want to remember Allah in your prayer, remember Him more outside of your prayer, and letting go of music really helps This was probably the biggest benefit to my giving up music becausedeveloping a stronger relationship with the Qur'an helped me be moreconnected with Allah than ever before. Rather than replacing the music with silence, I replaced it with the Qur'an and Islamic lectures so that I would be learning more about my deen. Even if you are someone who doesn't have strong Iman, seeking to learn more about deen pushes you closer to our Creator. It's really strange but the more connected with Allah I've become, the less appealing dunya appears to me. It literally affected all aspects of my life, from the betterment of my hijab, to my character and even my studying! I was drawn to whatever would bring me closer to Allah and anything that I knew would take me away from Him no longer appealedto me.You know when dunya is a struggle, because you're fighting against your desires? Well, once I got closer to Allah , I didn't feel like I was fighting so much, because my desires were no longer towards something that would displease Allah. When that happened, listening to the latest hit no longer seemed 'cool' or even necessary If you want to experience the beneficial spiritual impact of giving up music like I did, here are a few tips to get you started.
1. Change what you put in your headphones Rather than listening to music whilst commuting, if you have a smartphone,download the "Podcast" App. There's a category called "Muslim central" and it has every lecture by every shaykh/teacher you can think of. It's awesome since you can learn on the go and gain hasanat because the Prophet said If your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance of Allah , the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths.." [SahihMuslim].
Alternatively, you can listen to the radio and keep up with current affairs,for example. If that doesn't work, just leave your headphones at home, and fill your morning with remembrance of Allah . People underestimate how beneficial and easy dhikr is.The Prophet (SAW ) said, "(There are) two words which are dear to the Beneficent (Allah) and very light (easy) for the tongue (to say), but very heavy in weight in the balance. They are: "Subhan Allah wa-bi hamdihi" and"Subhan Allah Al-'Azim." Glory be to Allah and praise Him, Glory be toAllah The Supreme. [Bukhari]
So why not spend our commute time loading our scales with hasanat instead of listening to something that has no benefit?
2. Spend more time in ibadah For me, I felt somewhat ashamed to listen to any profanity after Ramadan.I felt a new sense of haya (modesty). It just felt awkward to stand before Allah, five times a day and pray for forgiveness and guidance, then immediately resume listening to music. We know well that a lot of the music today contains shamelessness and the lyrics could really be equivalent to audio pornography.That is why one ayah in the Qu'ran that really rings true to me says is in Surat Al-Ankabut "Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing,and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which youdo."[Qur'an: Chapter 29, Verse 45].
The more time I spent in Salah, the more embarrassed I became to listen to music.
3. Remember that you don't 'need'music to studyLet us read that again, because this is a very common misconception.Do you think that you really 'need' music to study? Are you mentally andphysically incapable of studying without it?People will argue in favour of some studies that support the idea that musichelps you study but the bottom line is that you don't need it. I did someresearch and there isn't any conclusive evidence that music does or doesn'thelp someone study. There are conflicting results and it depends on whattype of study has been done, and each individual is different.What I want you to ask yourself is by making music a requirement foryou to improve study, do you genuinely believe that Allah'sbarakah isso insufficient that you have to supplement it with something else thatessentially draws you away fromHis remembrance? If the music is what willgive you the barakah in studying, I urge you to look at some of the greatestscholars in Islam or even non-Muslims who have changed the world? Didthey need or rely on music to work productively?Final thought: Giving up music was one of the best things that I ever did.It helped me become closer to Allahand it has positively impacted mein every aspect of my life. If you are someone who wants to give up musicbut thinks it is too difficult, pray to Allahand remember what He says:"I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and Iam with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart,I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly, Iremember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he drawsnear Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he drawsnear Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands.And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him." [Sahih Muslim]
