I Stopped Listening To Music
- Jul 27, 2025
- 3 min read
27 July, 2025.
I never thought I would be able to achieve it, but Alhumdulillah, I have done it. It's been three weeks now since I stopped listening to songs or music intentionally.
It was always in the back of my mind that I am not absolutely sure whether listening to songs is allowed in Islam. I never bothered to look into it because I think I was afraid that after my research I would have to step away from music. It had become an integral part of my daily routine: going to work, walking, cycling, hanging out at places. Everywhere I went, I had songs on. Now in retrospect, it feels like I was helplessly addicted to it, but at that time, it was completely normal to me.
This epiphany came about randomly as I was lying down to sleep and scrolling on my phone. I don't really remember what prompted me to look into it, but as I went deeper into my serendipitous research, I knew that I was approaching a clear and unambiguous answer: music is not allowed in Islam. I found two strong evidences that cannot be ignored or overlooked. Before discussing the supporting evidences, it's imperative that I introduce you to Tafsir Ibn Kathir. It is considered to be one of the best and most famous commentaries of the Quran. There is no certain date of its inception and completion, but it is speculated that Ibn Kathir finished his extensive commentary in 762 AH.
The evidences are listed below with their references for you to check on your own:
Proof from the Holy Quran:
"And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment."
"He connects that with mention of the doomed, those who turn away from the Qur'an and do not benefit from hearing the Words of Allah.
Instead, they turn to listening to flutes and singing accompanied by musical instruments."
Proof from Hadiths:
"From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks, and the use of musical instruments as lawful."
"Both legal and illegal things are obvious, and in between them are (suspicious) doubtful matters. So whoever forsakes those doubtful things lest he may commit a sin, will definitely avoid what is clearly illegal; and whoever indulges in these (suspicious) doubtful things bravely, is likely to commit what is clearly illegal. Sins are Allah's Hima (i.e., private pasture), and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment."
After coming across these evidences, I had no shadow of doubt that music is indeed prohibited in Islam. What struck me the most was the first hadith. When I was an avid listener of music, I used to defend it shamelessly, and I would always find ways to justify it. I would hide behind the veil of ambiguity. I was doing exactly what that hadith mentioned. This self-realization was the turning point, and since then, I have not listened to any music or song intentionally, by the grace of Allah. It was Allah who guided me; otherwise, I would not have been guided.
"But Allah guides whom He wills." — Quran 2:272
The main reason behind this post is to encourage all of you who may read this to do your own research about the matters you are not sure about. Whether it be hijab, namaz, wudhu, zakat etc. On the Day of Judgement, we will not be able to excuse ourselves by ignorance. We literally have all the information at our fingertips, and even then, if we choose to be ignorant, then we are truly doomed. May Allah guide us all to the straight path.
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