I have always had an on/off switch for music. I don’t think I have ever been completely obsessed with music, however I would listen to it occasionally, and in that moment, I know I would not be remembering Allah (swt). I feel that is especially difficult to resist nodding, humming etc. to music in the Western community - I mean, it’s on the radio and constantly playing in shopping centers. I once went to a halal restaurant, and surprisingly, they were also playing music. It’s so trivial, but it encompasses us and is therefore not as easy to avoid. Listening to music, intentionally and unintentionally, eventually became a habit for me, and became stronger over the years. I found myself listening less to Qur’an recitations and downloading more and more songs - a dangerous thing to do, and definitely something which affected my ‘Eeman. “ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ “ Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (Surat Al-Baqarah [2:216] ) This verse of Surat Al-Baqarah really struck me, and In Shaa ‘Allah some of you agree with what Allah (swt) has said. Yes, it is a psychological battle, an inner conflict, but one which I know Allah (swt) is aware of. Yes, I enjoy music, but I also know it is not spiritually good for me, and Allah (swt) knows more about its consequences, and thus why He has made it haram. SubhanAllah. For this reason, I pray that I am able to get out of this habit of listening to music, and focus on increasing my ‘Eebadah. Of course, Ramadan is, Alhamdulillah, the greatest opportunity one can have to increase in that which is good (spirtually, physically and psychologically), and decrease in bad (and again). In Shaa ‘Allah, we all use this Ramadan to reflect, especially these last few nights, on our habits and deeds, and use this as an opportunity to reform ourselves - to become better people, better Muslims. It is a form of Jihad on its own, a battle, to go against what tempts us, but In Shaa ‘Allah, it is one in which we will leave victorious.
