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Assalamu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Music has been one of my passions for a long time, and I am aware of many people calling music haram, I don't want to say music is halal or haram. And I fear that I am defying Allah (while liking music) which is something that I absolutely do not ever want to do. I've heard and read that music is classified as 'haram' because it leads people away from the path or remembrance of Allah. However, when I listen to music, it has the opposite affect on me as of late. I can understand idle talks leading people away from the path or remembrance of Allah. However, I don't think *all* music should be classified as idle talk. There is good, positive music out there. It makes me thank Allah for such a beautiful creation, what with different melodies and sounds coming together to make something delightful. I think it's beautiful that Allah created something that not only is pleasing to the ears, but it helps us remember things (educational songs) and remember good times (listening to a song you listened to in the past that was during a good time in your life can make you feel happy). Am I wrong for thinking this way? And I know people say 'why not listen to recitation of the Qur'an?' I can't understand Arabic, so I don't see the point. If I were to listen to an Arabic recitation of the Qur'an, I would like to be able to understand it so I could feel it not just in my ears but in my heart, otherwise my brain would just listen to it the same way it listens to instrumental music. I enjoy reading the Qur'an a lot more.
Although, I do not listen to music now as much as I used to, rather, I produce my own music now more than I listen to other people's music. My Imaan wasn't always as strong as Insha'Allah it is now, and I would listen to whatever sounded cool and if it had lyrics I would repeat them and sing along mindlessly, and at the time I didn't have a problem with profanity (not just cursing but the promotion of haram things like drinking and adultery, but I felt like I knew I would never do any of those things, and Alhamdulillah I haven't to this day, but Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala knows best). When I started to get closer to Islam, profanity and everything to do with it became repulsive to me and I no longer can tolerate music that involves it. Most of the music I listen to now is electronic or instrumental, and sometimes rock music as well, but I don't listen to music mindlessly anymore, I try to listen to what the lyrics are saying (if there are any) and if they are positive and not pointless, then I'll listen. I don't listen to music in situations where I could be doing something better, though, meaning, I wouldn't prioritize it over Salat or Qur'an. I'll listen to it in the car most of the time, or while I skateboard I'll listen to it, and sometimes I would listen to it while doing schoolwork (or any other busy work of the like), or if I'm waiting for something, or to relieve stress. I dance by myself sometimes to relieve stress as well and I'll blast music through my headphones while doing so, or another outlet I use to relieve stress is playing the video game Rockband and I'll play the drums or guitar or sing with a microphone to what are mostly rock songs. Sometimes songs that I listen to (at any time) do involve profanity but it'll only be a little bit instead of to the point where it's ridiculous or it'll be a few curse words that the singer felt he/she needed to use to drive home the point of whatever they were singing about. More often then not, though, I listen to the instrumental part of a song more than the lyrics (if there are lyrics in what I am listening to). If the lyrics ever get to me, it's often times not the meaning of the words but the way they are being said; the flow, if you will. I won't get influenced (negatively) by music anymore Insha'Allah Alhamdulillah. Whenever I hear something nasty or ridiculously or unnecessarily profane (in music or otherwise) it just makes me feel sad and whatever good mood there was is ruined (for me, at least).
When I produce my own music, it in the past it has been mostly instrumental, like hip-hop beats with some voice samples in there from cartoons I liked to watch. And the more research I did about our Deen, the more I realized how important is for things to have a point, and to be positive. My music didn't really mean anything. The voice samples were random; they didn't mean anything or necessarily allude to anything specific. The majority of the electronic music that I have made didn't have any message, it was just sounds. The song I am working on now is my first punk rock style song, and I play all the instruments in it, including vocals. I played the guitar for real, and played the drums and bass electronically. The song is about how most music today doesn't mean anything positive, how it most of it promotes drugs and drinking and adultery/illegal fornication, and how too many of the human population just mindlessly listen to it without a care about what it does to them or how it influences them, and how this epidemic of the state of the music industry is affecting people. The lyrics of my song raise awareness to this topic, and then I also encourage people to do good deeds and to stay away from evil (that phrase is basically one of the verses of my song). I am serious about indulging in music as a career, but I'll only do it if it's in a way that can please Allah. That's all I care about at this point. I am going to college next month for marketing, but I chose that as a major so I could learn how to market myself as an artist. Should I just give it all up and use my degree to get a regular job? If I go into music as a profession, my songs would only ever promote good, positive things! Please give me your honest opinion on my situation. All help and replies are appreciated. Please forgive me for the lengthy post, I just really want my situation to be understood.
JazakAllah Khair
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