Maseehah Makes Taubah from Music

Ask our children:

1. Is listening to music allowed in Islam?
2. What did Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) say about music?
3. What did the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) do if they heard music?

Now tell them the story:

Maseehah was a little girl who had good manners and was kind to everyone. She was respectful to her parents and to her elders, such as her aapa in madrasah, and her aunts and uncles. Because she had such good manners, everyone liked her and was fond of her. However, Maseehah had one big weakness and problem in her life – she liked to listen to music and sing haraam songs. Allah Ta‘ala had given her a sweet and beautiful voice, but she would use her voice, which Allah Ta‘ala had given her, to sing the songs which she would hear with the music.

Maseehah knew that music was haraam, and her parents would never allow her to listen to music. That is why she would hide and listen to music, and if she was out of the home and heard music, such as the music being played from other people’s cars, then instead of covering her ears, she would listen attentively to the music and enjoy it.

One day, Maseehah was sitting in madrasah, reading her sabaq with all the other students. While they were reading and learning, a car suddenly drove past, hooting loudly. The driver of the car was also blasting music from his speakers, and the music was so loud, that the windows in the madrasah began to vibrate and shake. As soon as apa and the other students heard the music, they covered their ears with their hands to block out the sound of the music. However, Maseehah did not cover her ears, but rather she was tapping her hand with the sound of the music. Apa noticed this, and realized that Maseehah enjoyed listening to music.

A little while later, after all the students had completed their work for the day, apa called the class around her desk and spoke to them. She said:

“Children! Music is haraam in Islam and is one of the main tools that Shaitaan uses to take people to Jahannum. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us in the Hadith that Allah Ta‘ala sent him to break all musical instruments. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also told us that listening to music causes hypocrisy to grow in the heart. This means that listening to music makes a person’s imaan become weaker and weaker, until deen leaves his life and he no longer remains a true Muslim. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also warned us that there will be a group of people in the ummah who Allah Ta‘ala will turn into pigs and monkeys because they will regard the sin of music and other major sins to be permissible.

“The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) knew and understood that music is haraam. That is why when Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) once heard the sound of music, he immediately placed his hands over his ears to block out the sound of the music. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (radhiyalahu ‘anhu) also mentioned that he had seen Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) block his ears when hearing music, and that is why he was blocking his ears. From this, we understand that if we happen to hear music nearby, then we must try to block our ears.

“We must also try our best to stay far away from places where music is played. Once, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was invited to a waleemah. However, as he was coming to the waleemah, he heard the sound of music being played at the waleemah. As soon as he heard this, he turned around and went away and did not attend the waleemah.

“Children! Allah Ta‘ala has given each and every person countless favours, and we must use these favours in a way that is pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala. Allah Ta‘ala has given us eyes, so we must make sure that we do not use our eyes to look at haraam such as TV and movies. In the same way, if Allah Ta‘ala has given someone a beautiful and sweet voice, then he should use his voice to recite the Qur’aan Majeed in a beautiful manner – not to sing haraam songs. In the Hadith, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us that Allah Ta‘ala does not listen to anything with so much of happiness like He listens to a Nabi who recites the Qur’aan in a beautiful voice. In the same way, if we recite the Qur’aan in a beautiful voice, Allah Ta‘ala will also become pleased with us.”

When Maseehah heard this, she felt as though her apa was talking specially to her. She knew that Allah Ta‘ala had given her a beautiful voice, but until today, she was more interested in singing songs! She should rather use her voice to recite the Qur’aan and make zikr for Allah Ta‘ala!

Apa then said, “There was a person by the name of Zaazaan who had a very beautiful voice. However, he would use his voice to sing songs and would play music. One day, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw Zaazaan playing music and singing. As soon as he saw this sin and haraam taking place, he went to Zaazaan, broke his musical instrument, and said to him, ‘O youngster! If only you used your voice to recite the Qur’aan, you would become something!’ This caused the heart of Zaazaan to change. He made taubah and istighfaar, left out singing and music and changed his life. He thereafter remained in the company of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and studied deen from him until he became a great aalim of deen.” (Siyar A’laamin Nubalaa 4/281)

By now, after hearing the words that her apa had spoken, Maseehah’s heart had also changed. She made taubah for listening to music and made dua to Allah Ta‘ala to remove the love for music from her heart. She also decided that from that day on, she would use the beautiful voice which Allah Ta‘ala had given her to recite the Qur’aan Majeed and make the zikr of Allah Ta‘ala.

Lessons:

1. Listening to music is haraam in Islam. It is not permissible to listen to music.
2. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us that music causes hypocrisy to grow in the heart. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also told us that he was sent by Allah Ta‘ala to break musical instruments.
3. If the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) heard music, they would cover their ears, and they would avoid going to places where music was played.