Assalamualaikum
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَشِفَاءٌ لِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
"Oh mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (the Qur'an), and a healing for the dieseases in your heart; a guidance and mercy for the believers." [Surah Yunus, verse 57]
Ain't nothing but a mistake. Or perhaps, not. Oh I don't know. It is extremely difficult, to give up on learning something that I have grown very attached to, over the past decade. But if I were to decide between crotchets and alif, lam, meem; I would choose the latter. It is impossible for Music and Quran, to coexist in the same heart. Especially in a heart, as fragile as mine. Keeping it minimal, lest is strays me further.
I tried to strike a balance between the two, but this Qalb is a vulnerable fool. For it has been deluded with an illusion, that the beautiful melodies produced by this instrument has the power to keep me sane from all pain. To which masyaallah, it did help (to a certain extent). But the magic works only for a while. It gives a temporary heal, but the pain never really did seem to go away. And, I finally understood why. Music was never created to heal.
Allow me to narrate, a personal recount.
The Ulum Quran module I am currently studying about, requires me to memorise 3 surah(s) from the Quran, and I started with Surah Al Mulk. I memorized it diligently, and miraculously...the process of memorization somehow had a positive influence to my life. I haven't been memorizing for quite a while, but it certainly felt good to be back on this track. It was this feeling of sweetness, that I have not felt in a very long time. Could this be the forgotten sweetness that I have been yearning for?
As the days went by, I found myself beginning to flip open to the other chapters of the Quran, and I recited them off with tartil. This, evolved into a routine. I started this habit by just reading one page after every fardhu prayer, and I am amazed at how that one page, could keep me happy and calm the whole day. I began to yearn for more and became very fixated with this routine that I brought my little Quran with me to wherever I go. I continued with this act for the next few months to follow.
One day, when I was in the car with my dad, a 'weird' thing happened. The local radio station was playing a 'dangdut song', and I felt instantly disgusted by the music. Weird, I thought to myself. Why am I reacting negatively to the music? The next few songs that played, mostly revolved around the theme of love. Love, prohibited before nikah. Sure, there were no explicit content in its lyrics, but they're promoting 'love' in a wrong way. I felt at unease, and requested for my dad to put the zikrullah CD on play instead. That felt much sweeter.
It was then that I realized, there was no way for Music and Quran, to coexist in the same heart. And it is from here that I conclude, the difference between Music and Quran, is as clear as night and day. The difference between the two, is not something that could be easily translated into words, but it could be greatly felt, and understood through the heart.
So what does Islam say about music? Let's take a look at the following hadith:
1. The Prophet said: "There will be at some future time, people from my ummah who will seek to make lawful: fornication, the wearing of silk, wine-drinking, and the use of musical instruments.."
[Narrated by al-Bukhari]
2. The Messenger of Allah said: "A people from my ummah will drink wine, calling it by other than its real name. Merriment will be made for them through the playing of musical instruments and the singing of lady singers. Allah will cleave the Earth under them..." [Narrated by Ibn Majah]
*Ibn Qayyim had authenticated the hadith, and so did Sheikh al-Albani in his Silsatul Ahadith as-Sahihah.*
The 2 hadiths above, clearly prohibits the use of music in Islam. But let us now, look at it from another point of view. What does Mazhab Syafie say about music?
In the book Adaabul Qadaa, Imam Syafie was reported to have said: "Verily, song is loathsome [makruh], it resembles the false and vain thing. The one who partakes of it frequently is an incompetent fool whose testimony should be rejected."
These are just some evidences that I found on the net, but I will continue to take a neutral stand on this matter, until I have seek full clarification about the rulings, from an 'alim in real life. See, it is rather hard for me to accept the fact that music is haram, considering that I grew up with music.
I participated in an orchestra as a junior violinist.
I participated as a pianist in solo piano recitals.
I participated in singing competitions.
I grew up with music, in my heart.
I still do listen to music, but I practice active listening. If the contents of the music contains rhymes or verses that are against the syariah, I will stop listening to the song. But if it's contents are clean, I'd give it a listen but, at a minimal frequency. Example of these are: nasyeed & qasidah etc
But Suhaidah, piano music, is instrumental music. How harmful can that get?
That is true. However, the problem with me is that when I play the piano, I get so consumed with its melodies that I would spend hours playing on it. And I fear, that this may interfere with the quality of my ibaadah. As of now, I have settled for something that is less threatening than that. I only listen to instrumental piano music on Youtube, at a minimal frequency. Although I admit, each time I listen to a piece, I have the strong urge to play and replicate that same song on the piano. But I managed to hold back, alhamdulillah.
You see, Quran...if recited daily with sincerity, alters our heart and it awakes our consciousness to move towards goodness. Quran will light the dark hearts. This light (Nuur) is from Allah swt, and it does wonders to our lives. It will transform our akhlak and adab. It will change the way we think, the way we speak, the way we treat our parents. It will change the way we live our lives, insyaallah.
Return to the Quran. And make du'a, may Allah make us among those who recites this Book, follow it, understand it, memorize it, and then teach it to others, to gain His Mercy.
The soul seeking for peace,
Suhaidah Amran
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