6 Benefits of Not Listening to Music

So, this post may seem a little strange as it's just music right? It is all around us and we can never quite get away from it. We've grown up with it and never been without it, it's practically a part of life. If you've never made the conscious effort/decision to stop listening to music, then this will be completely new to you, however, I hope it will be of benefit. Just to give you a little background, you could say I was brought up with music. When I was younger and the parents weren't home, we used to blast Pop Party (if you know you know), my idea of fun was singing along to karaokes on Youtube and I knew the lyrics of EVERY SINGLE SONG OUT THERE. I couldn't walk anywhere unless I had my earphones and music at the gym was a no brainer. I was always aware that music was haram (forbidden) and I never understood why up until recently because "it's only music" right?! Music was a massive part of my life and I found so much joy in listening to it, however, I noticed that the more connected I became with Islam, the more I simply did not want to listen to music. I remember hearing a quote along the lines of "music and Quran cannot exist in the same heart" and I swear to you, this could not be more true! If you are listening to music every hour of the day, deep down in your heart you know you're feeling distant from the religion. Just to be clear, I never decided I want to stop listening to music up until recently. I found myself not wanting to listen to it the more I prayed etc which eventually led me to consciously deciding I will not listen to it. For me, when I was listening to music, I'd notice that I wouldn't have kushoo in my salah, I didn't want to read Quran and sometimes I didn't even want to pray. It's no surprise to me that the more I am now reading Quran, the less I am listening to music. In fact, I am choosing not to listen to it at all unless it's playing in the supermarket or at work etc- it really is all around us. That's enough background for now, below I have listed 10 benefits which I have personally come across since I decided to stop listening to music:

1) You can have real conversations in the car: For the majority of us, music in the car is something that almost comes with having a car, whether it be an aux or CD's, there's always music in the car! What if there was no music in the car? Just silence? SHOCK HORROR, you'd be forced to have an actual conversation with the people with you! Honestly, some of my deepest and most interesting conversations have been in the car. There's just something about a car that is intimate, so instead of filling the silence with lyrics, why don't we just talk to one another?

2) You're mind is cleaner: 99% of songs involve lyrics with reference to sex, alcohol, drugs, violence and simply things that are no good for you. The pop industry has glamorised popping ills, having illicit sex etc all in the name of being "free" and "expressing yourself". That is utter bullshit. Seeing children who cannot comprehend sex and drugs, sing about sex and drugs saddens me- what happened to preserving innocence? It seems that absolutely every song has reference to sexual acts and whether we've had sex or not, we are screaming these lyrics at the tops of our lungs. Just think about that for a second and think about what you are feeding your mind.

3) You can learn more: Imagine substituting the music for FREE podcasts on business, law, current affairs, history, and the list goes on. Imagine walking to work and instead of feeding your brain with no good lyrics, feed your brain with knowledge and facts. There is so much to listen to out there and so much to learn, knowledge is power.

4) You become different: In today's world where everyone is cattle-like, heedlessly following one another, being unique is such an asset. Choosing not to listen to music sets you apart from 90% of society. You are not promoting the same crap that everyone else is, sometimes it is so so nice to be "out of it", to not be on trend with absolutely everything. 

5) You won't be as sad: The amount of times I have heard people say "music makes me feel better" is countless. When you are sad, listening to depressing lyrics can only have a depressing effect on you and it encourages you to delve in your sadness. When listening to music, our bodies release dopamine - the "feel good" chemical, also activated by chocolate etc. Because we are listening to music so regularly, our body is constantly producing that chemical and eventually, a tolerance will be built towards it and it won't be that effective. So, in essence, music only makes you feel better temporarily and if anything, it encourages a culture of heartache and depression.

6) You will master the art of willpower: It is hard, very hard, especially when there are so many catchy tunes out there. If you can stick to not listening to music in a world surrounded by it, then you can stick to any goal you have- trust me!

So those are just to name a few of the benefits I have gained from cutting off music. The most important is the tranquility you feel and the cleanliness of your heart. As much as you may not believe it, music 100% has an effect on you. If you are constantly filling with your head with immoral lyrics, this will eventually have an effect on your heart and because we've become so desensitised to it, we do not realise it. I truly believe that you cannot be close to Allah whilst listening to music, simply because I've experienced it myself. I LOVE waking up and not having a lyric stuck in my head, I love praying and not having a lyric stuck in my head, I love actually talking to people, I love the amount I've learnt and I love the peace I feel in my heart. I don't need music to motivate me at the gym, I am my own motivator. If you are reading this, I challenge you stop listening to music for just a week and FEEL the difference for yourself!