Disclaimer: Personally, I still do listen to music every now and then, but I am conscious of my music intake and also I listen to much much less music than the average teenager. However, previously I have given up music completely and other times I would listen to music daily. My journey with music may change in the future so follow these tips for your own good and at your own pace!

Understand the root cause of listening to music. 

The first step is to understand why you listen to music. Have you grown up in a family where music is prevalent? Perhaps, your friends love music and can’t live without it? Or maybe you have a secret addiction to music and it is like the coffee that wakes you up every morning. Recognise the reason behind it so you can know how to solve that issue. 

Figure out which times you listen to music.

People listen to music at different times. Whether it is when commuting to or from school and work, when getting ready in the morning or while studying, you may be spending hours doing it. You need to understand which times you listen to the music and why you do it. And be okay to stop listening to music at those times. For example, if you listen to music while commuting because you get bored otherwise, try to commute in silence or try some of the other alternatives down below.

Make a firm intention for not listening/reducing the amount of time you listen to music.

Now that you are okay with accepting that music is an option, you need to tell yourself you are ready to start this journey of not listening to music. It is okay if you feel demotivated, scared or uncomfortable because remember that you are doing it for yourself and for the sake of Allah and Allah will help you out. 

Start slow.

If you have been listening to music for years, and it has been a huge part of your life, you may find it difficult at first. So take it slow by e.g. starting by listening to music only in the evening but not in the morning. Then, eventually, reduce the amount of time you spend listening to it.

Delete triggers. 

When you start your journey of no music, you may find that music is everywhere: in the shops, in school and even in the TikToks that you watch. This may make it more difficult for you to give up music if you keep being triggered by them so try eliminating triggers. For instance, delete TikTok that may have a lot of music in it. Also, delete the downloaded songs in your phone so when you go out, you cannot play them.

Get alternatives. 

You may start to feel at this point that you will have nothing to listen to for the rest of your life. But fear not, because this is just the start! Alhamdulillah, there are some amazing creators who have created vocals-only nasheeds praising Allah, the Prophet (pbuh) and this beautiful world! These nasheeds are fabulous and here are some of my personal favourites (be careful to only select the vocals only songs):

Omar Esa

Awakening Music (specifically Maher Zain)

Nadeem Mohammed

MercifulServant

Also, listen to Quran recitations:

Omar Hisham Al Arabi – YouTube

MercifulServant – YouTube

Lastly, if you want to learn new information through audio, listen to audiobooks and podcasts!

Practise, practise and practise.

It is okay if you mess up and you end up listening to your favourite song again just because you miss it. But remember to be firm, seek forgiveness and move on. It takes repetition.

Create playlists. 

Once you fall in love with nasheeds, which most people do, you can create new playlists with all these amazing positive songs! Remember that these songs, however, should not distract you from worshipping Allah, they are simply a supplement to remembering Allah, to have fun and prevent you from listening to music. 

Be conscious of who you tell. 

Some people can be very judgemental when you tell them that you don’t listen to music. So please be conscious of who you tell because you don’t want anyone discouraging you from this path and this decision of no music.

Feel the benefits for not listening to music.

Not listening to music can have some great benefits. For example, people have reported that they have more focus. Some people said they have gotten closer to Allah and became more productive. Remind yourself of these benefits and you will start to feel them yourself.

That is all for today’s article! Please remember to share this article to gain more rewards. In Sha Allah, you will stick around for my future Ramadan 2022 articles! And remember that not listening to music goes beyond Ramadan and throughout your lifetime.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

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