Should I Be Avoiding the Music That I Hear in Videos and TV Shows?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I am suffering from waswasa with music. This recently started and I know it is OCD. Whenever my family plays music, I would be fine and block it out, but now whenever I hear music, even in a video that I put on, I immediately listen to it while I try to turn it down or while I am sleeping in the room with my sister playing music. This hasn’t happened before, so is it okay if I fight this by trying to ignore it until it goes back to normal? Or do I have to sleep in another room, not watch any videos, and avoid going to the living room where my mom is watching TV?
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your scrupulous and sensitivity to that which displeases Allah Most High.
Music in the Home
If I were in your shoes and knew that the source of this problem was OCD, I would not sleep in a separate room or avoid the family. First, your sister should not be playing anything when you are trying to sleep. She should give you the decency of being quiet. If you can stay away from the family TV, it is optimal. Hopefully, it doesn’t upset your family members. Do your best, rely on Allah, and ask him to guide you in following the shari’a as best as you can. Remember that you are not responsible for their actions. Listening to music is different from hearing it.
Remember this important hadith. Abu Qatada reports that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Most High, but that Allah will replace it with something better for you.” [Ahmad]
Please see more details here:
- Should I Make My Family Turn Off the Music in My House?
- Hearing Music vs Listening to it
- How Can I Stop Listening to Music for Good?
- Music and Singing: A Detailed Fatwa
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
