A common question from young Muslims today is: “I listen to lots of hip-hop and watch MTV — I can’t seem to focus on getting close to God. What’s your advice?” The answer is direct: stop. Music in its modern form has become what one scholar described as “audio pornography” — explicit, shameless, vulgar content that strips away a person’s moral sense and reduces women to objects worse than animals.
How Music Corrupts the Heart
When a person memorizes and recites explicit lyrics with perfect rhythm, they are feeding their heart with content that directly contradicts the moral compass Allah placed within every soul. Allah commands us in the Quran to say what is best, to maintain clean speech, and to guard our tongues. When filthy language becomes normal on a person’s lips, they deviate from their natural fitrah — the predisposition to turn to Allah — and they begin finding pleasure only in disobedience.
“Tell My servants to say that which is the best.” — Quran 17:53
The Test of the Quran
- The allergic reaction — If hearing the Quran in the car annoys you after hours of hip-hop, this is a sign the shayateen have taken residence in the heart; they hate the Quran and pinch at the heart when it is recited
- Time is your only wealth — Every hour spent on music, TV, YouTube, and social media is fuel for Shaytan; he loves nothing more than to see you destroy the one asset Allah gave equally to every human being
- A sick heart — When a person cannot tolerate the word of Allah but craves entertainment, the diagnosis is spiritual illness that requires urgent treatment
“The one asset, the one piece of wealth Allah gave every human being is time — and music, TV, and endless scrolling are nothing except destroying that asset.”
The first practical step is to stop supplying fuel to the shayateen by cutting off the sources of corruption. The second, and perhaps more important, step is to find better friends — companions who are not immersed in these distractions. Spend more time with righteous people and you will naturally wean yourself off destructive habits. May Allah give every struggling Muslim the strength to break free from these temptations and rediscover the sweetness of His remembrance.
