Do I have to stop listening to music now that I'm Muslim?

The position of the four imams and the majority of scholars is that musical instruments are forbidden, based on the ḥadīth of Abū ʿĀmir or Abū Mālik al-Ashʿarī that the Prophet ﷺ said, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments as lawful" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5590), and on the verse about the one who "buys idle talk to mislead others from the path of Allah" (Quran 31:6), which Ibn Masʿūd swore referred to singing. Excepted by clear evidence is the duff (frame drum) at weddings and ʿīd, and the unaccompanied human voice — nashīd, Qur'an recitation, and beneficial poetry are permitted. A minority of scholars have differed over instruments, so you will hear other views, but the well-established position is prohibition. If you are new, do not try to rip everything out of your life in one day: replace your listening gradually with Qur'an and beneficial audio, and remember that Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity (Quran 2:286).

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