Listening to Music and Quran
Question

                I listen to music knowing it is haram (impermissible). I wish Allah guides me to leaving this.

The question:

I listen to a lot of Islamic lectures and the Quran on tapes. The problem is that many people criticise me and say: “How do you listen to songs and Islamic materials? Like if you do not understand what you listen to, and committing a sin by listening and not benefiting”, they also say that I should choose whether to listen to music and songs or to Islamic lectures and the Quran. “It is wrong to listen to both” they said.   I am confused, I feel secular or like a man who advises others while he is sinful himself, I feel like a hypocrite.
Praise be to Allah.
    We begin by thanking you for 
    your honesty and your eagerness to do good and ask about religious matters. 
    We ask Allah to bless you with guidance and help you to do that which is 
    good. 

    You should understand that your 
    friends’ warning you not to listen to tapes of the Quran or religious 
    lectures and other things that bring you closer to goodness on the grounds 
    that you also listen to music is a serious error on their part. The believer 
    who has the inclination to fall into some sins is still required to do 
    whatever he can of good deeds, and he is still required to avoid all sins 
    and actions that lead to doom so long as he believes in Allah as his Lord, 
    Islam as his religion and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon 
    him) as his Prophet and Messenger. 

    If he commits any shortcoming 
    by failing to do some obligatory deeds, this is not a justification for 
    omitting other obligatory actions too; rather he must hasten to repent from 
    his shortcomings with regard to these duties, and continue doing whatever 
    Allah has enabled him to do of other acts of obedience. Similarly, the fact 
    that he has fallen into one sin is not a justification for him committing 
    other sins; rather he must hasten to repent from his shortcomings. If he 
    cannot give up some sins because his desire is too great and he is too weak 
    to resist, then he should strive to do acts of worship and obedience, 
    because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “Verily, the good deeds remove 
    the evil deeds (i.e. small sins).”

    [Hood 11:114]

    Hence it is conceivable that a 
    believer may do both acts of obedience and acts of disobedience, and this is 
    not hypocrisy or secularism at all, so long as the person is not concealing 
    corruption in his heart and he admits that what he is doing is wrong, and he 
    asks Allah for forgiveness and strives to avoid sin. 

    Perhaps your keenness to listen 
    to the Quran and religious lectures may be a cause of your stopping 
    listening to haram music, because:

    “Verily, this Quran guides to 
    that which is most just and right.”

    [al-Isra 17:9].  

    If we assume that you continue 
    as you are, that is undoubtedly better than stopping listening to the Quran 
    and good things, because you know that Allah says (interpretation of the 
    meaning): 

    “So whosoever does good equal 
    to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.

    And whosoever does evil equal 
    to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.”

    [al-Zalzalah 99:7-8] 

    “Surely, Allah wrongs not even 
    of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), 
    He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.”

    [al-Nisa 4:40] 

    On the Day of Resurrection, 
    people’s deeds will be weighed: 

    “Then as for him whose Balance 
    (of good deeds) will be heavy, 

    He will live a pleasant life 
    (in Paradise).

    But as for him whose Balance 
    (of good deeds) will be light,

    He will have his home in 
    Hawiyah (pit, i.e. Hell).

    And what will make you know 
    what it is?

    (It is) a fiercely blazing 
    Fire!”

    [al-Qari’ah 101:6-11] 

    So you should strive to do all 
    that which will make the balance of your good deeds heavy, such as good 
    deeds and acts of worship, even if it is a little, for Allah is most 
    generous, most forgiving and most merciful. And He will multiply a little 
    until it is like a mountain or greater, so “Do not think little of any act 
    of kindness, even if it is greeting your brother with a cheerful 
    countenance” and “Your smiling at your brother is an act of charity” as our 
    Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught us in the saheeh 
    hadeeths (authentic narrations). 

    This does not mean that we 
    approve of your listening to music, but if there is no alternative then be 
    one of those:

    “... who have acknowledged 
    their sins, they have mixed a deed that was righteous with another that was 
    evil. Perhaps Allah will turn unto them in forgiveness. Surely, Allah is 
    Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

    [al-Tawbah 9:102]

    You have to beware of 
    everything that could cause your balance of good deeds to be lighter, such 
    as sins and evil deeds, because Allah is stern in punishment of those who 
    disobey Him and transgress His sacred limits. So hasten to repent sincerely 
    and ask Allah to help you in that.  

    Persist in doing good deeds and 
    do as much of them as you can; advise your friends to fear Allah and hasten 
    to do good deeds and give up evil deeds. 

    Finally, we advise you to seek 
    good companions who can help you to do good and make it dear to you, and 
    keep away from bad companions who make evil appear attractive to you and 
    keep you from doing good. You should also pray to Allah and ask Him to guide 
    you and them and help you to repent. Allah is the One Whom we ask to enable 
    us all to repent sincerely, expiate our sins and guide our hearts, for He is 
    the best one to ask. 

    And Allah knows best.