Is it permissible for her to listen to music whilst exercising?
Question

                I exercise in a gym that is for women only. I have many health and psychological problems, but when I exercise, in addition to reading Qur’aan and reciting du’aa’, I feel much better than I did before. 

My question is: 

Is it permissible to exercise knowing that they put on music for exercising, which has a rhythm that is suited to what the trainer is doing, or what should I do? I am confused about this as I like to exercise, and there is no gym where they do exercises without music.
Praise be to Allah.There is 
    nothing wrong with a woman doing exercise if it is in a place that is only 
    for women, where men cannot see them, so long as that is done to a limited 
    extent and it does not distract her from something that is obligatory, and 
    it does not lead to her missing prayers or delaying them until their time is 
    over, or neglecting other duties. 
Among the 
    haraam things that may accompany exercise in some gyms is using music and 
    listening to it. Al-Bukhaari narrated that Abu Maalik al-Ash’ari (may Allaah 
    be pleased with him) said: The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah 
    be upon him) said: “There will be people among my ummah who regard as 
    permissible zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments.” 
From this 
    hadeeth the ruling on musical instruments is clear, which is that it is 
    haraam. The fact that they are mentioned alongside other haraam things, 
    namely silk, alcohol and zina, reinforces the fact that they are haraam. 
There is no 
    difference of opinion among the four Imams that musical instruments are 
    haraam. 
Shaykh 
    al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 
Whoever 
    plays these instruments as a form of worship is undoubtedly misguided and 
    ignorant. But if he does it as a form of entertainment, then the view of the 
    four imams is that all musical instruments are haraam. It is proven in 
    Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere that the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that there would be among his ummah 
    those who regarded zina, silk, alcohol and musical instruments as halaal, 
    and he said that they would be transformed into monkeys and pigs. 
Majmoo’ 
    al-Fataawa (11/576, 577). 
Music 
    destroys the heart and distracts people from the truth; it generates 
    hypocrisy in the heart. It cannot soothe the nerves or be a remedy. 
Shaykh ‘Abd 
    al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
 Music and 
    other kinds of entertainment are all evil, but they are things that the 
    Shaytaan makes appear attractive and enjoyable, and he calls people to them 
    so as to distract them from the truth by means of falsehood, and so that he 
    can lead them away from that which Allaah loves, towards that which Allaah 
    hates and has decreed haraam. Music, the ‘ood (a kind of stringed 
    instrument) and all musical instruments are an evil and it is not 
    permissible to listen to them. It is narrated in a saheeh report that the 
    Messenger of Allaah  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 
    “There will be people among my ummah who regard as permissible zina, silk, 
    alcohol and musical instruments.” End quote. 
Majmoo’ 
    Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (3/346).
 The Shaykh 
    also said: 
As for using 
    music as a remedy, there is no basis for this, rather it is the work of 
    fools. Music is not a remedy, but it is a disease. It is a kind of 
    entertainment which cause sickness in the heart and leads to deviation of 
    morals. The beneficial remedy that can calm the nerves is making the sick 
    people listen to recitation of Qur’aan, beneficial exhortations and 
    beneficial hadeeth. Using music as a remedy is something that gets people 
    accustomed to falsehood and makes them even sicker. It makes listening to 
    the Qur’aan and Sunnah and useful exhortations burdensome for them. Laa 
    hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (there is no power and no strength 
    except with Allaah).” End quote. 
Majmoo’ 
    Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (9/429) 
See also the 
    answers to questions no. 43736, 
    5000 and 
    5011 for more information.   
Based on 
    this, you should advise these people and tell them that listening to music 
    is forbidden in Islam and that there is no need for this haraam deed. There 
    are many gyms which pay attention to that and they avoid playing music, 
    which makes more people come to them. If they do not respond, then at least 
    ask them not to use it whilst you are in the gym, so that you will not be a 
    partner in this sin, remaining silent about an evil which you are obliged to 
    denounce. 
If you 
    cannot do that, then you have to leave this gym: either look for another 
    one, or look for another solution such as buying some equipment to use for 
    exercising at home, which is better for you.