Pop Culture in the Name of Islam
YVONNE RIDLEY
Monday, April 24, 2006
I FEEL very uncomfortable about the pop culture which is growing around some so-called Nasheed artists. Of course I use the term 'Nasheed artists' very lightly. Islamic 'boy bands' and Muslim 'popsters' would probably be more appropriate.
Eminent scholars throughout history have often opined that music is haram, and I don't recall reading anything about the Sahaba whooping it up to the sound of music. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for people letting off steam, but in a dignified manner and one which is appropriate to their surroundings.
The reason I am expressing concern is that just a few days ago at a venue in Central London, sisters went wild in the aisles as some form of pop-mania swept through the concert venue. And I'm not just talking about silly, little girls who don't know any better; I am talking about sisters in their 20's, 30's and 40's, who squealed, shouted, swayed and danced. Even the security guys who looked more like pipe cleaners than bulldozers were left looking dazed and confused as they tried to stop hijabi sisters from standing on their chairs. Of course the stage groupies did not help at all as they waved and encouraged the largely female Muslim crowd to "get up and sing along." (They're called 'Fluffers' in lap-dancing circles!)
The source of all this adulation was British-born Sami Yusuf, who is so proud of his claret-colored passport that he wants us all to wave the Union Jacks. I'm amazed he didn't encourage his fans to sing "Land of Hope and Glory." Brother Sami asked his audience to cheer if they were proud to be British ,and when they responded loudly, he said he couldn't hear them and asked them to cheer again.
How can anyone be proud to be British? Britain is the third most hated country in the world. The Union Jack is drenched in the blood of our brothers and sisters across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Our history is steeped in the blood of colonialism, rooted in slavery, brutality, torture, and oppression. And we haven't had a decent game of soccer since we lifted the World Cup in 1966.
Apparently Sami also said one of the selling points of Brand UK was having Muslims in the Metropolitan Police Force! Astafur'Allah! Dude, these are the same cops who have a shoot-to-kill policy and would have gunned down a Muslim last year if they could tell the difference between a Bangladeshi and a Brazilian. This is the same police force that has raided more than 3000 Muslim homes in Britain since 9/11. What sort of life is there on Planet Sami, I wonder? If he is so proud to be British, why is he living in the great Middle Eastern democracy of Egypt?
Apparently the sort of hysteria Sami helped encourage is also in America, and if it is happening on both sides of the Atlantic, then it must be creeping around the globe and poisoning the masses. Islamic boy bands like 786 and Mecca 2 Medina are also the subject of the sort of female adulation you expect to see on American Pop Idol or the X-Factor. Surely Islamic events should be promoting restrained and more sedate behavior.
Do we blame the out-of-control sisters? Or do we blame the organizers for allowing this sort of excessive behavior which demeans Islam? Or do we blame the artists themselves?
Abu Ali and Abu Abdul Malik, struggling for their Deen, would certainly not try to whip up this sort of hysteria. Neither would the anonymous heroic Nasheed artists who sing for freedom; check out Idhrib Ya Asad Fallujah, and you will know exactly what I mean.
Fallujah is now synonymous with the sort of heroic resistance that elevated the Palestinians of Jenin to the ranks of the resistance written about in the Paris Communeand the Siege of Leningrad. The US military has banned the playing of any Nasheeds about Fallujah because of the power and the passion it evokes.
If those Nasheeds had sisters running in the streets whooping and dancing, however, the Nasheeds may be encouraged because of haram activity surrounding them.
Quite frankly, I really don't know how anyone in the Ummah can really let go and scream and shout with joy at pleasure domes when there is so much brutality and suffering going on in the world today.
The rivers of blood flow freely from the veins of our brothers and sisters from across the Muslim world. Screaming and shouting the names of musical heroes drown out the screams coming from the dungeons of Uzbekistan where brothers and sisters are boiled alive in vats of water.
How many will jump up and down and wave their arms in the air, shouting wildly for justice for our kin in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Palestine, and Iraq? There are many more killing fields as well across the Asian and Arab world. Will you climb on theater chairs and express your rage over Guantanamo Bay and other gulags where our brothers and sisters are being tortured, raped, sodomized, beaten, and burned?
Or will you just switch off this concerned sister and switch on to the likes of Sami Yusuf because he can sell you a pipe dream with his soothing words and melodic voice?
Oh, Muslims, wake up! The Ummah is not bleeding; it is hemorrhaging.
Listen not to what is haram. Listen to the pain of your global family.
The reason I am expressing concern is that just a few days ago at a venue in Central London, sisters went wild in the aisles as some form of pop-mania swept through the concert venue. And I'm not just talking about silly, little girls who don't know any better; I am talking about sisters in their 20's, 30's and 40's, who squealed, shouted, swayed and danced. Even the security guys who looked more like pipe cleaners than bulldozers were left looking dazed and confused as they tried to stop hijabi sisters from standing on their chairs. Of course the stage groupies did not help at all as they waved and encouraged the largely female Muslim crowd to "get up and sing along." (They're called 'Fluffers' in lap-dancing circles!)
It's a good job I didn't let my mum go to that event :mad: :rant: So much for 'Islamic' event.....
The source of all this adulation was British-born Sami Yusuf, who is so proud of his claret-colored passport that he wants us all to wave the Union Jacks. I'm amazed he didn't encourage his fans to sing "Land of Hope and Glory." Brother Sami asked his audience to cheer if they were proud to be British ,and when they responded loudly, he said he couldn't hear them and asked them to cheer again.
What's goin on man??????
Why are the 'good' people turnign bad??? :'(
How can anyone be proud to be British? Britain is the third most hated country in the world. The Union Jack is drenched in the blood of our brothers and sisters across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. Our history is steeped in the blood of colonialism, rooted in slavery, brutality, torture, and oppression. And we haven't had a decent game of soccer since we lifted the World Cup in 1966.
Too right!!
Nationalism is a terrible thing.....Sadly we indulge blindly into this act...
Do we blame the out-of-control sisters? Or do we blame the organizers for allowing this sort of excessive behavior which demeans Islam? Or do we blame the artists themselves?
Good question! Who is to blame?
The rivers of blood flow freely from the veins of our brothers and sisters from across the Muslim world. Screaming and shouting the names of musical heroes drown out the screams coming from the dungeons of Uzbekistan where brothers and sisters are boiled alive in vats of water.
:'(
It's terrible, a few weeks ago, there was this brother Yvonne Ridley was interviewing...Subhaanallah...if u hear his story..:'(
da sis is talkin bout the evenin of inspiration and i had such a laff!! But wat shes sayin is true.... and im a big fan of sami yusuf so [S]no comment[/S]
Tobah Tobah InshAllah we all take heed and repent...Allah guide all them souls...JazakAllah Khair for that brother Respecttttttttttttt going out to Yvonne man i love that ukhty...she's an inspiration WalaykumAsalaam x
Ya Muslimeen
Ya Mu’meneen
Open up your eyes
Aim for the ultimate prize
Which is paradise
Allah’s laws
By definition has no flaw
So why do we pause?
Tell me what’s the cause
Hold your applause
Takbir!!!!!
Allahu Akbar
I think it would be wrong for us to be judgemental of the nasheed artists. Surely it is our place as muslims to make them see their errors and like-wise for the sisters who switch into hysteria as though the sweet smell of jannah had just engulfed their bodies.
Perhaps as Muslims on this board we could try and create a pamphlet urging muslims to spend their time wisely and instead of going wild in islamic concerts to weep in fear of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala).
At the end of the day it up to us to make a difference, no point in spotting the error and just sitting back and hoping for a miracle.
May Alalh (subhana wa ta’ala) reward Yvonne and barakallahu feekum Far7an.
True say it isnt...but the first step is acknowledging the fact that its wrong..the more ignorant of us dont even do that WalaykumAsalaam x InshAllah give dawah
Ya Muslimeen
Ya Mu’meneen
Open up your eyes
Aim for the ultimate prize
Which is paradise
Allah’s laws
By definition has no flaw
So why do we pause?
Tell me what’s the cause
Hold your applause
Takbir!!!!!
Allahu Akbar
Pop Culture in the Name of Islam
YVONNE RIDLEY
Monday, April 24, 2006
Do we blame the out-of-control sisters? Or do we blame the organizers for allowing this sort of excessive behavior which demeans Islam? Or do we blame the artists themselves?
BLAME THE SO CALLED SISTERS HU DROOL OVER THE GUY AND THROW ROSES AT HIM
Jeez im such a hyprocrite
ok blame the likes of me.......ASTAGFIRULLAH.....Hey i jus sang along to his nasheeds and screamed YEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH when he goes ARE U PROUD TO BE MUSLIMkay:
I dunno wat to say about these nasheed artists cos they jus duin it aaaaaaallllll for the cause of Islam and personally 4 me theyve helped me alot...... and as 4 these nasheeds concerts i bin to many, and i gta admit this 1 that yvonne ridley has written about was a bit over the top and it definitely was cos of sami yusuf but the bro did nothing wrong apart from praise Allah(swt) and his prophet (pbuh).....As he said in one interview wat does he do? [S]DANCE? [/S]
We shame ourselves...Ya ALlah i was reading about the companions of the Prophet...Kasme they were the real heroes of Islam..i look at myself and i think raaaaagz where have i gone wrong :'( :'(...WalaykumAsalaam x
At the end of the day..we've gone through the topic of Music several times...repeating and publicising his sins aint going to help right? agreed?...well nex thing is to give dawah AGAINST music and show what Islam teaches us InshAllah WalaykumAsalaam
Last edited by Ibn Abi Ahmed; 05-01-2006 at 03:07 PM.
Reason: Merged
Ya Muslimeen
Ya Mu’meneen
Open up your eyes
Aim for the ultimate prize
Which is paradise
Allah’s laws
By definition has no flaw
So why do we pause?
Tell me what’s the cause
Hold your applause
Takbir!!!!!
Allahu Akbar
Apart from the artist who has already been mentioned, who by the way, said himself he is NOT a munshid (one who sings nasheed) in a televised interview. Rather he said his latest album is "pop, if you like". There are others who also use instruments in their nasheed. And I just want to make clear that good intentions DO NOT make a sin lawful.
This hadith which has been used to remind others time and time again.
The Prophet (Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said,
"There will be [at some future time] people from my Ummah [community of Muslims] who will seek to make lawful: fornication, the wearing of silk, wine-drinking and the use of musical instruments [ma'aazif]. Some people will stay at the side of the mountain and when their shepherd comes in the evening to ask them for his needs, they will say, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Then Allah will destroy them during the night by causing the mountain to fall upon them, while He changes others into apes and swine. They will remain in such a state until the Day of Resurrection."
At the end of the day it up to us to make a difference, no point in spotting the error and just sitting back and hoping for a miracle.
No doubt, which is why we need to constantly remind others. The youth need to get involved in events organised by our ISOC or MSAs.
May Allah guide us all, and grant us all wisdom and knowledge to deal with this fitna.
Ameen...Second that Brother! ...Its good to know that the majority have established this WAS and eveining of fitnah without doubt...but now it should be our top priority to guide the Muslim Youth onto Siratum Mustakeem InshAllah WalaykumAsalaam x
Ya Muslimeen
Ya Mu’meneen
Open up your eyes
Aim for the ultimate prize
Which is paradise
Allah’s laws
By definition has no flaw
So why do we pause?
Tell me what’s the cause
Hold your applause
Takbir!!!!!
Allahu Akbar
I mean the seating arrangements was enough to make you go "NO WAY"
thats tru... there were men sitting nxt 2 women..although they could have sorted it out by moving about sightly but no1 wanted 2 do that..Astagfirullahi-atheem
Yeh point stated and acknowledged...now solution to improve InshAllah WalaykumAsalaam x
Ya Muslimeen
Ya Mu’meneen
Open up your eyes
Aim for the ultimate prize
Which is paradise
Allah’s laws
By definition has no flaw
So why do we pause?
Tell me what’s the cause
Hold your applause
Takbir!!!!!
Allahu Akbar
Our Lord! Verily, we have heard the call of one calling to Faith: 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed.
Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and expiate from us our evil deeds, and make us die (in the state of righteousness) along with Al-Abrar
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Respecttttttttttttt going out to Yvonne man i love that ukhty...she's an inspiration WalaykumAsalaam x
WalaykumAsalaam x InshAllah give dawah 
kay:
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