DO YOU LOVE NASHEED?

By

Mubaarak Olayemi Ismail 

I don't think you love nasheeds as much as I do, only Allah knows the number of Shaykh Rashid Mishari Al Afasi's album that I memorized... Too much of them, what of Ahmed Bukhatir, Abu Alli, Muhammad Muqeet and many others ... I listened to them a lot and I memorized most of them.

You know, the scholars of deen permitted listening to Nasheeds because they are free from musical instruments - but tables have turned now, there's one thing we need to look at in these Nasheeds, Nasheeds have changed from what they were at first, I read a fatwa of Shaykh Fawzaan on nasheeds of nowadays and I realized that most of these nasheeds are now haraam. 

Wait, before you accuse salafi boys for condemning everything, let's examine the points together and you can decide for yourself.

We all know that Nasheeds artists of nowadays have turned their voices to another musical instruments, they now employ a heavy usage of rhythm that makes it similar to musical instruments, the vocals are now made in a pattern that they resemble musical instruments and if not that we've trusted those artists that they can't use musical instruments, we will think that they are using instruments.

 Let's compare the use of voice in tracks of Al Afasi like Rahman, Qamari and most of his nasheeds, you should notice those sounds that preceded the chant - they have become so soothing and they are used in a musical way likewise most nasheeds of nowadays. People now listen to these nasheeds to enjoy those voices and rhythms, no one is interested in their meanings again, you will see a sister who's still unable to recite the Qur'an properly but they got huge love for Arabic nasheeds - how is the love formed when they don't know the meanings of these nasheeds? It is known that they listen to those musicalized  voices and not the meaning.

And because of this, the scholars of deen declared nasheeds that has musicalizsd voices as haraam.

Shaykh Munajjid said "And it is well known that some of these rhythms are more enjoyable than musical instruments, and their effects on the listener may be greater than the effects of musical instruments. SO THEY ARE NO LESS THAN THEM."

It may be a very difficult thing to decide, because we love these artists and their songs so much, but we should love Allah most and we should also accept the truth wherever we find it. 

Many people are just coping with leaving musical nasheeds like that of Maher Zain, Sami Yusuf, Zain Bhika, Yusuf Islam, Dawud Wharnsby and others who use musical instruments  and they are  trying to blend with non musical ones, and one salafi boy come now and said most of those non musical ones too are now haraam... It sounds confusing, but sit down and examine the truth yourself with sincerity, you will understand that no one is interested in making life difficult for people, but we are also striving to be safe from the claws of Shaytaan. 

And my last advice, instead of you to be listening to those nasheeds to filter the one that has been musicalized from others, it is better you do away from it all and build your heart to love the recitations of Qur'an, verily most people don't know names of Quraaan reciters and they don't have Quran on our phones and Mp3, all these devices are full of nasheeds, there are a lot of beautiful reciters out there that you can listen to, be it Sudais, Shuraim, Matrood, Minshawi, Husari or even our local Ahmad Suleiman, let's build our love for it, indeed in the word of Allah our mind will find solace. 

May Allah ease our affairs.