So plesae do not make this another issue and do practice what is taught by the Prophet Muhammad s.a. wasalam.

May Allah answer your prayers that the syaitan do not divert you away from the teaching of the truthful religion Islam..Ameen.

WE SHOULD READ QURAN

I like this quote by Ibn Al Qayyim which expounds upon the hikmah behind its prohibition:

“From among the artful machinations and entrapments of Allah’s enemy [Satan], with which he has snared those possessing little good sense, knowledge and deen [faith], and by which he has stalked the hearts of the false and ignorant people, there is the listening to whistling, wailing, handclapping and song to the accompaniment of forbidden [musical] instruments. Such things block the Quraan from people’s hearts and make them devoted to sin and disobedience. For song (to musical accompaniment) is the Quraan of Ash Shaytaan (Satan). It is a dense veil and barrier, preventing nearness to Ar-Rahmaan! (Allah) By way of such song, Satan deceives vain souls, making it appear pleasing to them through his cunning appeal to their vanities. He insidiously whispers false, specious arguments suggesting the’ goodness’ in song. These arguments are accepted, and as a result, the Quraan becomes an object of neglect and abandonment.”

Wa Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu

Seriously Muneeb, I have to look for better friends.

its not only friends… I once suffered a ear-shattering knock on my car window by a mutawaa type dude, asking me 2 put down the music while stuck at a weekend rushhour during azan.. n he nearly ate my head off!! n it wasnt even tht loud!

ppl need to keep their religion 2 themselves in public places

I think muslims tend to place a shield of untouchable sanctity over anything that relates even remotely to religion. This hinders any creative treatment of religion and religious issues and places constraints and restrictions on artists and intellectuals.

I think this is the most vital point. But I would extend this to religious people from most faiths.

Probably because not many heard of it?

I beg to differ. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is perhaps one of their best known songs where the opera (I stand corrected about Freddy Mercury singing it) says “Bismillah! We will not let you go - Let him go” in the song.

No one here is “bitching” as you claim. I’m asking for people’s opinions, do you have a problem with that?

I know Esra’a, my rant wasn’t directed towards anyone here in particular. It was just a general rant by overzealous dogmatic individuals who are too concerned about what is halal and what is haram about basically everything.

I apologize for the lack of clarification on my part.

Nobody bitched about Freddy Mercury with the use of “Bismillah” in one of his songs from the 70’s, and rightfully so.

Probably because not many heard of it?

petty disputes like this.

No one here is “bitching” as you claim. I’m asking for people’s opinions, do you have a problem with that?

Personally, I don’t know why people are so concerned about what is haram and halal when it comes to petty disputes like this.

I see the Dandy Warhols’ appropriation of the bismillah and parts of the azan as an attempt to make their music “exotic,” and thus it’s disrespectful. Perhaps if these people were Muslim or Middle Eastern, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, because I wouldn’t consider them to be “stealing” something from my faith or my culture.

Sidenote: I think nasheeds were voice & percussion only, and so I don’t think Sami Yusuf fits into the “nasheed” category.

You’d be lynched by extremists!

No, they’re too busy going after Taslima Nasrin who wrote a book about the Muslim persecution of Hindus in India. She’s on the run for her life now. Muslims worldwide have a duty to condemn what she is being put through by Muslims in India. But that is another topic for another day.

there is no way I am going to post it here though, it doesn’t deserve to be listened to.

You shouldn’t, not just out of respect, but security. You’d be lynched by extremists!

You won’t find any Muslims doing this ever.

I disagree. Many of my friends never turn the music down when it’s the call to prayer, and most local radio stations don’t pause the way stations in other countries do for prayer time. Not all Muslims pray on a daily basis or consider the call to prayer something that deserves respect. I do, but only because I grew up with my parents making sure I knew that. My grandmother would shut the TV off and make everyone shut up during each prayer time, so it’s like a family thing to be respectful. Otherwise I don’t think I would’ve really cared.

Concerning what you said, 50 Cent has a song called “Ghetto Quran.”

Remixing calls to prayers.. even hadiths… it doesn’t seem as bad, but the Quran is just a whole different story. I know the kind of songs you mean, there is no way I am going to post it here though, it doesn’t deserve to be listened to.

Esra’a, I have seen worse. The above samples you posted are disrespectful. If you want haram, you should look up what some bands are doing on MySpace, using the Quran and turning it into techno or whatever. It’s sad because they are obviously and very rudely making fun of the text.