A nasheed (Arabic: singular نَشِيدْ nashīd, meaning "chant" plural أَنَاشِيدْ anāshīd, meaning: "chants") is a work of vocal music, partially coincident with hymns, that is either sung a cappella or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within Islam.

Nasheeds are popular throughout the Islamic world. The material and lyrics of a nasheed usually make reference to Islamic beliefs, history, and religion, as well as current events.[1]

Scholars on instruments

The founders of all four of the major madhabs – Islamic schools of thought – as well as many other prominent scholars, have debated the legitimacy and use of musical instruments. For instance, according to the Hanafi school of thought, associated with the scholar Abu Hanifa, if a person is known to play musical instruments to divert people from God, their testimony is not to be accepted.

According to the widely acknowledged book of authentic hadiths Sahih al-Bukhari of Sunni scholarship, Muhammad taught that musical instruments are sinful:

Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari [a companion of Muhammad] said that he heard Muhammad saying: "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."[2]

There is also evidence for music being permitted in the same book. Aisha said:

Abu Bakr came to my house while two small Ansari girls were singing beside me the stories of the Ansar concerning the Day of Buath. And they were not singers. Abu Bakr said protestingly, "Musical instruments of Satan in the house of Allah's Messenger!" It happened on the `Id day and Allah's Messenger said, "O Abu Bakr! There is an `Id for every nation and this is our `Id."[3]

A few historical Islamic scholars such as Imam Al-Ghazali have also said that musical instruments may be used as long as the songs are not promoting that which is Haraam.[4]

Modern interpretations

A new generation of nasheed artists use a wide variety of musical instruments in their art. Many new nasheed artists are non-Arabs and sing in different languages. Some nasheed bands are Native Deen, Outlandish, and Raihan. Other well-known artists are Ahmed Bukhatir, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), Sami Yusuf, Junaid Jamshed, Maher Zain, Harris J, Siedd, Sulthan Ahmed, Humood AlKhudher, Hamza Namira, Atif Aslam, Raef, Mesut Kurtis, S'nada, Dawud Wharnsby, Zain Bhikha, Muhammad Al-Muqit, Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy, Abu Ali (Musa al-Umaira), Abu Abd ul-Malik (Mohsin al-Dosari) and Abu Assim.

Some Nasheed singers that were or still are part of a terrorist organization include Abu Musab Al-Adani, Abu Yousef Al-Waqari, Ibrahim Al-Sanaani, Abu Hajar Al-Hadrami, Abu Fares Al-Yemeni, Maher Meshaal (known as Abu Al-Zubair Al-Jazrawi), Abu Ghuraba Al-Yamani, Abu Yasser Al-Hijazi, Abu Hamza, Abu Ibrahim, Abu 'Aisha, Abu Hasan Al-Hasani, Abu Usamah At-Tunisi, Khilad Al-Qahtani.

Nasheed artists appeal to a worldwide Muslim audience and may perform at Islamic oriented festivals (such as Mawlid), conferences, concerts and shows, including ISNA.[5] Other artists and organisations such as Nasheed Bay promote an instrument-free stance, differing from the current trends of the increasing usage of instruments in nasheed.

The Islamic State (ISIS) is known for the use of nasheeds in their videos and propaganda, notable examples being the chant Dawlat al-Islam Qamat ("The Islamic State Has Been Established"), which came to be viewed as an unofficial anthem of ISIS,[6] and Salil al-sawarim ("Clashing of Swords").[7] ISIS has also produced nasheeds for the western world, including Mécréants De L’Humanité ("O Disbelievers of the World") and Ma Vengeance ("My Revenge").[8]

List of some well-known nasheeds

  • Dawlat al-Islam Qamat (Arabic: دولة الاسلام قامت, English: The Islamic State Has Been Established), also known as Ummati Qad Laha Fajrun (Arabic: أمتي قد لاح فجر, English: My Ummah, Dawn Has Appeared), recited by Abu Yasser for the Ajnad Foundation in the year 2013. It became an unofficial anthem of the so-called Islamic State.
  • Mawkib Al-Noor (Arabic: موكب النور), recited by Abu Usamah At-Tunisi, released by the Ajnad Foundation (ISIS).
  • Salil al-Sawarim (Arabic: صليل الصوارم, English: Clashing of Swords), recited by Abu Yasser for the Ajnad Foundation (ISIS) in the year 2014.
  • This Is the Home of the Brave (Dā də bātorāno kor), a Pashto-language nasheed by the Taliban, produced in 1996.
  • Revolution from Tora Bora, recited by Abu Yasser for Al-Qaeda, presumably produced in the early 2010s. The nasheed praises Osama bin Laden at the end.
  • Brigade 103/Ya Alliwa' 103, recited by Abu Musab al-Adani, an AQAP munshid.
  • Ghadab Ghadab, a nasheed also recited by Abu Musab al-Adani.
  • Al Qawlu Qawlu Sawarim, a well known nasheed by the munshid Musa Al Omeira (known as Abu Ali).
  • Ana Maradun, recited by Abu Ali.
  • Maden kas-Sayf, recited by Abu Ali.
  • Taweel al Shawq, a nasheed by Ahmed Bukhatir, released in 2001.
  • Ya Adheeman, recited by Ahmed Bukhatir, released in 2003.
  • Ya Ummi, recited by Ahmed Bukhatir, released in 2003 aswell.
  • Ya Shahida, origin unknown.
  • Yeghba Shahada/Wayna Man Yaghbis Shahada (Arabic: ﻭﻳﻦ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺒﻐﻰ ﺍﻟﺸﻬﺎﺩﺓ), origin unknown.
  • Darbuna Darbun. Although it was apparently used in one of ISIS' propaganda videos, this nasheed is not made by them. The Origin is unknown.
  • Mi Smo Vojska Allahova, From the Bosnian War.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Raudvere, Catharina; Stenberg, Leif (15 January 2009). Sufism Today: Heritage and Tradition in the Global Community. I. B. Tauris. p. 76. ISBN 9781845117627. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  2. ↑ Shahih al-Bukhari Volume 7, Book 69, Number 494v: English translation of this hadith at https://sunnah.com/bukhari/74/16.
  3. ↑ Sahih al-Bukhari 952 (Book 13, Hadith 4); English translation at https://sunnah.com/bukhari:952.
  4. ↑ "What is the ruling concerning Music?". Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah. Archived from the original on 2021-06-29. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  5. ↑ "Islamic Music For the New Generation". Ahmed Bukhatir.com. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2019. Young Muslim singers are doing just that with Islamic songs called "Nasheeds"
  6. ↑ Marshall, Alex (9 November 2014). "How Isis got its anthem". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 August 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Schatz, Bryan. "Inside the world of jihadi propaganda music". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  8. ↑ Heilpern, Will (31 March 2016). "Pro-Trump, Clinton, Sanders campaign ads spotted next to ISIS videos on YouTube". Business Insider. Insider Inc. Retrieved 3 May 2019.

Further reading

  • Thibon, Jean-Jacques, Inshad, in Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God (2 vols.), Edited by C. Fitzpatrick and A. Walker, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2014, Vol. I, pp. 294–298. ISBN 1610691776
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