Anasheed
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A ''nasheed'' (, ) is a work of
vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...
, partially coincident with
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...
s, that is either sung ''
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
'' or with instruments, according to a particular style or tradition within
Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
. Nasheeds are popular throughout the Islamic world. The material and lyrics of a nasheed usually reference Islamic beliefs, history, religion, and current events. A ''nashīd'' performer is called a nashidist in English and ''munshid'' in Arabic (, , ).


Scholars on instruments

The founders of all four of the major
madhab A ''madhhab'' (, , pl. , ) refers to any school of thought within Islamic jurisprudence. The major Sunni ''madhhab'' are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali. They emerged in the ninth and tenth centuries CE and by the twelfth century almost all ...
s – Islamic schools of thought – and many other prominent scholars, have debated the legitimacy and use of musical instruments. For instance, according to the
Hanafi The Hanafi school or Hanafism is the oldest and largest Madhhab, school of Islamic jurisprudence out of the four schools within Sunni Islam. It developed from the teachings of the Faqīh, jurist and theologian Abu Hanifa (), who systemised the ...
school of thought, associated with the scholar
Abu Hanifa Abu Hanifa (; September 699 CE – 767 CE) was a Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, ascetic,Pakatchi, Ahmad and Umar, Suheyl, "Abū Ḥanīfa", in: ''Encyclopaedia Islamica'', Editors-in-Chief: Wilferd Madelung and, Farhad Daftary. and epony ...
, 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 () is the first hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. Compiled by Islamic scholar al-Bukhari () in the format, the work is valued by Sunni Muslims, alongside , as the most authentic after the Qur'an. Al-Bukhari organized the bo ...
of
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
scholarship,
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
taught that musical instruments are sinful:
Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari
companion of Muhammad The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...
] 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."
There is also evidence for music being permitted in the same book.
Aisha Aisha bint Abi Bakr () was a seventh century Arab commander, politician, Muhaddith, muhadditha and the third and youngest wife of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Aisha had an important role in early Islamic h ...
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."
A few historical Islamic scholars such as
Al-Ghazali Al-Ghazali ( – 19 December 1111), archaically Latinized as Algazelus, was a Shafi'i Sunni Muslim scholar and polymath. He is known as one of the most prominent and influential jurisconsults, legal theoreticians, muftis, philosophers, the ...
have also said that musical instruments may be used as long as the songs are not promoting that which is
Haraam ''Haram'' (; ) is an Arabic term meaning 'taboo'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowledge; or, in direct cont ...
.


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 Outlandish is a hip-hop music group based in Denmark. Formed in 1997, it currently consists of and . Career Their first formation consists of Isam Bachiri, , and . All three members are religious, with Isam and Waqas being Muslims (of Moroccan a ...
, and
Raihan Raihan (derived from the Arabic word ''Rayḥān'' (), "Fragrance of Heaven") is a Malaysian nasheed group originally composed of five members that became popular in Malaysia with the release of their debut album ''Puji-Pujian'' in October 1 ...
. Other well-known artists are
Ahmed Bukhatir Ahmed Bukhatir (; born 16 October 1975) is an Emirati singer and songwriter. Biography Ahmed Bukhatir was born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. He is the fifth of ten children. His father is Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, who became a successful bus ...
,
Yusuf Islam Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
(formerly known as
Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion st ...
),
Sami Yusuf Sami Yusuf (born 21 July 1980) is an Iranian-British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer of Azerbaijani descent. He gained international attention with the release of his debut album, ''Al-Muʽallim'', in 2003. As of 2020, ...
,
Junaid Jamshed Junaid Jamshed Khan (3 September 1964 – 7 December 2016) was a Pakistani Islamic preacher, singer-songwriter and television personality. Jamshed first gained nationwide and international recognition as the vocalist of Vital Signs. Their ...
,
Maher Zain Maher Zain (; born 16 July 1981) is a Lebanon, Lebanese-Sweden, Swedish Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter and music producer. He released his debut album ''Thank You Allah'', an internationally successful album produced by Awakening Reco ...
, Harris J, Siedd, Sulthan Ahmed, Humood AlKhudher,
Hamza Namira Hamza Namira () is an Egyptian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has released three albums from the production of Awakening Records: ''Dream With Me'', ''Insan'', ''Esmaani;'' and a couple of albums from Namira production, his own ...
,
Atif Aslam Atif Aslam (; born 12 March 1983) is a Pakistani playback singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He has recorded many songs in both Pakistan and India, and is known for his Belting (music), vocal belting technique. Born in Wazirabad, Waziraba ...
,
Raef Raef is a male given name. Arabic Raif, Raif, Raaif or Raef (Arabic: رَائِف ''rā’if'') is an Arabic male given name meaning "kind, compassionate, affectionate, benign" or "sympathetic, merciful". The name comes from the Arabic verb ''ra ...
,
Mesut Kurtis Mesut Kurtis (; ) is a Turkish-Macedonian singer who is represented by and signed to Awakening Records. He has released four albums namely "Salawat", "Beloved", "Tabassam", and "Balaghal Ula" and one mini album namely "Azeem Al-Shan". Backgro ...
, S'nada,
Dawud Wharnsby Dawud Wharnsby (born David Howard Wharnsby; June 27, 1972) is a Canadian Universalist Muslim singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television personality. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his work in the musical/poetic g ...
,
Zain Bhikha Zain Bhikha is a South African singer-songwriter, vocalist, and drummer who performs Islamic nasheeds. Associated with other Muslim singers, including Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby, Bhikha has collaborated on albums and also released several ...
, Muhammad Al-Muqit, Mishary Rashid Al-Afasy, Abu Ubayda, Abu Ali (Musa al-Umaira), Abu Abd ul-Malik (Mohsin al-Dosari) and Abu Assim. Nasheed artists appeal to a worldwide Muslim audience and may perform at Islamic oriented festivals (such as
Mawlid The Mawlid () is an annual festival commemorating the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad on the traditional date of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. A day central to the traditions of some Sunnis, Mawlid is al ...
), conferences, concerts and shows, including ISNA. 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 nasheeds. Many
Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
groups such as
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
don't follow the ruling of musical instruments in Islam. Their nasheeds are filled with
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s and extreme
autotune Auto-Tune is audio processor software released on September 19, 1997, by the American company Antares Audio Technologies. It uses a proprietary device to measure and correct pitch in music. It operates on different principles from the vocoder ...
. In
Alawite Alawites () are an Arabs, Arab ethnoreligious group who live primarily in the Levant region in West Asia and follow Alawism, a sect of Islam that splintered from early Shia as a ''ghulat'' branch during the ninth century. Alawites venerate A ...
nasheeds, the singer mostly shouts and praises
Ali Ali ibn Abi Talib (; ) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib an ...
. Some Bosnian nasheeds during the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
were sung within the genre
turbofolk Turbo-folk is a subgenre of contemporary South Slavic pop music that initially developed in Serbia during the 1990s as a fusion of techno and folk. The term was an invention of the Montenegrin singer Rambo Amadeus, who jokingly described t ...
.


Propaganda

Nasheeds are also used to spread propaganda. A notable example is from a
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
nasheed called ''
This Is the Home of the Brave "This Is the Home of the Brave" ( ) is a Pashto-language nasheed, currently used as the national anthem of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It is an a cappella song, meaning that it does not contain musical instruments, as instruments Islamic ...
''.
Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
is known for the use of nasheeds in their videos and propaganda, notable examples being the arabic chant ''
Dawlat al-Islam Qamat "Dawlat al-Islam Qamat" (), also known by its English name "My Ummah, Dawn Has Appeared" (), is an Islamist jihadi nasheed (chant) which became an unofficial anthem of the Islamic State. It was released in December 2013 and soon became their mo ...
'' ("The Islamic State Has Been Established"), which came to be viewed as an unofficial anthem of ISIS, and ''
Salil al-sawarim Salil al-Sawarim (, "Clashing of the swords") is a nasheed (chant) produced by the Islamic State in 2014 and used in Islamic State propaganda and beheading videos and as a theme. It is a melodic a cappella hymn, in which the lyrics discuss about b ...
'' ("Clashing of Swords"). ISIS also spreads nasheeds in Spanish language. Famous jihadist munshids include Maher Meshaal and
Abu Hajer al-Hadhrami Ghalib Ahmed Baquaiti (Arabic: غَالِب أَحمَد بَاقُعَيطِي, ''Ġālib Aḥmad Bāqu‘ayṭī''), also known as Abu Hajar al-Hadhrami (أَبو هَاجِر الحَضرَمِي, ''Abū Hājir al-Ḥaḍramī'')(1986–2015) was ...
. In 2017, a
Uyghur Uyghur may refer to: * Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia (West China) ** Uyghur language, a Turkic language spoken primarily by the Uyghurs *** Old Uyghur language, a different Turkic language spoken in the Uyghur K ...
activist in
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
claimed that nasheeds caused radicalisation, stating that "there's no doubt that ''anashīd'' played an important role in stirring up the young people and encouraging them to fight in these wars. People listen to ''anashīd'', and they cry. They try to get people emotional, excited, to inspire them. Their aim is to target young people who aren't clear in their minds, to get them to join their jihad. This is not true Islam, persuading young people to go and get themselves killed."Soundscapes of Uyghur Islam, Rachel Harris, 2020, pp. 161


See also


References


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. . {{Authority control Dhikr Islamic music