I had a very skillful dentist,
who claimed she couldn’t work without playing the music in her office.
I believe she was telling the
truth or that she thought that.
But her long nails didn’t help her to operate
on my teeth any better during a root canal, yet she didn’t go and clip them
just for my sake; she poked me once (only) really hard in the cheek with one of
her long nails, and that didn’t make her a better dentist in my eyes. She had
the luxury of course of ignoring whatever her patients might have complained
about, because she was an expensive and well-booked alternative to other less
experienced and possibly less cultured dentists. And, I have had doctors who
couldn’t care less if I was comfortable or even in as little pain as possible.
I won’t tell about any particular experiences with my obstetricians, but I will
say that dentists have been some of my favorite people in the medical field and
also some of my least favorite.
The dentist I mentioned, with the
manicured nails, who wouldn’t sacrifice fashion or beauty for either dentistry
or her religion, told me that I was (at the time being in my mid-30s) grown up
and should take care of my teeth; I wish I had done that. Certainly I couldn’t
accuse her of not being a half-decent human being or a half-decent professional
(at least); I just didn’t agree with her lifestyle or fashion choices, but she
didn’t agree with mine either. There are things that don’t have to be agreed on
but that we can work around; this is called compromise. I won’t say her name, but
she is from a famous lineage, I'm guessing, a Sheikh who probably has a Chechen bloodline.
While I don’t listen to music
anymore, I understand why people do, having been a big rock music fan as a teenager.
But I appreciate now, because I don’t listen to music (much) for religious
reasons, how it is something that can be bad.
It can be a big waste of time,
for one thing.
I do admit that I like some of
the very good children’s movies out of Hollywood because of the scores; Horton
Hears a Who (200?), The Lorax (20??). But it isn’t just the catchy music
(melody) but the lyrics that are important.
I have heard and listened to some
poorly written lyrics and even the music isn’t awesome; these are songs, like “How
I Wonder”, which probably not many Americans have heard or know of its artist;
his name is ?, Similar to him is Zain Bika. He (both men are) is a Muslim who
sings (and composes/writes) nasheed (Islamic-religious
songs).
I have liked Native Deen, and
their lyrics sometimes are truly inspiring; kind of Islamic-rap, for lack of a
better name; but a good majority of nasheed
is less “Islamic” and more (heavy on the) rap or Arabic music. Many artists won’t
compromise on the music, and they won’t stop making music for the sake of
religion; in fact they might believe they are serving Islam by making music.
Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) didn’t
make music for a long time, but then he received a fatwa, that it is okay to
make music. Sufis don’t appear to compromise on their values, but then most Sufis
don’t practice a mainstream (I mean more “orthodox”) Islam. I don’t know if
Yusuf Islam is Sufi, but he certainly could be mistaken for one. It doesn’t matter
to me either way. I only mention this because I want to point out the good and
the bad connected with music in general, which I’m not quite finished doing.
So, what’s so bad about music?
I think it stops many young
people from realizing their true potential; it stopped me from concentrating on
my studies in high school, it stopped me from realizing some of my other
passions, which I could have perhaps ventured to work harder at, such as
studying art in a real classroom or setting, instead of just dabbling; I also
don’t think one can write or concentrate with music on, generally.
I wonder if journalists or
novelists generally can’t concentrate when there is music in the background. I
certainly never have anything else “going on” when I write, or even when I’m
thinking about a problem; it is very distracting and even more than annoying
sometimes, to hear any background noise, or chatter, or normal conversations
when trying to write something that will be (hopefully) better than usual; I
have to lock myself away to really get my creative juices flowing. I think most
people (if they are not actually writing music) can’t work with any
distractions, even music; there are some very obvious cases where music helps,
or that’s what the perception is (and I know why, it’s the “beat” and the
inspiring lyrics in some songs, like Flash Dance (long time ago) that are so uplifting or make us want to dance. I’m actually
thinking of it, which was probably called “What a Feeling”, but I can’t
remember the name of the artist).
But, for example, painting (but not
studying, which I think needs more quiet effort), and sports, like
long-distance running or exercising are easier and not hard to do with a playlist of songs; but I truly wish I had not been so “addicted”
to music for much of my youth. I believe I sacrificed some things for the sake
of “just listening” to music by wasting countless irretrievable hours on it.
Those hours (and years!) could have been better spent on something else.
Here are some links, for ‘good’
music, and one for the song, “How I Wonder” (which I will remind everyone I don’t
like). I don’t listen to music often, on purpose anyway, but I will admit I’d
be embarrassed if I said I am a fan of just any nasheed artist who calls him/herself
Muslim.
Ahmed Bukhatir; his words are “touching”,
not as good as (English/Arabic) nasheed done by many others.
Sami Yusuf is a nasheed artist. He
wrote a long blog about why music isn’t forbidden, in response to Yvonne
Ridley; probably one of the better liked artists, well-known among Arabs and
English speakers alike.
Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat
Stevens) above; doing an ’Arabic alphabet’ song - It was one of my favorite
songs for my family, too. (What NO “T”
for Taqqiya? Lolls, Taqqiya is something
Arab Christians (and others) say Muslims do, “lying for the religion”, which is
a word I didn’t know for twenty three years, and have only heard after I began
blogging and watching YouTube videos.
Zain Bhika is another nasheed
artist (not one of my favorites for nasheed)
Native Deen is an ‘Islamic-rap’
group (English and Arabic lyrics appear in their songs, they also do a lot of
live performances, which you can see on YouTube), American English, and very
popular among Muslims.
Another, with no music (vocals
only), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYtzYckTVQ&list=PL436D40ED22AB2372
with a message about “different
points of view” , “justice” and the “value of a life”.
Finally, “How I Wonder”, by Ahmed
Bukhatir;
“Open Your Eyes”, by Maher Zain. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY5LZopqyio&list=PL16ECED39B8FED42B
Also, the non-music version, as it’s called,
of “Open Your Eyes” by Maher Zain,
The soundtrack (seven minutes of;)
from Horton Hears a Who (The Movie, 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD_wsNxbNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD_wsNxbNA
The Song, “How Bad Can I Be” from
the Lorax, with a great environmental/moral message, still looking for the song.
ARABIC NASHEED:
The following is a song, which
dates back to the first century of Islam, its roots are the words for the song
sung by the early Muslims at Medina, upon the arrival of Prophet Muhammad,
SAWS, the first time he entered on his immigration (when he set up the first Islamic state in
Arabia since Prophet Abraham)
One of the most loved (I would
say) Arabic songs of all time; “Junduallah”;
I personally love it and it is a message for all Muslims who love Jihad
(defensive Jihad to protect the lives of innocent Muslims).
Many songs came out of the Jihad
done by Muslims, especially Arabic and Afghani songs, which I will try to find
for the listeners/readers.
Songs on stage performance, in
2013, in various languages;
Other Arabic links;
The song “My Wife” (in English) (‘zawjati
uhabuki’ means, “my wife, I love you”)
Similar to My Wife, is the next
song;
it’s about his “mother” (‘ummi’
means ‘my mother’)
This is a famous nasheed,
probably connected to Islamic history, the song is about the moon (badr)
appearing, which was actually a description of the prophet’s face. I hope I
didn’t mix this up with “ya Taiba” (whether ya Taiba or Tala badru Alaina, is
from the time of the migration). People sometimes sing or play these (some
women sing) at celebrations like Eid day.
The final one is by a famous Qari,
reciter of Quran, but this is a song;
He is Mishary Rashed Al-Afasy
(Saudi Arabia?)
Fatawas about music:
Yusuf Islam (Full Documentary):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_AvXnBv8OI&list=PLDFC08E171B0525B2
ReplyDeletethis is "so many colors" by Zain Bhikha, very good for kids and others who like nasheed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACD_wsNxbNA - link for the Horton Hears A Who Movie(Soundtrack)
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