Pop

I’ve been occupied. In different ways. But no matter where the whirlwind takes me, at the end of the day I’m back in the classroom with the kids. And even this is different. Almost each time.

The other day we discussed an article about Arab pop music. The title of the article is: “Degenerate Pop: Threat to the Arab Music Renaissance or Mere Sign of the Times?”

With a title like that even my mind goes “whaa??” So I asked them what on earth is the title saying?

“ miss it says like that arab music is getting worst”.

“no but that’s because of western music because arab music wants to copy the west and so it got worst”.

Okay. What does the word degenerate mean?

… Silence …

Well it probably says something’s getting worst in quality when it degenerates … what about the ‘mere signs of the times’ part … and that question mark?

… Silence …

Giggles and chuckles…. “we don’t know miss”
______________________________________________

We then read a line that says: “In the Arab world, there are two names for this type of music: the first, shababi, means ‘youthful’, an appropriate name as it is the youth that make this genre of music so popular; and the second, habita, is a derogatory name used by its critics implying ‘low brow’”.

So why is Arab pop music seen this way?

“ well miss cuz like young people today want to see sexy women and nice looking cars and copy the west and they think that’s good music”.

“miss like some people they can’t listen to a song if it doesn’t have a video clip”.

“ like amr diab or like Haifa wehbe cuz she’s hot. But her music says nothing”.

What about Britney Spears?

“she sings like a goat”.

“her music means nothing. She says nothing”.

Then why does she have such a big following? Could it be that people connect with the identity that she represents?

Look at it this way: she has a domestic side – kids, motherhood, a guy who just won’t be a good man to her, problems with family, etc. Hey how many of us don’t know people like that or who struggle with similar things? … and she’s also portrayed as a rebel: a bad girl who doesn’t care to be “good”. Ladies, what’s going on you think?

“but miss like she can’t sing”.

What is music, in this case? An identity, human one, or merely voice and talent?

“ miss I really used to hate Britney Spears but now I like her because I feel for her”.

“ but miss this has nothing to do with our topic”.

(I laugh). Fadi that came so confidently you should make all your comments like that. Why do you say this?

“because either a song is good or bad. Has nothing to do with all these things”.

Absolutely. Good point. Hey sometimes it’s just music.

So okay, what am I talking about then? I’ll get back to the point to make Fadi happy. The point is … Arab pop music. Arab pop music is.

Hey, wait a minute. Why are we talking about Arab pop versus “West” pop music? And what on earth is pop music from the “West”? And what is Arab pop music? Since when did pop music have a national citizenship?

And kids, since when was the world divided in “West” and “Arab”?

Yin Yang's contact and Tariq Ramadan

Assalamu alaikum:

Anyone want more of Tariq Ramadan translations? Feel free to contact Yin-Yang at

yin.yangquest@gmail.com

Let us know if you'd like all the translations posted on Quest. In the end, it's for your benefit inshAllah.

Salam,
Q

Reading Lebanese News

Assalamu Alaikum:

I thought I'd read the news in Lebanon with you through this Youtube video. Election season out here, but there's other things going on too.

The Youtube video is here

Q

Yin-Yang on Marriage and Love

From Quest to Yin-Yang: sis I'm so so soooo happy you're writing it out! like yeah, take up all the blog sweety .... but you'll have to buy me coffee next time we meet. With whipped cream. :-) ... i've always believed writing is a healing power. Tell it girl, get well ...

To my readers, if anyone has a story to share or an opinion to show and would like to use the healing power of 'writing it out', feel free to email me with a post for publishing. Or, comment away so I know you're reading. Brothers and sisters alike. hey, we're all human :-)

______

From Yin-Yang to readers:

Bismillahirrahmanirraheem

Thanks everyone for the comments. Man, I feel I'm hogging Quest's blog. Thanks Quest :) I love you. I hope this public declaration of love is well received and that I don't scare your suitors off, ha!

I continue to work, alhamdullilah, but secretly hoping that my firm would approve of my sabbatical leave. As my collegue puts it, we work to get away from work. Not sure if that is healthy...

Not sure where I want to go, I feel I need to go away for a little while just to get my mind off, and to get my mind straight.

Anyway..... in doing up the notes to Part 2 of Tariq Ramadan's talk, I realize I had better attend a French spelling bee contest.

La famille par Tariq Ramadan (The Family, by Tariq Ramadan) Part 2
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No one in the world shares your personality, not your brother, and not even your twin. Why is that? Because we are all created as unique beings who interact with others in a certain way.

The first responsibility we have is intropsection, to know ourselves. Before being responsible for another person, we have to be responsible for ourselves.

Each individual, man and woman alike, has his/her tastes, intelligence, and expectations. The first thing to do before finding a husband or a wife is to know what you want, know your expectations.

It is not as simple as 'this person is a Muslim, walhamdullilah'. It doesn't work this way. One should have trust in Allah, yes, but the world today is more complicated; society is more complex - take your time, listen to your needs.

Respond to your needs, and at the same time, respect the Islamic principles. It is not that one should respect the Islamic principles, and forget his/her own needs.

What are your needs? It may be that you need someone who talks with you, who spends time with you, or who listens to you. Or it may be that you need affection, need protection. Remember, you are responsible for your body, mind and soul.

Listen to yourself, make introspections, make an effort - a struggle of the self.

It is not enough to say 'this person is good-looking and has 'ilm', that should suffice. You are not only marrying another person, but also his/her psyche, emotions, intelligence, and also a person who should understand your needs. Understand your own needs, pay attention to your heart.

Everyone has expectations. Many men and women think it is sufficient for the other party to have certain looks and possess a certain amount of knowledge. Consequently, they are then wrecked emotionally when plunged into the daily challenges, because they forget to attend to their own needs and expectations.

Allah says in the Qur'an:
هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ
2:187 They are as a garment for you, and you are as a garment for them.

Your spouse is, therefore, a garment of protection. A garment that protects your vulnerability, your fragility, your wounds, and your needs. A garment that shields you from wind and rain.

What is the wind and rain? Each individual has their weak spots, and one must search for the cover that one needs, whatever that may be for each person. But you need to find yourself, your need to know yourself, and you need to pay attention to yourself.

This is not being egocentric. Knowing yourself needs humility, needs courage, and needs acknowledgement of your own weaknesses.

People nowadays speak of the perfect marriage, but this is only verbal marriage. Nowadays, divorces are on the increase, especially amongst Muslim couples. We don't have a practical plan, it's all theoretical. We need to put Islam in practice.

Each one of us is a unique individual. In a relationship, one should not suffer while the other party gains. No, both parties should develop and blossom together. Remember, we are to return to Allah as an individual, we are responsible for ourselves.

However, as a couple, we must also remember the following:

لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ
2:286 God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear

It is true that Allah does not give you more than what you can bear. However, when you decide to live with this man or this woman as a spouse, you must remember the other part of the verse, that is: What you can bear, however, you must bear it.

-- Yin-Yang

From Yin-Yang

Bismillahirrahmanirraheem


Have been quite busy at work (since when am I not busy? Quest can attest to that). But I figure it is much better being busy, than free, especially what I am going through. So alhamdullilah wasshukr to Allah. Come to think of it, I shouldn't complain, goodness. Think about what other people in the world are going through...

In the meantime, I have also decided to practice my French after putting it down for 3 years. Really, the one thing that keeps me going in my French is Tariq Ramadan (because he publishes in French a lot).

InshaAllah, I’d like to share with you a translation of one of his talks I attended on families (this was in French). I was taking notes, and I found them to be half in English and half in French, so I hope the below will actually make sense. The italics are my comments and random ramblings.

Family - From the Ideal to Reality, the Steps, the Challenges, the Struggle

It is important to realize that having a family is not only to follow the teachings of the Qur'an, of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but it is also a daily challenge, a voyage.

We often speak of following the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but the true following of the Prophet is not only in theory, but in spirit.

Allah said in the Qur'an (3:31):
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Say [O Prophet]: "If you love God, follow me, [and] God will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace."

Following the Prophet in the truest sense is to approach Allah.

We have the best example in the Prophet (SAW). Everyone knows this, but the best example in what? People always speak of following the sunnah in such ritualistic way, but they forget the essence in following the sunnah is in their manners, in their interaction with others. Being decent to one another is not sinful, you know. Why can't we learn to smile, why can't we learn to be decent, why can't we learn just to be, well, human? In love and in spirit.
Therefore, in forming a family, we should always remember not only in the way of applying the rules, but more importantly, in applying one's heart to the rules.
We have to model ourselves after the Prophet in educating our hearts how to better love and to better understand the other.



Not only do we need to translate the principles in our lives, we need to bring our hearts to our lives. Not only do we need to bring our hearts to our lives, we need to bring in our knowledge to our lives. All this is to reach our goal of approach the Unique.

And therefore, when the Prophet tells us that we should love him more than anything, more than our parents and even ourselves, it is not that he is arrogant (astaghfirullah) and that he thinks he is the most important person in the world (though he definitely is), but it's because he wants the good for us. He knows that it is by loving and following him as an example in heart, spirit, and actions, that we can approach Him. Everything that the Prophet did and advised us to do was only for our own good.

Forming a family, living with another man or woman in marriage, to be a father/ mother is a struggle, a daily struggle.

With all this, there is one reality that one should never forget: As an individual, one is responsible of oneself, one's heart, and one's intelligence.

That said, the quality of Oneness belongs only to Allah. Allah had mentioned in His book that all things are created in pairs. Humans, like nature, like animals, are destined in our solitude to live with another, to find the other half of faith.

One is alone in needs, but this is not exclusive. Marriage is not an obligation in Islam. There are many scholars, great people who choose not to marry. However, it is a recommended act, because it gives peace to one's heart.

A true couple strives for peace together, strives to blossom together, and strives for the well-being of both.

Allah is the path in the heart, but a spouse is the support to one in remaining faithful on this path. God as the path, and your spouse as the partner in the journey.


-Yin-Yang

From Another Blogger

So Quest has kindly invited me to write on the blog again. Or should I say, Quest has always welcomed me to blog, I have just never got around to it (i.e. lazy)

My one year quest ended yesterday, 21st of March 2009, the exact one-year anniversary (if I may put it that way) of me knowing the potential.

I thought we had a lot in common, I thought he had everything that I was looking for, I thought I can also bring in a lot to the relationship, we met up, spoke, his mother spoke to me, my mother spoke to him, all seemed fine, (this went on about for 1 year) and suddenly, he said, 'let's just be friends'.

Niceness is cruelty itself. Yet, perhaps it is better being nice than harsh. It hurts, it feels I can never meet another person like that, it feels painful, my heart hurts. But I know that life must move on, life will move on, inshaAllah.

Perhaps the following lyrics will describe my emotions better:



"Watching the stars till they're gone
Like an actor all alone
Who never knew the story he was in
Who never knew the story ends.
Like the sky reflecting my heart
All the colors become visible
When the morning begins
I'll read the last line

In endless rain I've been walking
Like a poet feeling pain
Trying to find the answers
Trying to hide the tears
But it was just a circle
That never ends
When the rain stops, I'll turn the page
The page of the first chapter

Am I wrong to be hurt
Am I wrong to feel pain
Am I wrong to be in the rain
Am I wrong to wish the night won't end
Am I wrong to cry
But I know, It's not wrong to sing The Last Song
Cause forever fades

I see red
I see blue
But the silver lining gradually takes over
When the morning begins
I'll be in the next chapter"

I look forward to being in the next chapter, whatever the content may be, whatever the story may be, whenever the page turns....

One comfort I have is that the verbal noun of 'being broken' ِانكِسَارٌ in Arabic (Form VII), being the reflexive from of the Form I verb كَ سَ رَ (broke), is a quality that Allah loves, because it is in this state that one feels his/her true reliance on Allah, that He makes us realize that HE is in charge, not us. When one is in this state, inshaAllah the One will give................

Lastly, as the man who I also admire a lot, Tariq Ramadan, had once said, to be a Muslim does not translate (from a language point of view) to 'the one who submits', but 'the one who is at peace with God, the one who enters into God's peace'.

I need to find this peace, I need to be peaceful, I need to be a Muslim.
- Yin-Yang

A Man I Admire

The best thing happened to me yesterday. I'm sitting in an auditorium listening to the Muslim, French-Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan speak about how the U.S treats Muslim-majority states.

I'm focused. Eyes wide open. As if forgetting to blink. The hour passes and he's finished. Applause. The moderator announces: "and now I'm sure you all have burning questions so we're opening the floor for a Q&A".

My hand shoots up before he finishes his sentence. I begin: "Professor Ramadan, assalamu alaikum. Thank you for an amazing talk and I'll start with a less political but more of a cultural question. You seem to model your speech so that the United states is in one basket, and muslim states in another. And then you mention that the U.S needs our discourse, needs new discourses by Muslims here. How about the muslim ummah in the west? There are many muslims there who shape their lives and careers to address only 'westerners' and to make da'wa through constructive ways. What do you make of these people?"

He answers. Of course saying that no matter what, "we", as in Muslims in the west, will always be considered as "outsiders" no matter what we do. I take his point and I accept it.

But as he finishes I have more. I want to ask another question so I do. In the middle of the sentence, the moderator cuts me off. I was startled because I was really focused on what I was saying. Then, I shyly, and sheepishly -- shut my yap up.

To my utter surprise and total amazement, Tariq Ramadan -- who caught the question I was trying to pose -- looks at me, completely ignores the moderator who shut me up, and proceeds to answer my question.

Not in a word. Not in a line. In lines and lines and lines! He explains ideas on reformation in Islam, on how we need to combine the text with the world, on how scholars of fiqh should realize that they need to join hands with scholars of the world, on 'moderate muslims' and how that's problematic. On and on and on and on. SubhanAllah! I was like Allah, I love you. And if I'm to die now, I'd die happy.

Tariq Ramadan is by far an inspiration beyond bounds. May Allah (swt) keep him for our ummah. Ameen.