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Re: Islam and Hip Hop by Brother Ahmad James

swarthmoor — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:43:42 -0000

Abul Hussein,

Let me throw this into the mix:

1. I always felt uncomfortable with the argument: "Islam doesn't force a person to give up his culture"--or--"We can keep the good but discrad the bad." At face value, the statements are true. But that assumes that a person actually knows what is good and bad to start with. The people who make this argument tend to be those who don't know the difference between the good and the bad.

2. When Islam spread to the various lands, it was often done so by the higher level people of tasawwuf, and Muslims in general (da`iees/traders) who, as a whole, had a greater degree of knowledge/piety than the average Muslim today. It was these people who help define the various local Muslim cultures around the world (and not perfectly so, for there is still a lot of haraam in many Muslim cultures).

3. Much of art originally was religiously based and inspired. If it is not, then what are the people doing art for--why do they want to get on stage? I've seen several make a "secular art" argument for hip hop--that is, not every song has to have an educational/or religious theme. The only reason i can think of that a person would want to get on stage and be seen--and it is not for the purpose of guiding people to the Truth--is because they have a lot of riyaa' (insincerity) in their heart.

Related to that, much of the religious poetry/art was the product of people who spent years learning and taming their nafs (desires). The Muslims who wrote devotional poetry were often inspired by spiritual dreams--or from other spiritual states. These were often people who had considerable status in the Deen. On the other hand, the people making the "cultural art" argument are pointing to people who can't recite Al-Fatihah or have several children out of wedlock as "examples of Muslim artists." What art can we honestly expect from such people?!?

4. The impression i get from those making the "culture argument" is that basically they want an American (or modern) "belly-dancing" culture. The argument so goes that since this is part of the culture, then we cannot forbid it.

5. Whatever happened to the principle of staying away from dubious matters? Even the hip hop advocates admit that A LOT of haraam goes on at hip hop events and the culture itself. And regardless of what one's position is on which instruments, the result is pretty much the same. Also, if the hip hop advocates abandoned hip hop, it would eliminate the hostility and rancor that is often generated around this debate. Crush your nafs, leave out the hip hop, and the Muslims are none the worse. Keep the hip hop, and FOR SURE some haraam (by all accounts) is going to seep in, and the Muslims will continue to argue over something that has little benefit--but causes tremendous harm.

6. Folks need to keep in mind that rap--FROM ITS ORIGIN--has been filled with haraam and kufr. It's not just the 21st century rap. You can go back to the tracks of Spoonie Gee, Funky Four, Kurtis Blow, Flash and the Furious Five, Treacherous Three, ad nauseum, and see that the root of rap has never been good. When rap became more politically conscious, it was mixed with black nationalism and the outrageous kufr of the 5%ers. After that, is this nihilistic gangsta (c)rap.

Lastly, i do believe that American Muslims need to develop their own culture, but that is only after American Muslims have gained a certain degree of mastery of the tradtional Islamic sciences and have attained considerably higher levels of spiritual experience and maturity. (Also, i may add--Muslims need an identity separate from the dominate kaafir culture.) We certainly cannot allow people devoid of religious training and dominated by their nafs to define Muslim culture in the West. If we allow that, then we have destroyed ourselves.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:40:49 -0000

I just want to throw this in the mix. I could not wonder but how Muslims (of knowledge) will look at the Muslims of today/hip hop culture. What comes to my mind is how (i) percieve the old Arab guys with the polyester Sears and Roebuck style clothes, sometimes a little moustache (no beard), huffin' and puffin' on a carton of cigarettes, still talking about (or at least stuck in the mind set of) pan-Arabism and socialism circa 1966. Here these people have the example of BEST OF THE CREATIONS and they can't break out of the mold of what their former(?) colonial masters fed them for a political and social ideology.

How pitiful it will seem that Muslims--who have the BEST EXAMPLE--are disgracing themselves by imitating a group of people who are considered the DREGS (and rightfully so) among the kaafirs of a degenerate/degenerating society. It's like watching Arab TV--where you find a bunch of knock-offs of popular Western shows. Can the Muslim Ummah be in such shape that there isn't any confidence in us to innovate (in what is permissible), or do we feel forever compelled to imitate kaafir culture? Do we not have our own identity and resources to draw from and develop our own contemporary Islamic culture based upon the Qur'an, Sunnah, our scholars, and righteous worshippers--and not upon corporate psy-ops propaganda? Come on folks--let's kick this gutter culture stuff to the curb, learn our Deen, and show the people (with sincerity) what it means to pious Muslims.

With Allah is the success.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:21:56 -0000

Atikahw,

I was talking about the origins of hip hop graffitti. NYC spent MILLIONS of dollars trying to remove it from the trains and subway stations, and probably spent similar amounts of money from protecting the train yards from further effacement. A lot of graffitti is nowadays gang related. So what i mentioned does not work. However, what you are talking about is different, but that isn't how it became popular.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:58:36 -0000

Peace,

First, Muslims need to know the judgments pertaining to the Religion. We don't lie about the Deen to make it more appealing to the non-Muslims. With that said, there is a difference between LYING and DISTORTING the Deen and being polite and diplomatic. Many of the people who attempt to be polite and diplomatic tend to lie and distort. Lying and distorting the Deen leads to kufr.

Another problem is the failure of many to understand that popular culture (including, rap) is one of the weapons the enemies of Islam use against the Muslims. Rap is little more than brainwashing promoted by global corporations. Because not enough Muslims have condemned and distanced themselves from the debauchery and vice of promoted in rap culture, many Muslim youth have begun to see such behaviors as "normal." Some Muslims, believe it or not, actually attempt to defend such behaviors because of their attachment to hip hop culture. This is all part of the corporate psy-ops agenda of demoralizing the populace... by de-moralizing the populace.

Furthermore, the decadence of the American ghetto in many ways mirrors the decadence that existed in jahiliyyah Arabia. The difference is that although both were pits of kufr, when the Companions embraced Islam, they ABANDONED and CONDEMNED the sinfulness of their former lifestyles. The Companions (radi-Allahu `anhum) felt ASHAMED of what they used to do. Now you have MUSLIMS who wish to romanticze and fantasize about this neo-jahiliyyah ghetto culture and take the youth of the Ummah to a new Era of Ignorance in the name of "tolerance" (of deviance). THIS is shameful.

It must be clear in every Muslim's mind that the truth is the truth. It is obligatory to accept the truth--regardless of how or from whom it is said. Now, being harsh is not always the best way to deliver the truth, but sometimes it is. And being harsh is needed especially, when you have people twisting issues and distorting the Deen in the name of "politeness" or so-called Political Correctness.

With Allah is the success.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:22:50 -0000

A Muslim,

I don'tt want to pick on you but let us quickly go thru this:

B-Boy: folks danced for what reason? To show off and boast (especially, in a matter that has no benefit). That doesn't work in Shar`.

MCing: this usually took place at parties--where people usually went to "hook-up." Doesn't work.

DJing: the general ruling on music is that it is minor sin (with the exception of certain instruments); buying music, that is spending money in disobedience entails an enormity.

Graffiti: entailed vandalism and using people's property in a manner that was not accepted by the owners. Again, doesn't work in the Shar`.

I will say the merit in your post is that it is important that people understand the culture out of which hip hop evolved/devolved. That gives people a greater insight into the mindset of the people caught up in it. Nonetheless, knowing its origins doesn't make it any less ugly.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:13:45 -0000

A Muslim,

I hope you realize that you are arguing against yourself. Hip hop started in the pit of kufr in the debauchery of American slums. Hip hop was PARTY MUSIC. It was played at venues that encouraged people to fornicate--that was, in essence, the reason why people went to those gatherings. In addition to trying to "hook-up," folks went there to GET HIGH and GET DRUNK. They weren't gathering to soften their hearts in the remembrance of their Creator.

The stepping stone towards Islam argument doesn't hold much weight, for how many thousands of Muslims have commited kufr and left Islam by repeating the kufri lyrics of these rap songs? Similarly, how many people have become confused because of all the kufr and misguidance the rappers promote that they call "Islam," whether it be the 5%ers, the negro nationalists, the Farrakhanis, Afrocentrism, etc? Rap was bad BEFORE the coporations took it over. The rappers--even the one's who called themselves Muslims back in the day--never had Religious guidance. Consequently, rap has always been a confused mess of kufr and immorality. Muslims in the West need to develop their own forms of artistic expression BASED UPON THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DEEN, and not upon the satanic nafs driven materialistic egomanical decadent culture of hip hop.

With Allah is the success.

Re: Hip Hop in the 21th century: The Rise Of Satanism In Urban America by Sh. Abul Hussein

swarthmoor — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:55:20 -0000

Student,

Hip hop started out as a "party culture." That is, the music was played at venues that encouraged young people to "hook-up." Some might see that as a "hip" way to say "fornicate."

The argument of "taking the good and leaving the bad" would presuppose that those doing such already are well established in the Religious sciences and have the ability to distinguish halaal from the haraam. We all know that NOT to be the case.

You referenced Mos Def. He was in a film in which he played a thief; he is portrayed in that film drinking alcohol. Furthermore, he hosts (or used to) Def Jam poetry. The show is filled with people saying obscenities, and i would readily imagine lots of kufr (i've only seen a few clips on You Tube)--as many of these poets are guilty of. If you want to talk about Lupe Fiasco, from a video i saw, he can't recite Al-Fatihah, and in at least one of his songs he has an explicit statement of kufr.

In the past, when Islam spread to different countries, it was the SCHOLARS who determined what was worthy of keeping and what had to be rejected from different cultures. What we have today are people who have a nafs-driven addiction to music/popular culture making flimsy arguments for a culture that the vast majority of it opposes the very teachings and values of Islam.

With Allah is the success.