The Muslim population of the world by percentage of each country

Ummah (Arabic: أمة‎) is an Arabic word meaning "community" or "nation." It is commonly used to mean either the collective nation of states, or (in the context of pan-Arabism) the whole Arab world. In the context of Pan-Islamism, the word ummah is used to mean the diaspora^{[citation needed]} or Commonwealth^{[citation needed]} of the Believers (ummat al-mu'minin), and thus the whole Muslim world.

Origin[link]

The phrase Ummah Wahida in the Qur'an (the "One Community") refers to all of the Islamic world unified. The Quran says: “You [Muslims] are the best nation brought out for Mankind, commanding what is righteous (Ma'ruf, lit. "recognized [as good]") and forbidding what is wrong (Munkar, lit. "unrecognized [as good]")…” [3:110].

On the other hand, in Arabic Ummah can also be used in the more Western sense of nation, for example: Al-Umam Al-Muttahida, the United Nations.

The Constitution of Medina, an early document said to have been negotiated by Muhammad in AD 622 with the leading clans of Medina, explicitly refers to Jewish and pagan citizens of Medina as members of the Ummah.^[1][2][3][4]

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the main organization representing the whole Muslim Ummah with a permanent delegation to the United Nations claiming an Islamic Nation.

In modern Hebrew, the word Ummah (אוּמָה) means "nation", from the root Am (עם),People.

See also[link]

• Islamic Caliphate
• Divisions of the world in Islam
• Pan-Islamism
• Islamic Missionary Activity

Population[link]

• Muslim population growth
• List of countries by Muslim population

References[link]

External links[link]

• The definition of 'Ummah' is the unity of the Muslims
• Online Islamic Learning Resource

This Islam-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (now known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo. In addition to producing nearly the entirety of A Tribe Called Quest's fourth and fifth album, the Ummah provided backing tracks for a notable array of hip hop and contemporary R&B artists, including Busta Rhymes, Whitney Houston, Keith Murray, the Brand New Heavies, Janet Jackson, and Jon B. The group was so named because two of its members (Tip and Ali) are devout Muslims. The word "ummah" is Arabic for "community", "nation", or "brotherhood".

Biography[link]

Background[link]

The collective took shape around 1995, when veteran keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Jay Dee (who at the time was shopping for a deal for his group) to Q-Tip. Tip was impressed enough by Jay Dee's soulful productions to invite him as an addition to Tribe's music-production team, which until then consisted of Tip and Ali Shaheed.

Production work[link]

Its first work, Beats, Rhymes and Life, was criticized for moving away from the group's earlier, denser, and bottom heavy sound exemplified by tracks such as "Scenario" and "Oh My God." The new sound, which now leaned towards a more laid-back and polished tone, would be embraced a little more with the release of Tribe's "Find A Way" from its fifth and final album, The Love Movement, although the album itself received a lukewarm reception, and no second proper single or video was released.

Following this and the split of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip and Jay Dee continued to collaborate under the Ummah moniker, producing almost all of Tip's solo album Amplified, which included two tracks from DJ Scratch. For several reasons, including label complications, Tip's solo career became largely inactive while Jay Dee and D'Angelo went on to form the Soulquarians with other like-minded artists. Although A Tribe Called Quest since formed somewhat of a reunion, releasing "ICU (Doin' It)" in 2003, the possibility of the group once again using the Ummah name for future productions seems unlikely, especially since member Jay Dee's death on February 10, 2006, from complications of Lupus.

Despite the well-known projects and collaborations the collective did, people would erroneously assume that The Ummah was another name, or perhaps even an alter-ego of Q-Tip. As a result, contributions by J Dilla would go overlooked and unnoticed. Looking back at the collective's formation and history, in an interview, Q-Tip stated:^[1]

That word "Ummah" means brotherhood. But the problem with The Ummah and even now with me with Tribe… With Ummah, just because I was the face, people would automatically assume sometimes, like with that “Sometimes” remix, that I produced it or that I did the beat when it was Dilla. So people would get confused sometimes over that and think that just because I’m the face of it, if it says "The Ummah" it means that I did it or credited it as such. And that wasn’t the case. So he Dilla wanted to make sure that he got known for what he did. So I can emphatize with where Dilla was at because I was at the same place you know?!? My whole idea I think it was a great idea to represent a unit. But from poor management to not really understanding the ramifications of it, it didn’t work to that great idea necessarily. Still in all I think we all were able to make some good music. I saw some people say that I didn’t do the "Get Down" remix, the Craig Mack shit. People were saying Dilla did that but I did that. Then people were saying that I did "Breathe & Stop" but Dilla did that. And they were saying Dilla did "Vivrant Thing" but I did that. You know it’s just all mixed up.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes and Life (1996, Jive, RIAA certification: Platinum)
• A Tribe Called Quest - The Love Movement (1998, Jive, RIAA certification: Gold)
• Q-Tip - Amplified (1999, Arista, RIAA certification: Gold)

Selected production[link]

1996[link]

• Da Bush Babees - "Gravity", "3 MCs"
  • Gravity
• Grant Green - "Down Here On The Ground"
  • Various artists - The New Groove: The Blue Note Remix Project Volume 1
• Keith Murray - "Dangerous Ground", "The Rhyme (Remix)"
  • Enigma
• Busta Rhymes - "Ill Vibe", "Still Shinin'", "Keep It Moving"
  • The Coming

1997[link]

• A Tribe Called Quest - "Same Ol' Thing"
  • Various artists - Men in Black: The Album
• Janet Jackson - "Got 'Til It's Gone (Ummah's Uptown Saturday Night Mix)", "Got 'Til It's Gone (Ummah Jay Dee's Revenge Mix)"
  • 12"/CD single
• Michael Jackson - "HIStory (The Ummah Radio Mix)", "HIStory (The Ummah Urban Mix)", "History (The Ummah DJ Mix)"
  • 12"/CD singles
• Mint Condition - "Let Me Be The One (Ummah Remix)"
  • 12"/CD single
• Busta Rhymes - "So Hardcore"
  • When Disaster Strikes
• Brand New Heavies - "Sometimes (The Ummah Remix)"
  • 12"/CD single
• Jon B. - "Cool Relax"
  • Cool Relax

1998[link]

• Jamiroquai - "Deeper Underground (The Ummah Mix)"
  • 12"/CD single
• Towa Tei - "Happy (Q-Tip Remix Dub)"
  • 12"/CD single
• Whitney Houston - "Fine"
  • Whitney: The Greatest Hits

References[link]

Khalid Yasin
Khalid Yasin speaks on evolution in a public lecture.
Born	1946 (age 65–66) Harlem, New York, United States
Residence	Seattle, Washington
Nationality	American
Other names	Abu Muhammad, Abu Muhammad Khalid Yasin
Religion	Islam

Khalid Yasin (also known as Abu Muhammad^[1] and Abu Muhammad Khalid Yasin^[2]) (born in 1946) is an American convert from Christianity to Islam who lectures in the United Kingdom and elsewhere.^[1]Yasin lives in Manchester, England and has operated a "da'wah" organization which has had various names. It was dissolved in 2010.^[3]Yasin frequently travels overseas to spread his faith. He has called himself a "media-bedouin," remarking that the bedouins are willing to settle wherever there is "water and shelter".^[4] Yassin is outspoken about a variety of issues in his speeches and media appearences.

Background[link]

Yasin was born in Harlem, New York and raised in Brooklyn as a Christian along with nine siblings. Although not an orphan, he grew up in foster homes from the age of three, along with some of his siblings, until he was fifteen. He describes each foster home as having a different Christian denomination, so he covered a wide spectrum of Christianity. He was put up for adoption due to his family's financial state.^[1]

Yasin has described his youth in "the ghetto", where it was "Me and my two brothers Sam and Julius, against the world. We had nothing but converting and accepting Islam now we have everything". When first reading about Islam, he often used Encyclopedia Britannica as a reliable source on Islam and its concepts.^[4] Yasin felt the grief of African-American people, and he was especially influenced by the turbulent 1960's and figures like Malcolm X.^[4]

Yasin converted to Islam in 1965.^[5] He began his ministry as the "Amir" or leader of Jammat Ita'hadul Iqwa on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn (often referred to^{[by whom?]} as the McDonald's Mosque, due to its proximity to a McDonald's).

Yassin has been accused of espousing a radical form of Islam. "Channel Nine" in Australia described him as "a charismatic preacher who’s capturing the hearts and minds of young Australian Muslims with a radical mix of pleas for the understanding of terrorism, anti-Western conspiracy theories and radical homophobia.^[6] Rather differently, the Oman Tribute described him as a "learned scholar" who "regularly tours different countries debunking the misinformation about Islam".^[5]

Discussing his leisure time, Yassin said, "I’m a fairly avid horseman, I swim, martial arts, I box, I read quite a bit. Probably once every two years I visit Mecca and I cleanse myself spiritually by performing the Omrah or the Haj, and then daily I pray five times a day.":^[7]

Notable views[link]

During Yasin's stays in Australia in mid-2000, he received media attention regarding his views on Islam.

In a speech that Yasin delivered at Bankstown Town Hall in Sydney, Australia, as well as in a televised interview, seen as critical of Muslims befriending non-Muslims, Yasin said: "There's no such thing as a Muslim having a non-Muslim friend, so a non-Muslim could be your associate but they can't be a friend. They're not your friend because they don't understand your religious principles and they cannot because they don't understand your faith."^[8] He later contextualized his comment, explaining that Muslim people, including him, invariably have friends, neighbors and colleagues who are non-Muslims, but that does not mean that non-Muslims should influence Muslims' religious or moral decisions.^[4]

Yasin has lectured to students at universities as a guest speaker and on debate panels. He also addresses crowds at events aimed at young people. Yassin has made statements describing western civilization's academic tradition as difficult to reconcile with Islamic religious life: "University is a gateway for deviation,you forget your Islamic direction. Now you have become compromised through some kind of intellectuality."^[8][9]

Yasin was allegedly quoted by an Australian newspaper instructing a light beating as discipline for disobedient wives.^[8] Yasin denies ever saying this, and says that the Koran does not include any such instructions in its 6626 verses.^[4]

In Australia in 2005 Yasin was quoted as saying that: "The Koran gives a clear position regarding homosexuality lesbianism and bestiality. ... They are aberrations punishable by death. ... We can’t walk around society slandering them because there is legislation against doing that but we don’t have to like them we don’t have to promote them and we have the right to say that that’s a moral aberration.”^[6] In a 2010 documentary, Yasin said that "in the eyes of God everyone is equal, not the same, but equal" and that, "according to the principles of Islam", homosexuality is "a perversive behavior and a criminal behavior. But we need to be tolerant. We are citizens, we need to be tolerant".^[9]

Yasin believes that HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is probably man-made and that the US Government is the likely culprit. He said that “missionaries from the World Health Organisation and Christian groups ... went into Africa and inoculated people for diphtheria, malaria, yellow fever and they put in the medicine the AIDS virus.”^[6][4]

Yasin accuses Israel of state terrorism. He refers to "an occupation of Palestinian land by the criminal state of Israel ... and they are still committing terrorism after 50 years".^[9]

Regarding capital punishment by some Muslim states, Yasin has said: "Then people can see, people without hands, people can see in public heads rolling down the street, people got [sic] their hands and feet from opposite sides chopped off and they see them crucified ... They see people put up against the pole and see them get lashed in public. They see it, and because they see it, it acts as a deterrent for them because they say I don't want that to happen to me". Yasin made these comments during an investigation for a British Channel 4 documentary, "Dispatches: Undercover Mosque", which investigated the intolerance and fundamentalism reportedly being spreading through Britain's mosques from the Saudi Arabian religious establishment closely linked to the Saudi Arabian government. Yasin responded that his comments should be considered in context and that he did not support or promote Saudi Arabian government religious rhetoric and that, in any event, capital punishment occurred in many countries. "The lecture," he stated, "was aimed at reforming the Muslim people, the Muslim society and the Muslim world … to be adjudicated by the Sovereign Islamic State" when one exists.^[10]

On September 7, 2003 Yasin appeared on Australian program Sunday Nights With John Cleary:^[7] On Islam's position in the West, Cleary asked Yasin, how he as a teacher dealt with Islam getting a very rough trot in the West today. To this Yasin answered that he saw two options, one for himself and one for other co-religionists. He spoke of the need to be tolerant and said Muslims need to personify with the core principles of the religion as then at least Muslims could not be held responsible for people taking a radical view of them. As a second thing he mentioned that he assesses people, who he speak to so to enable himself to correct any misconseptions about Islam from their perspective as that's what an educator does."^[7]

Discussing international governing bodies and the lack of them in Islam, Cleary asked where Sharia fits into that and Yasin replied; "Well the Sharia is the cement that keeps all the bricks together. The Sharia is the legislative element. The Sharia is the judicial element. This is where rules, this is where juristic decisions, this is where the courts, this is where law. And I mean if you don't have a people that is governed by Sharia, then you have a lawless people."^[7]

Denmark[link]

In 2010 Yasin lectured in Copenhagen at a Muslim youth project called "North Bronx" - From Gang Member two Conscious Muslim, with one of his credentials being the fact that Yasin is a former gang member from Harlem. His participation stirred political debate whether Yasin was a suitable role model for keeping youths out of gangs. The organizer of the event defended Yasin and stated that, "He has totally changed his position and entered the fight to prevent radicalization and crime".^[11][12]

Netherlands[link]

In 2009, Yasin travelled to the Netherlands and taught lectures on several occasions, including at the private Muslim university of Rotterdam. Several Dutch parties tried unsuccessfully to deny him access to the country. The most visible campaign against Yasin was led by right-wing politician Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom.

On a Dutch-Muslim feature interview Yasin compared the controversial reaction he and Islam stirs to "someone walking in the dark, without knowing where they are going", and to people being afraid of things they are not familiar with.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Shaykh Khalid Yasin's official website
• Khalid Yasin audio and video lectures

Sami Yusuf
Yusuf in 2011
Background information
Born	July 1980 (age 31) Tehran, Iran
Genres	Spiritique
Occupations	musician, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter
Instruments	piano, keyboard, violin, tar, santour, tombak, oud, tabla
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Awakening Records 2003–2009 ETM International 2009–Present
Associated acts	Ian Brown, Sezen Aksu, Conner Reeves
Website	SamiYusufOfficial.com

Sami Yusuf is a British singer-songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist musician of Azerbaijan origin.^[1]

In 2003 Yusuf released his first album "Al-Mu`allim" at the age of 23, selling over two million copies. Following the release of his second album "My Ummah" in 2005, Yusuf was heralded as "Islam's Biggest Rock Star" by Time magazine for his success in attracting a relatively young fan base from diverse regions across the world, many of whom were of Muslim backgrounds. Yusuf has sold over 9 million albums.^[2] In October 2010, following a five-year hiatus, Yusuf’s third official album "Wherever You Are" was launched, manifesting his self-coined genre “Spiritique”. Yusuf is involved in humanitarian initiatives, supporting, among others, Islamic Relief and Save the Children.

Early life[link]

An ethnic Azeri born in Tehran, Yusuf was raised in London from the age of three.^[3] He initially began composing simple melodies starting at the age of three,^[4] and performing on stage for the first time around the age of nine.^[5] His “defining moment”^[6][7] musically occurred when his father loaned him a book on the basics of the Tombak [Persian instrument]. Upon returning from a tea break, his father found that the young Yusuf had mastered the book that had taken months for his students to finish.^[8] As a teenager he was a devotee of classical music and classical icons like Chopin and Mozart, admitting that he listened to Classic FM radio station for hours in a day.^[9] He went on training professionally in several other instruments including the santoor, piano, violin, oud, setar, tar, and daf under the guidance of traditional teachers, as well as professional musicians. While producing and demo-recording for another singer, he became aware of his own singing abilities which were further developed by the encouragement of his family. Divided between pursuing a musical career or studying law at King’s College London, Yusuf opted for music while committed to “doing something dignified and respectable”.^[9] Though he claimed to having been always spiritual, he reconnected with his Islamic faith through a “religious awakening”^[10] at the age of sixteen. He then set out to share his experience with the other young British Muslims he felt were direly in search of an identity especially post 9/11. Yusuf self-produced and released his debut album “Al-mu’allim” at the age of 23, pioneering an innovative trend other Muslim artist would seek to emulate and promote, termed "Islamic pop".^[11]

Professional career[link]

(2003–2004) – Al-Mu'allim[link]

Shortly before traveling to Egypt to study Arabic, Sami Yusuf released his debut album Al-Mu`allim in July 2003 and 2004, a primarily percussive album comprising eight tracks.^[12] The radiant cube and purple background of the album cover symbolized “the light of the Prophetic message illuminating the darkness of the night”.^[12] Its feature song, "Al-Mu’allim", became an instant hit in the Middle East, North Africa, and South-East Asia topping the charts in Egypt and Turkey for twelve consecutive weeks, selling over two million copies worldwide.^[13] Believing that music can be a "powerful medium to promote ideas and establish dialogue within society”,^[14] he coalesced Eastern percussive instrumentation and Western melodies in “Al-Mu’allim” with a focus on the English and Arabic languages. The last track, “Supplication”, was used in the Golden-Globe award-nominated film, “The Kite Runner”.^[15] Though the album was described as a “project to define British Muslim identity”^[16] in a post 9-11 period — with explicitly religious themes praising the Prophet Mohammad and Allah in songs like “The Creator” and “Ya Mustafa” — it reached the ears of unexpectedly diverse range of listeners, constituting of various nationalities, ages, and races.^[12] Redirecting the current of Muslim music through his songs and professionally produced music videos (“Al-Mu’allim” and “Supplication”), Yusuf had “unintentionally” cultivated grounds for a fresh genre of music coined "Islamic Pop"^[11] by setting a new benchmark in the religious music industry. The journal Transnational Broadcasting Studies analyzed the main causes of his success by attributing it to Yusuf’s ability to blend “a religious worldview with a mainstream form of entertainment, and in doing so, [communicating] a personable, accessible expression of the Islamic faith that is in harmony with the modern world and incorporated into the mundane activities of daily life”.^[17]

(2005–2009) – My Ummah[link]

Performing at Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, April 2006

Yusuf gained worldwide recognition following the release of his second album, My Ummah, in July 2005. This album appeared in both musical and percussive versions and includes fourteen tracks. The album’s thematic elements include empowerment of women in “Free”, raising awareness of the plight of victims of conflict-laden regions like Palestine and Darfur in the respective tracks of “Try Not to Cry” (featuring Outlandish) and “Make A Prayer”; “Muhammad” was dedicated to the victims of the 2004 Beslan school massacre, whereas “We Will Never Submit” protested against acquiescence to oppression.^[18] The album, both Eastern and Western in sound, utilized wide-ranging musical instrumentation from classical instruments like piano, violin, flute and drums to ethnic instruments like oud, santour, tar, drums, tombak and more. "My Ummah" was an embodiment of Yusuf’s "utopia for the Muslim World or humanity at large".^[19] Considered a breakthrough album^{[by whom?]}, it sold over four million copies globally and was received enthusiastically by a diverse range of listeners, particularly young people, who identified closely with the topics included therein.^[20] Transnational Broadcasting Studies discussed the exposure of Muslim youth to a new dawn of Islamic “art with purpose”, accrediting this opening to Yusuf’s music that had the power "to both preserve core cultural identity and promote spiritual and material progress“.^[17] Yusuf's music video featuring the Afghan folklore “Hasbi Rabbi” became a regional hit in Egypt, and was used to launch Vodafone Egypt’s value-added-service (VAS) platform Vodafone Live.^[21] The video portrays Yusuf in multiple characters and locations: as a practicing Muslim businessman in London, a teacher playing soccer and tutoring in Taj Mahal, then a professional Volinist jubilantly laughing and chatting with his bandmates in Turkey, and finally as a jovial carpenter in the lively bazaar's of Egypt. Recognized by The Independent as the "Voice of Islam",^[22] Yusuf emphasized that he was not a "preacher",^[23] rather a musician with a message^[24] who believes in the urgent need for “a wave of people to come along and bridge the gaps, because we have so much in common, so much to learn from each other”.^[20] A major addition to his artistic repertoire was Oscar-winning director Marc Forster's proposal to Yusuf to compose a credit-piece for the Golden Globe award-nominated film, The Kite Runner.^[25] Due to time constraints on both sides however, the credit piece was never realised but “Supplication”, a track from Yusuf’s debut album, was used to voice one of the film’s climactic scenes.^[26] Reluctant to be dubbed as “Islam’s Biggest Rock Star” by Time, Yusuf later explained that he does not "want to be a rock star ... a popstar. ... I just want to make good music, and do what I feel I’m confident in doing ... and that’s music”.^[11]

(2005–2009) Dispute with Former Label[link]

In a contractual dispute lasting from 2008 to 2009, Yusuf legally separated from his former record label Awakening. He claimed the "third" album, Without You, released by Awakening in January 2009, was released without his prior “blessings nor consent”. He stated: “I therefore wish to make it perfectly clear that an album comprised of any such recordings could only be put on to the market against my wishes and without my approval”.^[27] In mid-2009, he signed a five-album contract with the UK-based record label ETM International.^[28]

(2009 – present) – Wherever You Are Pre-Release[link]

In July 2009, Yusuf was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree in recognition of his “extraordinary contributions to the field of music” by Roehampton University in southwest London.^[29] Earlier in the year, he was selected to serve as the first Global Ambassador of HH Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser’s (Qatar's First Lady) initiative, Silatech, which seeks to engage “the public, private and civil society sectors to promote large-scale job creation, entrepreneurship and access to capital and markets for young people”.^[30] Ranked in the “Top 500 Influential Muslims of 2009 (and 2010) ”, a publication edited by Georgetown University’s John Esposito and Ibrahim Kahlin, Yusuf was described as an “internationally popular British singer-songwriter whose music has revolutionized the nasheed industry. ... He is also known for his extensive involvement in charity work”.^[31] Yusuf released his video single, “You Came To Me,” in four languages (English, Arabic, Turkish, and Persian) in the summer of 2009.^[32] Rolling Stone magazine called the style by which Yusuf sung the track’s lyrics “touching”, listing it as one of the key tracks of the “Wherever You Are” album.^[33] SamiYusufOfficial.com announced the release of “Wherever You Are”, Yusuf’s third official album, in March 2010, introducing it as “A renaissance. A Rebirth. A New Beginning”.^[34] Meanwhile in the following summer, Yusuf shared his music video “Healing” sung in English and Arabic that was created in cooperation with the KSA-based International Medical Center.^[35] It was also listed as another key track by Rolling Stone magazine.^[33] In reference to the song’s underlying philosophy of generosity in lines like “Heal and you will be healed/…Give and you will receive/It’s nature’s order”, Yusuf’s wrote on his blog: “I hope it helps, albeit in some small way, in showing that every single one of us can be a healer”.^[36] Amidst the torrential monsoons that wreaked havoc in Pakistan and affected 20 million lives in the summer of 2010, he promptly released a charity single entitled “Hear Your Call”, performed in English and Urdu, to raise funds for the displaced Pakistanis in a joint-effort with the UN-sponsored charity organization Save the Children.^[37][38] The song was featured on a short film by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA)^[39] appealing for renewed donations towards the relief effort. Prompted by the protests and clashes that transpired in Egypt in February 2011, Yusuf released a free track entitled “I’m Your Hope”, dedicating it to the “Shabaab” or youth.^[40] The lyrics are in English and Arabic.^[41] Sami Yusuf has expressed keen interest on initiating his own “record company to help artists and talents that are not supported” in the near future.^[42]

(2009–Present) Wherever You Are: “New Chapter” and“Spiritique”[link]

Performing live in the Maida Vale Studios,^[43][44] Yusuf explained that “It's 2009, I have different challenges, I've got different issues and I will not sing religious-themed music just for the sake of business – it's got to be what I feel”. After a five-yearlong hiatus, Yusuf released his third, official studio album named Wherever You Are in October 2010, welcoming what he termed a “New Chapter” in his professional career and music.^[45] "Spiritique" is Yusuf’s self-coined musical and philosophical classification of his music. Spiritique, according to Yusuf, is a blend of both the “oriental and occidental” sounds, underpinned by spirituality that “will utilize music as a facilitator for spiritual appreciation, regardless of race and religion”. Yusuf considers it his new sound and “something [he] wants to stand for from now”.^[46] With the exceptions of songs like “No Word is Worthy”, “You Came To Me” and "Salaam" (though the latter is more of a 'humanitarian ode' than religiously themed) the 12 track-set album purposely draws less upon religious content^[47] leaving room for interpretation for listeners of all backgrounds. Yusuf maintains, however, that it follows the “same principles and ingredients [of] honesty, [and] sincerity”.^[48] Introducing the album in its official trailer as a “mini diary of events”^[49] that occurred from 2007 to 2010, Yusuf emphasized that the content is essentially a reflection of his worldview: “This third album is about who I am and the reality of the day and age we are living in. It talks about the hypocrisy. ... it’s quite dark”.^[47] Songs like “Give the Young A Chance”, featuring lyrics by Ian Brown, incorporate heavy usage of metaphors, likening the youth to “jewels” and allusions to “gardens where birds will sing lullabies” and “sweet scents fill the air”.^[50] British singer-songwriter Conner Reeves and Turkish singer Sezen Aksu also collaborated with Yusuf in the track “Without You”.^[51] “In Every Tear, He Is There” song, another track collaboration with Conner Reeves, concludes with an African choir singing “In Every Tear/ That is where/He is There” repeatedly in Zulu.^[52] “Fragile World”, Yusuf’s admittedly own favorite track,^[53] is reflective of the “dark”^[47] experiences he underwent throughout the years.^[54] Though predominantly performed in English, several tracks include verses in Arabic, Malaysian, Persian and Urdu. It has been given 3.5 stars out of 4 by Rolling Stone magazine, and commended as a “beautifully produced album”.^[55] Sami Yusuf has visited Turkey, UAE, and Qatar to promote “Wherever You Are” and is due to travel to Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia, and Jordan in the near future,^[56] plus an upcoming European tour scheduled for spring 2011.^[57] The video for "In Every Tear He Is There" has been released and that for "Make Me Strong" was released on 6th April 2012.^[58]. Sami Yusuf has also announced his forth upcoming studio album called "Salaam" which is featuring Siti Nurhaliza, the pop-star of Malaysia. Sami Yusuf will release it soon.^[59].

Notable Tours/Concert Performances[link]

Yusuf arrives in the Netherlands on tour in 2006

Yusuf’s tours and concert performances throughout the past eight years have been extensive. His more notable^{[by whom?]} tours include sold-out concerts in the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Concert Hall in the UK in 2006, in addition to a comprehensive Germany tour in 2007. He performed to crowds of thousands in Bosnia, Canada, France, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Greece, and the Netherlands (which he considers one of his favorite concerts).^{[citation needed]} He toured the United States in 2006 and 2007, singing at venues in Los Angeles, Detroit, Dallas, Chicago, and New Jersey in venues like the LA Shrine Auditorium.^{[citation needed]} In the Middle East and Asian regions, he performed to tens of thousands in Egypt’s Cairo and Alexandria, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Algeria, Bahrain, Syria, Jordan, Tajikistan, and Saudi Arabia. He received a record crowd of 250,000 in Istanbul, Turkey earning the name “Islam’s Biggest Rock Star” in Time magazine. In an early concert in Azerbaijan, Yusuf experienced what he likened to a “hero’s welcome” in his ancestral homeland.^{[citation needed]} Over 50,000 people attend his shows in the Casa Music Festival in Casablanca, Morocco in 2007, exceeding by double the venue’s space limit.^{[citation needed]} In the highly publicized concert at Wembley Arena [dubbed the press as the “Muslim Live Aid”^{[citation needed]}], which served as a milestone event where approximately two million pounds were raised for the relief effort in Darfur, Sudan. It was warmly received by a thank-you video message by the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.^{[citation needed]} Performing in The Velodrome in Capetown, Durban, and Johannesburg in his 2008 South Africa Tour, Yusuf accompanied the Agape Children Orphanage’s choir, singing along with their feature song “We Are Together” – the title of a multi-award winning HBO film on the Agape Children’s Orphanage. After performing in the Moroccan Fez Wold Sacred Music Festival in 2009, he agreed to do a free concert for the locals that drew in approximately a hundred thousand attendees, with one day’s notice.^{[citation needed]} Packing venues again in Faruma Arena, Denmark, Grugahalle in Germany, and De Doelen in Netherlands, Yusuf introduced his forthcoming album, “Wherever You Are”.^[60] Sami Yusuf has visited Turkey, UAE, and Qatar^[56] to promote “Wherever You Are” and is due to travel to Egypt, Singapore, Malaysia, and Jordan^[56] in the near future. An upcoming European tour is scheduled for spring 2011.^[57]

Acclaim/Recognition[link]

• “Islam’s Biggest Rock Star” – Time Magazine (2006)^[20]
• “Biggest Star in the Middle East” – Guardian (2006)^[61]
• “King of Islamic Pop” – Al-Jazeera (2007)^[11]
• IOL Star of 2009 (2009)^[62]
• 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2009 (2009)^[63]
• BBC’s 30 More Famous Britons (2009)^[64]
• First Global Ambassador of Silatech (2009 – Present)^[65]
• Doctor of Letters Award – Roehampton University (2009)^[66]
• 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2010 (2010)^[63]

Collaborations[link]

• Outlandish – Try Not to Cry, I’ve Seen (2005)
• Erkan Mutlu – Wherever You Are (2010)
• Sezen Aksu – Wherever You Are (2010)
• Ian Brown – Wherever You Are (2010)
• Conner Reeves – Wherever You Are (2010)

Charity Work/Humanitarian Initiatives[link]

• Charity Event for Disabled Children – Cairo, Egypt (2005)^[67]
• Evening of Inspiration – Islamic Relief/UK Tour (2006)^[68]
• Evening of Inspiration – Islamic Relief/US Tour (2006)<refname=time1/>
• Evening of Inspiration – Islamic Relief/US Tour (2007)^[69]
• Wembley Arena – UK (2007)^[70]
• Agape Children’s Orphanage concert – South Africa (2008)^[71]
• Telethon Fundraiser for Gaza (2009)^[72]
• Gaza Rally – Istanbul, Turkey (2009)^[73]
• First global ambassador of Silatech (2009)^[74]
• “Hear Your Call” – Save the Children, Pakistan (2010)^[75]
• “I’m Your Hope” (2011)^[76]
• “In Every Tear, He Is There” – Haiti, South Africa (2011)

Discography[link]

• Al-Mu`allim (2003) – 3 Million^[77]
• My Ummah (2005) – 4 Million^[2]
• Without You (2009)
• Wherever You Are (2010) – N/A

Soundtracks (Singles)[link]

• "Supplication" – Adapted in “The Kite Runner” (2007)
• "Palestine Forever" (2009)
• "Anything For You" (2009)
• "You Came to Me" (2009)
• "Healing" (2010)
• "Hear Your Call" (2010)
• "I’m Your Hope" (2011)
• "In Every Tear, He Is There" (2011)
• "The Source" (2011)
• "Forgotten Promises" (2011)

Music Videos[link]

• Al-Mu’allim – Dir. Hani Osama
• Supplication – Dir. Hani Osama
• Hasbi Rabbi – Dir. Hani Osama
• Mother – Dir. Hani Osama
• Asma Allah – Dir. Hani Osama
• Healing – Dir. Jacob Viit Kusk
• You Came to Me – Dir. Jacob Viit Kusk
• In Every Tear He Is There – Dir. Jacob Viit Kusk
• Hear Your Call – Dir. Daniyal Noorani
• I’m Your Hope – Dir. Kareem Shaaban
• Forgotten Promises - Dir. Siros Kerdouni
• Make Me Strong – Dir. Jacob Viit Kusk

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sami Yusuf's Official Website

Baba Ali (Persian: بابا علی‎; born Ali Ardekani in 1975) is the co-founder (along with Mahdi Ahmad) of UmmahFilms, a Muslim film company that has produced a web series including the "Reminder" series and "Ask Baba Ali" series. Though of Muslim heritage, he was originally irreligious and accepted Islam after studying many religions, including wicca.

A worker in the IT field by profession in California, Ardekani quickly rose to prominence within the online Muslim community with Ummah films that claim Islam is the best religion in the West and discuss various Islamic topics. Using humor, Baba Ali's work has found its way to television on the Islam Channel (Broadcast in the UK) and he has become a frequent guest at various Muslim conferences and events (Including the ICNA-MAS convention and Evening of Inspiration) and the Global Peace and Unity Event.^[1] His efforts have been featured in The New York Times and USA Today. Baba Ali recently launched his latest project, Half Our Deen, to help Muslims get married. Currently writing the screenplay for a full length film. His films have grown widely popular on Youtube, gaining over 10 million views.^[2]

Ali has also designed two board games, Mecca to Medina (a game about trading and negotiating, invented by Ali as an Islamic-themed game that can be played by all religions) and Kalimaat.

Conversion[link]

Baba Ali converted to Islam when he was 20 years old after attending an Islamic event. He belonged to a wealthy family in Iran who didn't accept it when he converted and subsequently disinherited him. His studio is the second bedroom of the apartment he shares with his wife and two small children.

Videography[link]

Ask Baba Ali Series[link]

• My Brother Has a Girlfriend
• Worrying & Ageing Sister
• Little Backbiter
• Randomly Checked
• Racism & Pride
• Escaping the Holiday Party
• We're Just Friends with benefits
• The Art of Complaining

The Reminder Videos[link]

References[link]

1. ^ Global Peace & Unity Event - Performers
2. ^ YouTube - ummahfilms's Channel

• NyTimes
• Video Blog
• Home Page

See also[link]

• Islamic humour

External links[link]

• Ummah Films Youtube Channel
• Muslim Comedian Baba Ali Standup
• Ummah Films Official Website
• Kalimaat Official Website
• Muslim Marriage - Half Our Deen Website