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Durood or Darood Shareef (from Persian: درود‎ dorood) is an invocation which Muslims make by saying specific phrases to compliment the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Islamic view is to say durood whenever a Muslim reads, speaks or hears the name of Muhammad. Durood, which is a kind of prayer and is mentioned in hadith as well as in Qur'an, are also recited in the form of Wazifa.

Durood has various other names like Durood Sahreef, Salawat, Salat ala Nabi, Salat-un-Nabi.

Salaam[link]

Salaam, (also Durood o Salaam in Urdu)^[1] is commonly translated as peace or blessings or salutations.

Qur'anic evidence[link]

As per Qur'an;

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.

—Qur'an, Sura 33 (al-Ahzab, ayah 56^[2]

In this verse of the Qur'an, God, the Mala'ikah and the Muslims have been mentioned as sending Durood upon Muhammad. So, Durood Shareef is actually a Dua in praise of Muhammad. When God sends Durood and Salaams upon Muhammad, He is actually blessing him. When the angels and the Muslims send Durood and Salaams to Muhammad, they are actually showing God their respect for Muhammad.

Evidence of Hadith[link]

Anas ibn Malik narrates that Muhammad said:

He who reads a single Durood upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages (internally).

—Anas ibn Malik^[3]

Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud also narrates that Muhammad said:

On the Day of Qiyamah, the closest to me from among the people will be those who have read the most amount of Durood Shareef"

—Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud^[4]

Benefits and bounties of reciting durood[link]

Also see: Dua

Muhammed has clearly proclaimed that Durood Shareef is the panacea of all ills and that if any one comes across a calamity he should recite the maximum number of Durood Shareef and God has promised that:

if anyone recites Durood only once, He showers ten blessings on the reciter immediately.

In various books of Hadith like Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawood, Al-Muwatta, Al-Sunan al-Sughra, Sunan ibn Majah, Darmi, Sunan al-Bayhaqi and Miskhaat Shareef, certain benefits of reciting Durood are mentioned. Below is a list of some mainly from Sahih al-Bukhari:

1. For every Durood Shareef that you recite, ten sins are forgiven, ten good deeds are entered into your sheet of actions and ten positions are upgraded.
2. Allah showers ten blessings on the man who recites a Durood.
3. The first man who will meet Muhammed on the Day of Judgement will be that person who had recited the Durood maximum number of times in his lifetime.
4. Those who recite Durood in maximum number will be nearest and dearest to Muhammad in the next world.
5. If any one is involved in a difficulty then he must recite countless number of Durood Shareefs.
6. Reciting Durood Shareef eradicates poverty and hunger.
7. If the Sawaab^{[clarification needed]} of the Durood Shareef is dedicated to another person, then that person will receive the Sawaab, while the Sawaab of the reciter will not be lessened.
8. Reciting excessive Durood Shareef brings purity.
9. Reciting maximum number of Durood Shareef is full compensation of all sins.
10. Any one who recites excessive Durood Shareef in this world will be safe and sound in the next world.
11. When a prayer is made to Allah it is never accepted unless praise of Allah Ta'ala and Durood Shareef on Muhammad is first of all recited.
12. Those who recite Durood quite often will see Divine Light on the dark Day of Judgement.
13. Three persons will be under the cool shade and the favours of Allah Ta'ala on the Doom's Day. One who kept Muhammad's Sunnah alive, one who removed difficulty of a fellow being and one who recited maximum number of Durood Shareef in his lifetime.
14. When you forget anything and your memory fails to recollect it, then recite Durood, you will remember the forgotten thing.
15. Reciting Durood in this world is rewarding in the next.
16. The reciter of 10 Duroods in the morning and 10 in the evening will receive the help of Muhammad on the Day of Judgement.
17. One who recites Durood Shareef near the shrine of Muhammad is heard by him there and then alone.
18. Any one who recites Durood is just as one who purchased a slave and freed him.
19. Muhammad said that he himself recites blessings on one who recites Durood on him.
20. Any one who wants to meet his Allah with a happy face must recite countless number of Durood Shareef.
21. Reward equivalent to a big mountain (Uhad) is given to one who recites one Durood.
22. All people will be presented to Muhammad with their habits, natures and distinct manner, so it is obligatory for a man to recite maximum number of Durood.
23. Allah is Great and Almighty to forgive all sins of the reciter during the day and night when he recites Durood Shareef.
24. If any one meets in a tragedy, he should recite Durood Shareef in countless numbers.
25. Reciting Durood is like giving something in charity.
26. Reciting maximum number of Durood kills all hardships.
27. Recite Durood Shareef in countless number on Friday, as it is presented to me (Muhammad).
28. Bad deeds of 200 years (equivalent) are obliterated if a man recites 100 Durood on Friday.
29. Anyone who recites Durood will overcome all their troubles.
30. If the name of Muhammad is mentioned and one who hears it but does not recite Durood Shareef, understand that he has forgotten the path to Paradise.
31. "I pray for all those who recite Durood on me", said Muhammad.
32. If any one recites Durood Shareef from any place, any part of the world from any distance, it actually reaches Muhammad immediately. Allah Ta'ala has appointed several Angels who are given exclusive duty to collect all Durood Shareef and present the same before Muhammad immediately.
33. Angels of Allah shower 70 blessings on a man who recites Durood once.
34. Whenever you hear the call of prayers (Azaan) you should recite Durood.
35. Wherever you are, from any quarter of the world, you must recite Durood as it reaches Muhammad.
36. Ablution is not complete if Durood is not recited on it.
37. Muhammad said to his wife that any one who hears the name of Muhammad and does not recite Durood on him will not see the beautiful face of Muhammad on the Day of the Judgement.
38. Sayyiduna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) reports that Rasoolullah said, "The real miser is he in whose presence I am mentioned and then he fails to recite "Durood" on me".
39. If a person recites 1,000 Durood Shareef daily, he will never die unless he himself sees his place in Heaven with his own eyes.
40. The Durood Shareef that is recited by the person is written with a Golden Pen on a Silver tablet by the Angels. The Angels then present this Durood Shareef to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah and proclaim, "O Habeeb of Allah! The son of such and such a person has presented this gift in your majestic court".^[5]

Kinds of Durood[link]

There are various kinds of Durood mentioned in the books of hadith, and various writings, collected and complied by different Sufis and scholars of Islam, a few of them are mentioned below

Durood-e-Ibrahimi[link]

One example is Durood-e-Ibrahimi (having a reference to Abraham):

"O Allah, let Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious".^[6]

Dala'il al-Khayrat[link]

Dala'il al-Khayrat is a famous collection of Durood, which was written by the Moroccan Sunni Sufi and Islamic scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli and is normally recited in different Sufi orders, divided in sections for daily recitation.^[7]

Qasida al Burda[link]

Qaṣīda al-Burda, The poem of the scarf, is a collection of Durood written by the eminent Sufi Busiri (Abū 'Abdallāh Muhammad ibn Sa'īd ul-Būsīrī) of Egypt, It is entirely in praise of Muhammad, who cured the poet of paralysis by appearing to him in a dream and wrapping him in his mantle.^[8]

Durood-e-Tunajjina[link]

O Allah! Shower blessings on Muhammad, our Master, and his Family such blessings by means of which Thou may relieve us of all anxieties and calamities. Thou may satisfy all our needs. Thou may clean us of all evils and thanks for which Thou may grant us high position and high rank and status in Thy presence, and Thou may lead us to the utmost limit of our aspirations and capacity in whatever is best in this world as well as in the world Hereafter, as Thou has the full Power over everything

Imam ibn-Faikihani says that there was once a pious man called Sheikh Moosa Zareer. He embarked on a voyage by ship. Due to a heavy storm, the ship started sinking. All the passengers on board started crying and clamouring, but Sheikh Moosa Zareer went to sleep. He saw Muhammad in his dream and Muhammad directed him and the passengers to recite Durood-e-Tunajjina 1 000 times. Sheikh Moosa Zareer got up and started the recitation. As soon as he finished 300 Durood, the storm subsided and the ship was saved. The other ship on the high seas sank, but this ship reached its destination safely and soundly.^[9]

Durood-e-Shafi`i[link]

O Allah! Shower blessings on Muhammad and his children whenever he is remembered by those who remember him, and shower blessings on Muhammad and family whenever he is not remembered by the negligent, and grant him peace constantly in abundance.^[10]

It is called Shafa`i because it was recited by Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i constantly. It is stated by Allama Sakhawi, that Abdullah bin Abdul Hakam saw Shafi'i in a dream after his death and inquired about life after death. Shafi'i told him that because of the continuous recitation of Durood-e-Shafi`i, God gave him the most exalted position of the highest grade in Heaven and forgave him.^[11]

Durood-e-Nahariya[link]

O Allah! Every moment and in every breath, bestow complete and the best blessings and perfect peace which is endless on Muhammad, our master, and on his descendants and his Companions, and may, for His Sake, all our troubles and tortures be over, calamities ended, and all our needs fulfilled, all our cherished desires attained, and good ends vouch-saved, and clouds are laden with water through the glorious countenance of Prophet. The perfect blessings and peace on the Prophet's House, his Family and his Companions every instance in number equal to the count of all things in Thy Knowledge.

It is stated that if the Durood-e-Nahariya is recited daily, it will give such strength and power to the reciter that no one on earth will be able to subdue him. They will be a grand success in all the affairs of the world. If this Durood Shareef is recited during days of calamities, God will help the reciter from quarters unknown to humans. The reciter will be able to cross every barrier of handicap safely and soundly. In every worldly affair, in every trial and tribulation, success will be his net income.^[12]

Darood-e-Fath[link]

O Allah! May Thy grace, peace and blessings rest on Muhammad, our Master, who opens that which is closed, and closes that which is preceded, who helps truth with truth, and who guided mankind to Thy straight path. May blessings of Allah be on him and his Family and Companions as according to his exalted position befitting his merit and his high rank.

It is said by Ahmed Hillam, that it was the favourite routine of Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Gilani.^[13]

Durood from distinguished persons[link]

Royafai, a close companion of Muhammed has revealed that Muhammad said: "There is a Durood which if anyone recites, then I shall definitely come to his help on the final Day of the Judgement".

O Allah! Shower Thy blessing on Muhammad and make him enter the highest place which is the greatest before You on the Day of Resurrection.

After hearing the prayer call Azaan, if anyone recites the following Durood then he will certainly receive Muhammed's mercy and assistance on the Day of Judgement.^[14]

O Allah! For the sake of this call of prayer and for the sake of this prayer, give Thy assistance to Muhammad, our master, and make him seated on the most exalted place which You had promised, i.e. the Maqaam-e-Mahmood.

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Durood Shareef
• 'Durood' and its various aspects
• The Virtues of Durood
• Collection of Durood Shareef
• Dalail Al Khairat
• The Excellence of Reciting the Durood Sharif

Shaykh Ahmad

Shaykh Ahmad ibn Zayn al-Dín ibn Ibráhím al-Ahsá'í (Arabic: شيخ أحمد بن زين الدين بن إبراهيم الأحسائي‎) was (1753–1826) was the founder of a 19th century Shi`i school in the Persian and Ottoman empires, whose followers are known as Shaykhís.

He was a native of the Al-Ahsa region (Eastern Arabian Peninsula), educated in Bahrain and the theological centers of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq.^[1] Spending the last twenty years of his life in Iran, he received the protection and patronage of princes of the Qajar dynasty.^[2]

History[link]

Early life[link]

Little is documented about the early life of Shaykh Ahmad, except that he was born in Ahsa, in the northeast of the Arabian peninsula, to a Shi'i family of Sunni origin in either the year 1166 A.H. (1753 C.E.), or 1157 A.H. (1744 C.E.). Nabíl-i-A`zam, a Baha'i historian, documents his spiritual awakening in his book The Dawn-Breakers as follows:

He observed how those who professed the Faith of Islam had shattered its unity, sapped its force, perverted its purpose, and degraded its holy name. His soul was filled with anguish at the sight of the corruption and strife which characterised the Shí'ah sect of Islam.... Forsaking his home and kindred, on one of the islands of Bahrayn, to the south of the Persian Gulf, he set out,... to unravel the mysteries of those verses of Islamic Scriptures which foreshadowed the advent of a new Manifestation[revelation].... There burned in his soul the conviction that no reform, however drastic, within the Faith of Islam, could achieve the regeneration of this perverse people. He knew,... that nothing short of a new and independent Revelation, as attested and foreshadowed by the sacred Scriptures of Islam, could revive the fortunes and restore the purity of that decadent Faith.

While it is unclear how much of Nabil's interpretation is consistent with Shaykh Ahmad's true feelings, the underlying motivations for reform, and ultimately for messianic expectation, become somewhat clearer.

Education and Mission[link]

Shaykh Ahmad, at about age forty (1784 or 1794 - circa), began to study in earnest in the Shi'i centres of religious scholarship such as Karbala and Najaf. He attained sufficient recognition in such circles to be declared a mujtahid, an interpreter of Islamic Law. He contended with Sufi and Neo-Platonist scholars, and attained a positive reputation among their detractors. Most interestingly, he declared that all knowledge and sciences were contained (in essential form) within the Qur'an, and that to excel in the sciences, all knowledge must be gleaned from the Qur'an. To this end he developed systems of interpretation of the Qur'an and sought to inform himself of all the sciences current in the Muslim world.

He also evinced a veneration of the Imams, even beyond the extent of his pious contemporaries and espoused heterodox views on the afterlife, the resurrection and end-times, as well as medicine and cosmology. His views on the soul posited a "subtle body" separate from, and associated with the physical body. It was this body that ascended into Heaven, he posited, when Muhammad was said to have bodily ascended, and this also altered his views on the occultation of the Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi. His views resulted in his denunciation by several learned clerics, and he engaged in many debates before moving on to Persia where he settled for a time in the province of Yazd. It was in Yazd that much of his books and letters were written.

Founding the Shaykhi School[link]

Juan Cole summarizes the situation at the advent of the Shaykhi School, and the questions that were unfolding as his views crystallized and he acquired an early following:

When Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i wrote, there was no Shaykhi school, which only crystallized after his death. He saw himself as a mainstream Shi'ite, not as a sectarian leader. Yet he clearly innovated in Shi'i thought in ways that, toward the end of his life, sparked great controversy. Among the contentious arenas he entered was that of the nature of religious authority. He lived at a time when his branch of Islam was deeply divided on the role of the Muslim learned man. Was he an exemplar to be emulated by the laity without fail, or merely the first among equals, bound by a literal interpretation of the sacred text just as was everyone else? Or was he, as the Sufis maintained, a pole channeling the grace of God to those less enlightened than himself? How may we situate Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i with regard to these contending visions of Shi'i Islam? ^[3]

Momen in his Introduction to Shi'i Islam(George Ronald, Oxford, 1985)states that many mujtahids were afraid that the Shaykh's preference for intuitive knowledge, which he claimed to obtain directly by inspiration from the Imams, would seriously undermine the authority of their position. Momen has some interesting and useful commentary on Shaykh Ahmad's doctrines and his succession during which the conflict with Shi'i orthodoxy intensified.^[4]

Successor[link]

Shaykh Ahmad appointed Sayyid Kazim Rashti as his successor,^[5] who led the Shaykhí movement until his death. He taught his students how to recognize the Mahdi and the "Masih" (the return of Christ). After his death in 1843, many of his students spread out around Asia, Europe and Africa to search them.

See also[link]

• Babism
• Bahá'í Faith
• Islam

References[link]

Published Works of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i.

• Sharh al-Fawa'id. Lithographed. N.P. (Tabriz: 1856).
• Jawami' al-Kalim. Lithographed. N.P. (Tabriz: 1856-59).
• Sharh al-Masha'ir. Lithographed. N.P. (Tehran: 1861).
• Sharh al-'Arshiyya. Lithographed. N.P. (Tehran: 1861).
• Sharh al-Ziyara al-Jami'a al-Kabira. Chapkhaneh Sa'adat (Kirman: 1972), 4 Volumes.
• Rasa'il al-Hikma. Al-Da'ira al-'Alamiyya (Beirut: 1993).

Scholarly European Language Sources on Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i.

• A-L-M Nicolas. Essai sur le cheikhisme. Paul Geuthner (Paris: 1910), 2 Volumes.
• Henry Corbin. L'ecole Shaykhie en Theologie Shi`ite. Taban (Tehran: 1967).
• Henry Corbin. En islam iranien. Galimard (Paris: 1972), vol. 4.
• Vahid Rafati. The Development of Shaykhi Thought in Shi`i Islam. (Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 1979).
• Denis Maceoin. S.V. "Ahsa'i, Shaikh Ahmad b. Zayn al-Din," in Encyclopaedia Iranica, 3 vols. - (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1983 - ).
• Juan Cole. "The World as Text: Cosmologies of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i," in Studia Islamica, No. 80. (1994), pp. 145–163.
• Idris Samawi Hamid. The Metaphysics and Cosmology of Process According to Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i. (Ph.D. dissertation: State University of New York at Buffalo, 1998).
• Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi. "Une absence remplie de présences. Herméneutiques de l'occultation chez les Shaykhiyya (Aspects de l'imamologie duodécimaine VII) ," in Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Vol. 64, No. 1. (2001), pp. 1–18.

External links[link]

• Alahsai
• Sheykh Ahmad Ahsa'i, Iranica
• alabrar.com for more information about Shaykhi teachings. (This site is in the Arabic language.)
• Early Shaykhism - Some biographical notes, translations and studies
• Collected Works of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i at H-Bahai Discussion Network

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