On Thursday (November 11), a Youtube rapper from Hyderabad, Ruhaan Arshad, announced that he would quit the music industry after realising that it was prohibited (Haram) in Islam. Arshad had shot to fame in November 2018 following the release of his rap song titled ‘Miya Bhai.’
While speaking about his decision to call it quits, the rapper said, “I am happy with my decision and never had second thoughts about it. I will stop myself from doing anything related to music. I know music is a sin in Islam. I just had the passion and the spirit to do it, so I pursued it. I am grateful that music has helped me build a career and fame from nothing. I am sure God will help me do something in life. But I will not quit uploading content on YouTube.”
The Youtuber had also urged his followers to stop rapping, in case they started making music after taking inspiration from him. He had also asked his followers to support his decision and help decide ‘non-sinful content’ for his channel. Ruhaan Arshad, who hails from Shahpur in Hyderabad, had also announced that he would start a small business to sustain his family. He added that his parents and family members are happy with his decision.
Arshad’s song ‘Miya Bhai’ has over 524 million views as of November 14, 2021. His latest rap song was ‘Apna Daur Ayega’, which highlighted the struggle he faced after the success of Miya Bhai. The 21-year-old had worked with Bollywood star Salman Khan for his video song ‘Bhai Bhai’, which was released in May last year.
Intriguingly enough, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has been spotted dancing to the YouTuber’s ‘Miya Bhai’ song at a rally.
This is not the first time that a Muslim personality has left the film/music fraternity to serve ‘Islam’ and abide by the ‘modest’ rules of Allah. In 2019, ‘Dangal’ and ‘Secret Superstar’ actress Zaira Wasim too had announced her retirement from movies in a letter posted on Instagram. In the six-page letter, she said, “Bollywood took me away from Islam” and cited the interference in her religious practices as the reason for the decision. She said that she wasn’t truly happy with her line of work despite her fame and success. It was only while trying to adjust to the new lifestyle did she realized that her career had impacted her relationship with religion. Talking about the difficulties that she had faced, Zaira Wasim said that she has found solace in Allah and Quran.
In October last year, actress Sana Khan quit the entertainment industry after being enlightened by the ‘teachings of Islam’. The decision came at the backdrop of her depression phase, following her ‘bitter breakup’ with dancer Melvis Louis. Khan had been a part of several reality TV shows such as Big Boss, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7, Comedy Nights Bachao, Entertainment Ki Raat and Kitchen Champion. She hadalso featured in a few films, including, Jai Ho and Wajah Tum Ho.
