Pakistani singer Abdullah Qureshi took to Instagram on the 6th of October 2022 to announce that he had quit the music industry for Islam. He said in his post that he will only take campaigns henceforth that align with his religious values. Siddiqui wrote, “I know I’ve been lost since a long time and I have received a ton of messages in this time asking about where I have been. i was on a break, pressed the pause button for a while and took this time to find who I was, where I’m headed and who do I want to become.”
He commented, “I had a great time making music, playing at concerts for thousands of people, getting loved and appreciated, facing controversies, making some wrong decisions, spreading some positivity, making some amazing friends, working with people who were my idols, learning from the best and doing what I loved doing.” Sharing how he now believes that the actual purpose of his life is “way bigger than all of this”, Qureshi remarked, “We have very little time in this world to make our afterlife better.”
“Alhamdulillah I’, satisfied with this decision and I’m on my way to find the real truth and I pray that Allah makes this new journey easy for me”, he said in his post. He further vowed only to do campaigns that fall within his “religious fold”.
Before leaving the music industry for Islam as a pious Muslim, Abdullah had in the past issued an apology for his “problematic behaviour” and spoken about his “fetishes”.
It was in 2021 that he had posted an apology on his Instagram account.
In this apology, the former singer stated that he is sorry to everyone he has hurt or harmed in any way and requested the removal of anything related to ‘this’ because it has affected his career and is likely to affect his daughter.
His apology read, “I apologise to everyone for all this. I won’t blame my drunken state because it was me at the end of the day. But yes, I did have a drinking problem and I do have fetishes. But everyone has fetishes.”
He essentially apologised for messaging random women, behaving in a problematic fashion and for his “fetishes”. A year on, Qureshi decided to turn to Islam and leave the music industry.
Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi abused for suggesting “music is not completely haraam in Islam”
After singer Abdullah Qureshi announced that he would be quitting the music industry for Islam, Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi took to Twitter to wish him well, but also assert that “music is not completely haraam in Islam”.
May God give u the strength & persistence in ur iman, ikhlaaq & deeds brother. Just want to share my discovery that Music is not completely haraam in Islam. If u have time, please watch this 1 program https://t.co/6CTgthWgKe OR this detailed 10 part series https://t.co/PhkHWmLSUc pic.twitter.com/15rtmBcBWE
— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) October 6, 2022
In his Twitter bio, Abbasi writes that he is an actor and a “student of Islam”, however, his assertions about what is haraam and what is not in Islam did not go down well with other Muslims. Abbasi was then abused and called out for being un-Islamic and discouraging someone who is taking the right step, as ordained by Islam.
One Twitter user wondered what is “totally haraam” and “little haraam” since it is haraam in Islam if it’s even 1% haraam.
I wonder what is incompletely haram? Haram is haram if its even 1% haram.
— Usama (@osamaySays) October 6, 2022
There were many others who told Abbasi that he was not a Mufti and therefore, he should not pronounce judgements about what is haraam in Islam and what is not.
Abbasi was also accused of legitimising all “haraam things” by one Momina.
The way this person explains his believes and disbelieves up here is pathetic !!The fact that he call himself the "student of Islam " by tweeting this !? Y'all need to study Islam properly before giving such statements openly to the youth which legit normalize every haram thing ! https://t.co/5mI1JQNtKk
— Momina Ali (@simplymomi) October 7, 2022
Others quoted verses of the Quran to prove Abbasi wrong.
Sure bro. https://t.co/DnlnqlfJws pic.twitter.com/YDp9u2HHQj
— 🦅 (@M_Usama94) October 7, 2022
According to website al-Islam.org, Music is haraam in Islam and this position is substantiated by several Quranic verses and Aayats.
Two of the verses that are quoted by the website are as follows:
“So abstain from the pollution of the idols and abstain from false vain words.” (22:30).
The Arabic word “Zoor” has several meanings which include falsehood and the musical expressions. According to Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (a.s.) “pollution of the idols” means Chess and “Vain words” means music.
See how ‘Music’ has been joined in this Ayat with the pollution of idols”, only then you can appreciate the seriousness of the sin of Music.
“And of the people there is he who buys a ‘vain talk’ so that he may lead others astray from the path of Allah without (real) knowledge and takes it (the revelation of Allah) for a mockery for these shall be a disgracing chastisement (punishment).” (31:6).
‘Lahw’ means any thing which diverts the mind from serious thinking. “Vain talk” has been interpreted by the Imam as some talk, sound or thing which diverts the attention of man from the ultimate aim of his creation; in other words makes him forget Allah and His commands. For example fictions romantic stories and such useless talks. “It includes ‘Music’, intoxicants and all such diversions.”1
Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said: Music is among the things for which Allah has promised the Fire (of Hell). Then he recited the above Aya
