Nasheeds are cherished and listened to in weddings, family get-togethers, and other special events around the world—but what exactly are they?
In essence, nasheeds are songs with Islamic messages. Across the world, Muslims enjoy listening to them throughout their day-to-day activities and on special occasions. Some nasheeds, like those composed by Yusuf Islam, are educational, teaching young Muslims with different native languages how to remember and pronounce the Arabic alphabet. Others help children and adults alike understand the basics of their religion, improve their character and conduct, and be motivated to improve their relationship with God.
Many nasheeds are produced with vocals alone, but some include a combination of instrumentals that add a musical flair. The main instrument used in modern and traditional nasheeds is the “duff”, a type of percussion similar to the drums.
Nasheeds come in a wide variety of languages, but the most widespread and famous nasheeds are in Arabic, English, Urdu, Punjabi, and Farsi. They also come in a wide variety of forms. Some nasheed artists perform solo and others, like Deen Squad and Native Deen, produce nasheeds as a group. The word “deen” in both group’s names means “religion” in Arabic.
As a young child, all my car rides to and from elementary school were beautified with nasheeds. Listening to Maher Zain, Sami Yusuf, and Muhammad Tariq sing nasheeds about respecting and honoring mothers, making “du’a” (supplications to God) for newlywed couples’ marriage, and looking beyond this “dunya” (life here) towards the “akhira” (afterlife) was a formative experience for my siblings and me.
As I got older, I found the calmer nasheeds about tragedy and perseverance to be inspiring amidst a world of chaos and anxiety. Nasheeds like “Rahmatun Lil’Alameen” by Maher Zain are beautiful and poignant; the title translates to “Mercy to the Worlds,” one of the titles given to the Prophet Muhammad, and the nasheed itself is in memory of Maher Zain’s father, Mustafa Zain, who passed away in 2022.
Considering the beautiful messages in nasheeds, it is surprising how some people paint the Muslim community; in my case, a quick search related to nasheeds leads me to multiple articles warning against these “extremist” songs that the civilized world needs to watch out for. For example, one article titled “Musical Criminology: A Comparative Analysis of Jihadist Nasheeds and Narco Corridos” compares nasheeds to drug ballads, songs that are composed and sung by drug cartels. The way nasheeds are evaluated seems to represent how Muslims themselves are stereotypically evaluated—guilty until proven innocent.
All in all, nasheeds are a significant part of the Muslim cultures around the world, whether it’s in Malaysia, Ethiopia, India, or America. The Islamic values flowing through the lyrics help us keep connected to our faith in both joy and grief. While some say nasheeds are a call to violence, Muslims would respond with the opposite—nasheeds are a call to peace, justice, and love rooted in our faith.