Alternatives. We all know the plethora of opinions on music. We all have that person that brings to our attention how impermissible it is to listen to Drake and that Tray way guy (not that I disagree). People that tell us that we should avoid certain television shows, or vlogs. The issue is, seldom do they give any alternatives, in fact, many of them neglect to give anything except remarks & comments that leave us feeling annoyed.

Then you have those pioneers, people who take it upon themselves to create alternatives. They venture out & create Halal music, halal art, halal vlogs all in the name of creating an alternative for the faith community. What issue could I possibly have with any of them? In my opinion, it’s not enough to slap “halal” onto something & to add some words that we Muslims are familiar with. When the Angel Gabriel questioned the Prophet ﷺ on Islam, the Prophet didn’t stop at Islam and Iman, there was also Ihsaan, the concept of beautifying one’s actions. The concept of doing something with such detail, love, reverence, & fear of God that it reached a level of perfection due to His blessings.

The other day a friend shared a video of youngings singing a cover of the latest Drake song. They made it Halal by joking of having 4 wives & then naming some of the most honorable women in the Islamic tradition. My stomach churned. Is this what we have for alternatives?

Scholars disallowed the drawing of life & so artists turned to beautifying their art with letters & words. They created the art of calligraphy. They created an alternative that even those who care nothing about the faith still look at & marvel. Have we become satisfied with a few million views & laughs? That is not the alternative I believe we all can create, in fact I think everyone reading this has the ability to create something beautiful if they only allow themselves, push themselves, and refuse to settle with what everyone around them settles for. Our principles are higher, our goals are higher. Everything that we do is for the sake of God. The next time you create something ask yourself, am I doing this with Ihsaan, if not, start over. The world is waiting on your greatness my dear beloved!

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