Bilal Philips was once a guitar god. Now he is trying to convince Muslims that God doesn’t want them listening to guitars.
A Saudi-trained Canadian, Mr. Philips is among a small group of lecturers who preach against most forms of music — a controversial prohibition that surfaced in Manitoba recently, where a dozen Muslim families want to pull their children from music class.
“A heart filled with music will not have room for God’s words,” he writes in his bookContemporary Issues, which also defends child marriages, wife beating, polygamy and killing apostates while calling homosexuality “evil and dangerous.”
His spirit-crushing approach to music makes the St. Louis J-boys sound attractive.
I wonder if he ever heard of “making a joyful noise unto the Lord?” I forgot…….he doesn’t believe in the Lord, does he? Too bad!
This seems to be a minority and controversial view within Islam. The souces I’ve looked at say that music is okay in Islam unless it “contain[s] sensual, pagan, or unethical themes or subliminal messages.”
Well, look on the bright side. You’ll never hear anyone sing Kumbayah in a mosque.
Worst. Footloose. Remake. Ever.
Cat Stevens went through this, apparently, when he first converted to Islam. He’s had a change of heart since then and is now working with Muslim youth interested in writing/recording music. He admitted in an interview that he fell into the purism of a convert’s zeal in this regard.
I’m glad he’s singing again. His recording of “Morning Has Broken” is so very beautiful.
#6–He’s great–other than that part about being on Interpol’s terrorist watch list.