Islamic Singers Rewrite Western Pop Music With Religious Lyrics
Although many Muslims believe that music is technically prohibited under Islamic law, this hasn't stopped a burgeoning scene of Muslim singers from covering Western pop songs and replacing the lyrics with words of religious devotion. The phenomenon appears to be very popular in the UK and in the Arab world, and today The Guardian puts a spotlight on it.
Raef, a singer/songwriter signed to Islamic media company Awakening Records, covers songs like Chris Brown's "With You" and Rebecca Black's "Friday," but his covers turn songs that are about romantic longing and, well, Friday, into songs about his devotion to the lord. His cover of "With You" contains the lyrics, "My Lord, no one else will do / With every test you put me through, miracles you help me do / If I have you, I don't need money, I don't need cars / Lord you're my all."
Raef sometimes covers Western songs and doesn't change the lyrics, like for "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley and "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson, because those songs are already positive and inspirational.
Watch Raef's covers of Rebecca Black's "Friday" and Chris Brown's "With You" below, and let us know: would you listen to Western pop music with Islamic devotional lyrics?
Raef - It's Jumuah
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