I became very famous, as a teenager, and my name and photo were splashed in all the media. They made me larger than life, so I wanted to live larger than life, and the only way to do that was to be intoxicated. |
I found a religion that blended scientific reason with spiritual reality in a unifying faith far removed from the headlines of violence, destruction and terrorism. |
I looked at some of the statues of Jesus; they were just stones with no life. When they said that God is three, I was puzzled even more but could not argue. I believed it, simply because I had to have respect for the faith of my parents. |
I realized... I still had some kind of skill in being able to produce audio material which might be interesting as an educational tool for those people who know very little about Islam. |
I started making songs. But deep down, I had a feeling for humanity, a feeling that if I became rich, I would help the needy. |
I suppose that the media and their portrayal of Islam and the almost tribal separations and divisions of the Muslims are the greatest issues confronting Muslims in the United Kingdom. |
I think I will just use guitar as backing. I'm not doing a traditional folk thing, but a contemporary thing-my own version of folk, if you like. |
I think it's great to have something of that era, of my history as a performer, out there on record because maybe a lot of people would never have experienced it. I think the show was very, very powerful. |
I tried Zen and Ching, numerology, tarot cards and astrology. I tried to look back into the Bible, and could not find anything. At this time I did not know anything about Islam, and then, what I regarded as a miracle occurred. My brother had visited the mosque in Jerusalem, and was greatly impressed that while on the one hand it throbbed with life. |
I was brought up in the modern world of all the luxury and the highlight of show business. I was born into a Christian home. |
I was quite domineering... There was a moment where the cameraman almost stuck the camera up my nose, and I got very upset and uptight. |
I've re-examined my past body of work, and you can call it a rejuvenation. It's a natural expression of my concern as a Muslim and as an artist. I believe both can exist side by side, particularly when the cause is right. |
I've returned to being an amateur without any ties or strings attached, which gives me a freedom I never had before. |
I've studied various schools of thought... I acknowledge that some Muslims consider music prohibited, but I've found a lot of evidence from the life of the Prophet to show that he allowed certainly, but even encouraged, music at certain times. |
I've... used a very conservative approach. You only hear my own voice, a slight choral accompaniment and drums. Let's say that's the safest option according to certain Islamic schools of thought. I've made minimal use of musical instruments, and in some schools of thought in Islam musical instruments are disapproved of. |