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I got an email today about a recent article written on MuslimMatters.org.

Salaam alaykum all,

I wrote an article on MM about voice only music, my experiences with it, and how I’m personally dealing with the different issues that come up as there are at times unclear answers.  I also mention the AlMaghrib trailers because one of them was a turning point in what I did and didn’t listen to.

There’s no condemnation here, simply the going over milestones and how I’ve dealt with them, and looking for feedback from others.

- Siraaj Muhammad

You can check out the article by clicking the image below.

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The issue of beat-boxing, vocal play and a capella in Islamic media has been an issue of some controversy. I think this is mainly due to the confusion on many people’s part as to whether it’s really permissible or not.

You can get the gist by the article linked above.

When I produced the last AlMaghrib promo – the one that features the instructors, student body locations and what AlMaghrib is – a lot of concern came about.

Several months back, Yaser Birjas and I had a talk addressing the concern and the discussions that were taking place. The following points were made:

The objective and purpose of sound in a video is like the objective of a carpet in a room.

It’s suppose to add warmth, pull you in and at the same time bring forth a specific emotion.  The carpet enhances the room and increases the overall impact and impression it has on you many folds.

There is of course the potential to choose the wrong carpet for a room and at times putting a carpet in a room where there isn’t suppose to be any.

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Assuming you got the analogy -

What’s the solution to people’s perception of vocal play and beat-boxing being looked upon as music” when in truth, by standards this society – “if its got rhythm then its music”?

Personally I think the solution is branding.

Fact is that the videos don’t use musical instruments and from my understanding its the instruments that are prohibited. Not the rhythm or sounds.

I think market education is a big part of solving the Muslim student’s concerns. Also pushing the bar on professionalism is also key.

A professional sound designer will deliver so long as the framework to work within is made clear.

I know for a fact that some of the non-Muslim film makers and producers I know love the sound scores of the AlMaghrib trailers, and they especially love the fact that it’s made from no musical instruments.

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I think the fact AlMaghrib videos don’t have musical instruments needs to be made more clear.

The only way I think it can be made clearer is in addition to the “No Musical Instruments” screen at the beginning of the videos, add a “no musical instruments were used in this score” as part of the “ending credits” of all future videos.

This way perhaps others who miss the beginning screen can catch it in the end.

Another solution is to teach a seminar about – or include the subject in a seminar of sort. Many people are unclear on the issue.

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As a follow up to Siraaj’s email, there was another email sent today via AlMaghrib’s HQ saying:

Recently our senior shyookhs and management team had this discussion. After going back n forth, we’ve decided that we will not use beat-boxing in our trailers anymore.

More importantly as time permits, we will be editing the past trailers in sha Allah.

It begs me to question, what will the stance be on the use of non beat-boxing sounds that are also non instrumental used in a rhythm? The effect is the same.

I guess time will tell.

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Posts in the past that address this issue:

• Muslims Acappella in English
• Who said you can’t make good music without instruments?