With eternal happiness in paradise at stake, the desire to secure a coveted spot in the afterlife’s VIP Square has fueled centuries-old disputes, divergences, and even wars that all have, to some extent, shaped contemporary Islamic schools of thought. One topic seems to persist and provoke contention between Muslims— namely the permissibility of music, and rap in particular.
Though certain doctrines selectively endorse music in some specific cases only, as far as the “better safe than sorry” ethos goes, the most devout will often advocate for listening to audiobooks of the Qur’an or songs that have no lyrics. Far from being universally embraced, some do distance themselves away from music in the later stages of their lives, while others are enjoying a flourishing career in grime. For British-Pakistani rapper Ibrahim Mohsen, better known as Ibby online, he found a unique middle ground by pivoting to religious rap instead.
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The 22-year-old, with an Instagram following just shy of 100,000 Instagram, was considered as somewhat of a promising artist in the English rap scene. He was even labeled “The next big thing on the British Asian rap scene,” by the BBC. However, his rising career was brought to a sudden halt when he came to the profound realization that “music cannot be in the same heart as the deen [faith].”
“There was a point I was earning £4,000 a month but I quickly realized that the money I was earning had no blessings,” he told BBC Asian Network last July. “While I was trying to practice and make music at the same time, I realized that music cannot be in the same heart as the deen [faith],” he added, claiming that it diverted his “practice and be focused, for (him) it’s the corruption of the soul.”
Urging his fans to abstain from streaming any of his tracks and encouraging them to delete any existing recordings from their devices, the lyricist decided to put his songwriting skills to what he considers more meaningful by writing Nasheeds— a kind of religious hymns that are usually sung. In the same vein as the renowned Sami Yusuf, Ibby stands out for infusing his own creative twist to the age-old practice by preaching the benefits and blessings of Islam over beats.
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With an impressive monthly average of over 15K listens a month on Spotify, and snippets or freestyle consistently reaching the 100,000 views benchmark, the 22-year-old’s newfound path and distinctive sub-genre seem to be catering to a unique audience.. Aiming to “bridge the gap” between the pursuit of greater faithfulness and the “many factors that distract us from our full potential,” his self-appointed mission likely echoes with a lot of people, although to varying degrees. But for those who resonate with his bars, they have found in him a novel source of content that could be deemed halal.
At the intersection of faith and creativity with steadfast respect for perceived core tenets of Islam, Ibby is carving out his own niche in the world of hip-hop, one that holds the potential to unite a whole segment of society that has never seen itself represented authentically. The prospect of cultivating a brand new scene that could sustain itself while aligning with Muslim morals is a significant breakthrough. Ibby’s quest for a meaningful connection with the divine seems to have finally found its way of preaching to the younger generations, for better or for worse.
