|
Former British rock star Yusef Islam was the subject of a biographical documentary on cable tv's pop music station VH1, which aired for the first time this past weekend. The program followed the life of Brother Islam, from the time when he was just hitting the music scene up to who he has become today - highlighting his spiritual journey that reached its peak with his embracing of Islam.
Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, was born and raised in London where he became involved in music at a very young age. In 1968, when he was 17 years old, he hit the British music scene with full force, quickly becoming a favorite to music lovers.
As he progressed in the music industry, Islam displayed a perfectionist's attitude towards his work. The same could be said about the spiritual journey on which he embarked throughout his life. Studying various religions and spiritual practices, such as Zen Buddhism and numerology, Islam constantly struggled to find a balance between the pop-rock star lifestyle and the tranquility within his own soul. Years passed, his number one hits continued to mount. And, in the midst of international success, Islam suddenly found "the light of guidance" - from a direction that he was definitely not expecting.
His brother visited Jerusalem and came back with a copy of the Qur'an for Yusef. After reading a few passages, he realized that they could not be the word of man. Eventually, he embraced Islam and has been working very hard in Allah's cause since.
The documentary perhaps illustrated a theme in Yusef's life - the fact that he has always been misunderstood. It portrayed a Cat Stevens that was somewhat grounded at a time in history when change was erratic.
It showed him as a star maturing as he went through the rock and roll experience. Synonymous to that was his maturity in Islam. And, having been dubiously pegged by the British media as a staunch supporter of Ayatollah Khomeini's fatwa to execute Salman Rushdi for his book, Satanic Verses, Islam was made a figure of controversy.
The interview, of course, answered the most pressing question on viewers' minds - why did Islam decide to re-release some of his old material, after all these years of being away from the music? Simply stated, he did so because he felt, at this point in his life, that he needed to communicate a positive and beneficial message to humanity, and that these songs, while marking the tone of his spiritual search for truth, were a medium for doing so.
This statement by Yusef shocked many of his old fans. For the past twenty years, the most ardent of them have wondered why he so abruptly left the music industry that had made him known throughout the world. Likewise, Muslims who hold the view that all forms of music are unlawful were equally shocked that he has returned to some of roots.
VH1 brilliantly documented Yusef's nature and the fervor with which he works for justice, illustrating how he has transformed his perfectionist mentality in the studio to one devoted to the causes of the world's less fortunate. For example, his efforts to bring relief to countless Bosnian refugees, through his monetary aid as well as his physical presence, lifted the hearts of those devastated in this war-torn land.
It also showed that Yusef is very much involved in the community where he grew up. There were clips of him shaking hands with Britain's Prince Charles on his visit to one of the four schools that Br. Islam has established.
In summary, this piece provided a positive opportunity for Yusef Islam to gain closure on some of the issues that had left question marks in the eyes of his fans. It was also one of few positive portrayals of Islam and Muslims by the media.
Just in case you missed the premiere of the VH1 documentary of Yusef Islam, it will be replayed at these times: FRI 10/6 at 2:30pm/1:30c, FRI 10/6 at 9pm/8c, SAT 10/7 at 11:30am/10:30c, SAT 10/7 at 11pm/10c, MON 10/9 at 4:30pm/3:30c. |
