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‘Music is a universal language’: Natasha Baig defends her stance on Abdullah Qureshi quitting the music industry

‘Music is a universal language’: Natasha Baig defends her stance on Abdullah Qureshi quitting the music industry

Initially, the singer had criticised musicians who leave behind their career in the name of awakening and said it perpetuates a "wrong narrative" attached with music.
08 Oct, 2022

A day after singer Abdullah Qureshi announced his exit from music industry for “religious reasons” on Thursday, fellow singer Natasha Baig said she will never appreciate musicians “who leave behind their career in the name of awakening”. She received backlash for her statement and has now issued an explanation, saying that she never said he did “wrong”.

On Friday, Baig tweeted, “there is nothing wrong in becoming a devotee of your creator and I think it is a beautiful journey Abdullah Qureshi has chosen. People need to calm down because I never said he did wrong.”

She added that music is a “universal language” and that the people who bash her “200 per cent of them resort to music whenever they get a chance.” Baig suggested that people need to understand her thoughts that she penned “at least 10 times”.

“I’m a proud Muslim and a follower of Allah and Rasool Allah (PBUH) too and it hurts my sentiments too because just like you I have a tendency to be emotional too. You can’t decide who’ll go to heaven or hell but if I’m doing music that makes me no less than any other Muslim,” Baig wrote.

Initially, Baig had tweeted without naming Qureshi. She had written that “those musicians” who leave the industry prove the “wrong narrative that has been attached with music” and asked them not to paint musicians like herself like villains in the process of their awakening.

“It has nothing to do with any sinful act unless you are unable to control your nafs [ego] and nafs can become a problem in any profession,” she reasoned.

Her reasoning was echoed by actor Hamza Ali Abbasi, who once quit showbiz to devote his life to religion, on Twitter where he told Qureshi that music is not completely a “haraam [forbidden]” act in Islam and suggested two videos for him to watch, one where Abbasi is conversing with Islamic scholar, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, and the scholar’s 10-part series on singing and music in religion.

In his statement, Qureshi had written, “I know I’ve been lost since a long time and I have received a ton of messages in this time asking about where I have been. i was on a break, pressed the pause button for a while and took this time to find who I was, where I’m headed and who do I want to become.”

The ‘Tu Aaja’ singer also said that he has learnt from the best people but believes the “actual purpose of life is way bigger than all of this” and that we have little time in this world to make “our afterlife better”.

He added that if he is needed for any event or social media campaigns, he will do it if it interests him and it “falls within the folds of our religion”.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Oct 08, 2022 02:53pm
Music? What music and which music?
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Its me Oct 08, 2022 03:00pm
Low life remarks by her. As wise says 'think before you speak (tweet).
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NYS Oct 08, 2022 03:24pm
Natasha taking U turn
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Ahmed Oct 08, 2022 03:36pm
Music is not divine. Please stop talking about things you know nothing of. Hamza needs to stop talking too. He is doing the exact thing which Ghamidi asks people not to do. That is accept someone as an authority. Sad state of affairs in Pakistan.
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Ali Oct 08, 2022 06:29pm
A significant number of Muslims in Pakistan tend to think that they are the only Muslims in the world and their interpretation of Islam is the only true version. Countries as diverse as Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, etc. all have huge numbers of Muslims, yet they do not believe in many things that is a matter of life and death for a great number of Pakistani Muslims. Wake up and change course before even your "brotherly" countries leave you behind.
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Zulfiqar Oct 08, 2022 07:07pm
Hamza Ali Abbasi please listen to other scholars also. Ghamidi Sahab opinions are mostly geared from modern day perspective. DR Israr, Yusuf Al Qardhawy, mufti Menk, Ahmed Deedat, Zakir Naik, etc also have an opinion on this topic.
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Aggregate Oct 08, 2022 07:09pm
Music is a 'Universal' Language ? Last time I checked the Universe is a 93 Billion Light Years wide 11 Dimensional Quantum Foam full of 200 Billion plus Galaxies and we cannot even see 93% of it that is Dark Matter, etc -- I doubt Music is a "language" of Planet Earth alone, let aside the whole 'Universe'. These people need to stop using weird blanket statements to justify their profession.
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JS Oct 08, 2022 07:59pm
To be honest, with how lame today's music scene is, it wouldn't matter if all our singers turned to religion.
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Rafiq Oct 08, 2022 08:05pm
Why are some Muslims so scared of or even hate Music, women's hair, dancing, etc etc etc ? And wasn't this so called married man Qureshi caught sending inappropriate texts and pictures to random women. Is this another cynical way to boost his career among gullible Muslims?
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Nawaz Oct 08, 2022 08:05pm
Firstly, singer doesn't need to quit. He can opt for naat and hamd singing like late JJ used to do. As far Natasha comments, just ignore it. Music is universal, not the noise and vulgarity in the name of music.
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Rafiq Oct 08, 2022 08:11pm
This married man apologized for sexually harassing random women on instagram. Now he will fool Muslims who are indoctrinated to be gullible. Save this prediction - Qureshi will be back, in a few months, riding on his piousness - more popular than ever. And he will host Ramzan shows and become a TV Mullah and then a PTI minister who knows !!
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nk Oct 08, 2022 09:13pm
"will never appreciate musicians" Not appreciating is very similar that Abdullah has done something wrong.
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ukasha rajpoot Oct 08, 2022 09:58pm
Singer? if he is than not successful. If successful then should have kept going on. Seem like not successful and success like garments and perfume lines might have encouraged him.
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noor Oct 08, 2022 10:40pm
Probably because there's more money to be made by going the 'mullah junaid jamshed' way than a real professional singer in Pakistan.
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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Oct 08, 2022 11:26pm
Who are these losers. Never heard of them. Why are they even in the news? The guy quit music, good for him. The girl wants to continue playing music, good for you. Get a life.
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Ahsan Gul Oct 08, 2022 11:45pm
Nashta, who is she? Has she really accomplished anything or she just wants to be in limelight?
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Asad Oct 09, 2022 12:52am
No hate and this is not sarcasm but is this Abdullah quershi a popular singer because I have never heard of him? I also don't know who this Natasha is so why is this news?
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Best Oct 09, 2022 01:12am
What an irrelevant character this HAA, to stay in the limelight he found reason to go into Islamic discussions and now he is advising to review his vlogs. He has no authority and academic background to be in the arena. if he thinks he is a show biz character then that is enough for him.
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Madaiyan Oct 09, 2022 01:28am
Religion is opium of masses
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anonymouse Persone Oct 09, 2022 02:35am
Natasha is totally out of her depth here, commenting on something she does not understand or have any knowledge of
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ak4pk Oct 09, 2022 02:51am
Don’t see why anyone should have any opinion as to what Qureshi wants to do with his life. It simply is nobody’s business. End of story.
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Samir Oct 09, 2022 05:43am
I am with Natasha Baig. A lot of men in pakistan turn toward becoming mullahs because it pays good. Men in pakistan nowadays Made business to become mullahs because it’s free and you get free food,clothes for your families. Poor country poor choices by people .
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Waheed Oct 09, 2022 05:54am
Why did she have to comment on his decision.
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Rao Oct 09, 2022 07:21am
His life his choice.
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Rao Oct 09, 2022 07:23am
Nobody has the authority to object on someone's career. It is his decision so everyone ought to mind their own business.
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najeeb Oct 09, 2022 08:27am
Reducing stress of humans and uplifting their moods is a noble act and music is best for it.Sofiana and spiritual music are the examples. Even the birds sing music.In religion that music is forbidden which disturbs Ibadat.
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Ali Oct 09, 2022 09:33am
@Rafiq Are you a fortune teller
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Rehana Bounse Oct 09, 2022 09:49am
@Asad she sang in one of previous Coke Studio program “Shikwa jawab e Shikwa” . She has a beautiful & unique voice . How come you’ve not heard about her ?
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Shahid Oct 09, 2022 10:37am
By the way, who is Natasha Baig?
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Shahid Oct 09, 2022 10:44am
Abdullah made a choice so let him do what he likes best. Why the heck is it anyone's problem.
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TenJee Oct 09, 2022 11:33am
@Madaiyan We can add music, entertainment and social media to that as well opium of the masses recipe as well. In fact, more so. Also please have the decency to quote the whole of that phrase from Marx, not just the bit that shows how little you understand of what he was trying to say.
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TenJee Oct 09, 2022 11:38am
@Ali Yes Islam has a multiplicity that accommodates different cultures. And yes, in Pakistan there is a particular emphasis on some of the more folklorish aspects of Islamic History, rather than core Islam. But you will find the same tensions between the 'deendar' and 'secular/liberal' tabqas throughout the Muslim world as we see in Pakistan, especially in countries where the secular/liberals have the power (often imposed by force).
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