nur al-habib productions
songs of innocence track info
Gift of Life: A song originally written by Nazima
Cassim, it was transformed into a song in honour of one's teacher - in generic terms
referring to anyone from whom one takes knowledge of God and His religion, but specifically
the realised spiritual teacher who guides one along the path to Allah. The 'gift
of life' refers to the awakening and deepening of faith, understanding, spiritual
certainty and love that occurs in the transformative presence of one of the enlightened
inheritors of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him and his
family). It was written in tacit acknowledgement of the fact that traditional Islam
has been transmitted not by books, but by teachers in every generation who have
learnt, mastered and adopted the wisdom before passing it on to others. It is dedicated
specifically to Talib and Nazima's shaykh, Hazrat Ghulam Muhyi ad-Din Kazi al-Habibi.
Ya Habibi Sayyidi: The closing song on the album
is, fittingly, a beautiful soaring salam (greeting) in praise of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (s). As with Beloved Nabi, it concerns itself less with the attributes
of the beloved than with the emotion and yearning that it causes in the heart of
the lover. It ends the album with the plea to the Prophet (s) to, 'bless this seeker
of your love with the vision of you.'
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