From CNN:
It’s true. I used to be prejudiced — as prejudiced as anyone about Islam. … And then I was given the opportunity of reading the actual source, the Quran itself, without anybody forcing me or looking over my shoulder and saying, “What do you think?” It was just me in my space.
And the more I read the Quran, the more I realized that it was like an incredible matrix of connection with Christianity and Judaism. I mean Jesus, Moses, the religion of Abraham in this book! And I said, “Wow, how come I didn’t know this before?” It was kind of like a secret.
So that was kind of my discovery, and a lot of people, I don’t think, have gone through that process because they’ve seen Islam as a headline — and you never learn anything about a headline. Because headlines, you know — people make things up, to be honest.
AA,
I too welcome Yusuf back to the world from the peace of the grave.
‘At a certain point I said, “I’ve got more living to do,” and I stopped making music, and I started living.’
Wasn’t Yusuf a Salafi? He stopped making music because he thought, like other Salafis, that musical instruments (except the duff, or whatever that questionable hadith reportedly says) are sinful. Happily, he’s left that particular Salafi stupidity behind, hopefully for good.
You are right. Here is my original post on the subject and his rationale:
https://islamicate.com/2005/03/music_and_islam.html
http://www.mountainoflight.co.uk/PDF/music_question_faith.pdf
Hope all is well with you.