Flamenco Salawat- by Al Firdaus Ensemble 
Event organised by Rumi's Cave
Sunday 9th March 2014
Kilburn
London

Flamenco Salawat- by Al Firdaus Ensemble

"Qad Kafani `Ilmu Rabbi" (My Lord's Knowledge Suffices Me) is a powerful statement of reliance and trust on Allah, authored by Imam Abdullah b. Alawi al-Haddad (1634 CE [1044 Hijri] - 1720 CE [1132 Hijri]), the great Islamic scholar and spiritual guide from Hadhramawt, Yemen. Imam al-Haddad was a distinguished poet, and this particular qasida (devotional song) is one of his most-recited poems. A brief bio of the Imam may be found here: http://www.alhaddad.org/blog/?p=382.

(Accompanying picture of the Imam's mosque in Yemen is taken from http://thedowra.com.)

This particular rendition of the qasida is something I'd first heard performed at the Seekers Retreat in Melbourne (April 2011), by "The Singaporean Haqqani Ensemble" - Sidi Abdul Shakor Hadi leading the vocals, along with drumming and choral support from Sidi Muhammad Nassir, and the rest of the ensemble.

I was fortunate enough to recite this rendition of the qasida to Habib Umar bin Hafidh, at a private gathering in Melbourne Australia, in May 2011, before returning to Canada.  Many thanks to Sidi Usama Canon for facilitating this auditioning.


TECHNICAL NOTES:
I've recorded it here in Apple's GarageBand, using a Blue Yeti USB microphone (reviewed here at wired.com: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2009/11/pr_yeti/), a recent gift from a good friend that I'm putting to good use.

[NOTE: Booking requests are not processed through this website.  To book Nader Khan, please contact "bookings@naderkhan.com"]

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:
(the lyrics in Arabic, along with the translation, may be downloaded from: http://www.halaqa.org/Media/Docs/Qad%20kafani%20english.pdf)

My Lord’s knowledge has sufficed me
 from asking or choosing
For my du’a and my agonising supplication
 is a witness to my poverty.
For this secret (reason) I make supplication 
in times of ease and times of difficulty
I am a slave whose pride 
is in his poverty and obligation
----------
O my Lord and my King
 You know my state
And what has settled in my heart 
of agonies and preoccupations
Save me with a gentleness 
from You, O Lord of Lords
Oh save me, Most Generous 
before I run out of patience (with myself)
----------
O One who is swift in sending aid
 I ask for aid that will arrive to me swiftly
It will defeat all difficulty 
and it will bring all that I hope for
O Near One Who answers 
and All-Knowing and All-Hearing
I have attained realisation through my incapacity, 
my submission and my brokenness
----------
I am still standing by the door, so please my Lord
 have mercy on my standing
And in the valley of generosity, I am in i’tikaf (solitary retreat)  
So, Allah, make my retreat here permanent
And I’m abiding by good opinion (of You) 
 For it is my friend and ally
And it is the one that sits by me and keeps me company  
All day and night
----------
There is a need in my soul, O Allah 
so please fulfill it, O Best of Fulfillers
And comfort my secret and my heart
 from its burning and its shrapnel
In pleasure and in happiness  and 
as long as You are pleased with me
For joy and expansion is my state  
and my motto and my cover
----------

Qad Kafani - My Lord is Sufficient - by Imam Haddad, sung by Nader Khan

The Qasida Burda is arguably the most often recited and widely memorized poem in the world, in any language.The first chapter is about love, and the soul's sincere yearning for the beloved.  It has been rendered here in the Arabic Maqam of Hijaz, in a tune inspired from a popular rendition of Yunus Emre's song in Turkish, "Cagirayim Mevlam Seni".

TECHNICAL NOTES:I've recorded it here in Apple's GarageBand, using a Blue Yeti USB microphone.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:Coming soon...

For booking inquiries, please contact bookings@naderkhan.com

Qasida Burda: Chapter 1 - On Love & Yearning. Sung by Nader Khan.

This set of lyrics was originally composed as a poem by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf.

This recording is from a live performance at the Ta'leef Collective in Fremont California, in November 2009.

It was recorded live using a Canon Powershot SX 20i - not sure about the specs of the sound system at Ta'leef that day.

For booking inquiries, please contact bookings@naderkhan.com

Nader Khan Sings "Springs Gift", By Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Many apologies for the lack of a podcast in the recent weeks.The recent opening of SeekersHub Toronto (<a href="http://SeekersHub.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://SeekersHub.org</a>), and the intense Ramadan programming there had kept my wife and I very busy.

So now, I'm back, and will do my best to be more regular, insha'Allah.

This song is an English translation by Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad, of an originally Turkish song by Yunus <a href="http://Emre.In" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emre.In</a> his mastery of the English language, he has managed to maintain rhyme and meter of the Turkish original.

I'd always found one of the popular tunes for this song especially captivating, and had written a song called "The Quest" to this tune on the first album.This song follows the original tune and song structure more closely.

The song is essentially an exercise in intercession, through all the things and people one considers as held close by God.

The recording for both the lead vocals and the voice layering backing vocals was done with Blue's Yeti Pro microphone, mounted upside down on a boom microphone stand, straight into my Mac's GarageBand. I'm *really* liking this microphone.

Here are the full lyrics ::

With the rocks and mountains high, Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.
At the dawn with birds that fly, Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.

With Isa, raised on high, With Musa on Sinai,
With the rod that he holds by, Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.

With thankful praise addressed to God With the Koran’s ‘Say: He is God’,
With bare feet, head uncovered, Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.

With Eyub in suffering drear With Yaqoub shedding many a tear
With Muhammad, loved so dear,Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.

With this song, Yunus regales, Singing with the nightingales,
With the Truth’s most loving slaves, Let me call, my Lord, on Thee.

::: For booking inquiries, please contact <a href="mailto:bookings@naderkhan.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bookings@naderkhan.com</a> :::
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Nader Khan :: (Let Me Call) My Lord On Thee :: by Sidi Muhtar Holland

Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah - The Importance of Brotherhood

Introducing the Travelling Light soundtracks: dozens of powerful and authentic Islamic songs from around the world, now available in stores!

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Travelling Light - Songs from Andalusia

"Lamiyyat al-Shama’il" by Alatar

A rough second-draft of a planned rendition for sometime in the near future.

This classic and popular Urdu piece in praise of the Beloved Medinan Emperor is very dear to me for many reasons.  Hope you all enjoy it.

Nader Khan -- The Emperor of Madina [Shah-e-Madina]

This recording is the fourth one in my #iPhoneStudio series. Just like the previous one, this was recorded on an iPhone 5 placed about 12 inches away from me. The *only* postproduction that I've done on this is a fade-in and a fade-out, and a very slight echo/reverb effect. 

It was recorded at the most recent weekly "Circle Of Light" gathering of remembrance and reflection at SeekersHub Toronto [SeekersHub.org].

This is a set of lyrics that I'd been struggling to set a tune to, for well over 3 years -- this tune was composed as my wife and I stood in line with Imam Afroz Ali for a coach to take us to the airport in Melbourne, Australia after the SeekersRetreat back in April 2011.  It was originally intended to be on the first album, but to a very different tune.  It's a good thing I waited - this is the most satisfied I've been with a tune for it.

The lyrics were originally composed by Shaykh Abdul-Hakeem Murad and he had titled the poem as "Lamiyyat Al Ajam". Those who know what a "Lamiyya" is, will get the subtle wit of his title.

I'd posted an earlier recording of this track on this SoundCloud page.  I believe that the recording quality on this rendition is much better.  You're welcome to judge for yourselves: https://soundcloud.com/naderkhanofficial/naderkhan-pray-my-lord.

The first line from the opening words was penned by the gifted poetess Mona Haydar [https://soundcloud.com/monahaydar], who gave me permission to use her words without hesitation.

For booking inquiries, please contact bookings@naderkhan.com

Nader Khan [ #iPhoneStudio ] - PrayMyLord - Live Acapella

LANGUAGE: English

SONGWRITER: Nader Khan

INSPIRATION: 
A song of repentance, based on the very first couplet of Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi`s famous poetic compilation, the “Mathnawi”; a section of the litany “Hizb al Kabir” composed by the founder of the Shadhili Sufi order, Imam Abul-Hasan al Shadhili; the “Ode of Repentance” from the poetic compendium of the renowned Sufi scholar Shaykh Muhammad ibn Al-Habib (where the first two Arabic lines come from); and a few other readings.

The “covenant” being referred to in this song, is found in the seventh chapter of the Holy Qur’an, "The Heights" ("Al A'raf") , verse 172, but can also be taken to refer to any oath, promise, or responsibility. This event is sometimes referred to in Persian Islamic literature as “Ruz-e-alast” (the day of “alast”). The prayer at the end of the song is the prayer of Adam and Eve as they accept responsibility for their misjudgment, also from same chapter of the Qur’an, in verse 23.

LYRICS:
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Dr Umar Farooq Abdullah - The Importance of Brotherhood

hikam