A is for Allah
Encyclopedia
A is for Allah is the name of a double album
created for Muslim
children by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens
, originally known as Steven Demetre Georgiou) released on July 11, 2000 through Resurgence UK Records. The title song was written in 1980 upon the birth of his first child, a daughter named Hasanah. As his first child, Islam was concerned that she learn the Arabic language, to read and understand the Qu'ran (in Arabic). He himself was raised in London, the same city where they still lived, and had kept a home there throughout his life. Islam was a recent convert to Islam himself, and was concerned with the difficulties in securing a high quality 'Islamic' education for his children.
Islam, himself a musician, used the song as a vehicle to teach other children about the 28-letter Arabic alphabet
. This kind of Islamic music is also known as nasheed. Utilizing the talents of other Muslim musicians -Zain Bhikha
from South Africa
who sang on all but one track, the album that had been in the works since 1994, with the exception of the title track (dating back to 1980), was released with a large colorful book. Each page displayed a letter of the Arabic alphabet, by Mountain of Light, Yusuf Islam's own record imprint.
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
created for Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
children by Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
, originally known as Steven Demetre Georgiou) released on July 11, 2000 through Resurgence UK Records. The title song was written in 1980 upon the birth of his first child, a daughter named Hasanah. As his first child, Islam was concerned that she learn the Arabic language, to read and understand the Qu'ran (in Arabic). He himself was raised in London, the same city where they still lived, and had kept a home there throughout his life. Islam was a recent convert to Islam himself, and was concerned with the difficulties in securing a high quality 'Islamic' education for his children.
Islam, himself a musician, used the song as a vehicle to teach other children about the 28-letter Arabic alphabet
Arabic alphabet
The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...
. This kind of Islamic music is also known as nasheed. Utilizing the talents of other Muslim musicians -Zain Bhikha
Zain Bhikha
Zain Bhikha is an Indian South African singer-songwriter, who has achieved success as a performer of Islamic nasheed songs. Associated with prominent Muslim personalities, including Yusuf Islam and Dawud Wharnsby, Bhikha has collaborated on albums and also released several solo albums...
from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
who sang on all but one track, the album that had been in the works since 1994, with the exception of the title track (dating back to 1980), was released with a large colorful book. Each page displayed a letter of the Arabic alphabet, by Mountain of Light, Yusuf Islam's own record imprint.
Disc one
- "Introduction"
- "AAleph* Aleph or Alef is the first letter of the Semitic abjads descended from Proto-Canaanite, Arabic alphabet, Phoenician alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Syriac alphabet-People:*Aleph , an Italo disco artist and alias of Dave Rodgers...
: AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
" - "Ayat al-Kursi (2: 255)"
- "Say He Is Allah"
- "BBet (letter)Bet, Beth, Beh, or Vet is the second letter of many Semitic abjads, including Arabic alphabet , Aramaic, Hebrew , Phoenician and Syriac...
: BismillahBismillahThere are multiple uses of Bismillah :* Bismillah is first word of the Basmala phrase of Islam.* Bismillah , born in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, in 1952...
" - "Bismillah"
- "TTaw (letter)Taw, Tav or Taf is the twenty-second and last letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Taw and Arabic alphabet .Its original sound value is ....
: TaqwaTaqwaTaqwá is the Islamic concept of the fear of God.-Etymology:The term taqwá comes from the Arabic root W-Q-Y from the 8th stem verb, ittaqá "be wary, Godfearing."...
" - "Th: Thawab"
- "JGimel (letter)Gimel is the third letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic...
: JannahJannahJannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
" - "Surah Al-KahfAl-KahfSura al-Kahf "The Cave" is the 18th surah of the Qur'an with 110 ayat. It is a Meccan sura.-People of the Cave:Verses 9 – 26 of the chapter tell the story of the People of the Cave . Some number of young monotheistic men lived in a time where they were persecuted. They fled the city together, and...
(18: 31)" - "HHeth (letter)' or ' is the reconstructed name of the eighth letter of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, continued in descended Semitic alphabets as Phoenician , Syriac , Hebrew ḥēth , Arabic , and Berber .Heth originally represented a voiceless fricative, either pharyngeal , or...
: HajjHajjThe Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
" - "Kh: Khatam"
- "DDaletDalet is the fourth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic...
: Deen" - "Our Guide is the Qur'an"
- "DhDalDal is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisine...
: DhikrDhikrDhikr , plural ; ), is an Islamic devotional act, typically involving the repetition of the Names of God, supplications or formulas taken from hadith texts and verses of the Qur'an. Dhikr is usually done individually, but in some Sufi orders it is instituted as a ceremonial activity...
" - "RReshResh is the twentieth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is one of a number of rhotic consonants: usually or , but also or in Hebrew....
: RamadanRamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
" - "ZZayinZayin is the seventh letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic , Hebrew , Syriac and Perso-Arabic alphabet...
: Zakah" - "Surah At-TawbaAt-TawbaSurah At-Tawbah also known as al-Bara'ah "the Ultimatum" in many hadith is the ninth chapter of the Qur'an, with 129 verses. It is one of the last Madinan Suras. It is the only Sura of the Qur'an that does not begin with the bismillah...
(9: 34-35)" - "SShin (letter)Shin literally means "Sharp" ; It is the twenty-first letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic/Hebrew , and Arabic ....
: SalamS-L-MShin-Lamedh-Mem is the triconsonantal root of many Semitic words, and many of those words are used as names. The root itself translates as "whole, safe, intact".-Salam "Peace":...
" - "Salam, Salam"
- "ShShin (letter)Shin literally means "Sharp" ; It is the twenty-first letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician , Aramaic/Hebrew , and Arabic ....
: ShamsSunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
" - "Surah Al-An'amAl-An'amSura Al-An-'am is the sixth chapter of the Qur'an, with 165 verses. It is a Makkan sura. Its main topics are monotheism, resurrection, heaven and hell....
(6: 79)" - "SSadeSade, or SADE can mean:* Marquis de Sade, the eighteenth century aristocrat, writer and libertine* Sade , a French film starring Daniel Auteuil as the Marquis de Sade* Sade , a Nigerian-British smooth jazz band from the 1980s...
: Salah" - "DDADDAD is an abbreviation that may refer to:* D-A-D, a Danish rock band formerly known as "Disneyland After Dark"* Diode array detector, a type of detector in HPLC* Da Nang International Airport IATA airport code...
: Duha" - "Surah Ad-DhuhaAd-DhuhaSūrat al-Ḍuḥā is the 93rd sura of the Qur'an with 11 ayat.Although there is some debate amongst scholars, this sura in often considered to be the second revealed to Muhammad. After the first sura was received, there was a period of silence in which no further messages were revealed...
(93: 1-11)" - "TTeth' is the ninth letter of many Semitic abjads , including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Tet , Syriac and Arabic ; it is 9th in abjadi order and 16th in modern Arabic order....
: Tareeq"
Disc two
- "Turn to Allah"
- "Z: Zill"
- "IAyin' or ' is the sixteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic . It is the twenty-first letter in the new Persian alphabet...
: IlmIlm (Arabic)‘Ilm as an Islamic term refers to knowledge of Islam. The Qur'an is said to encourage the acquisition of knowledge. It explains the study and development of sciences during the Golden Age of Islam....
" - "GhGaynThe Arabic letter , commonly known in Egypt as , is one of the six letters in the Arabic alphabet not in the twenty-two akin to the Phoenician alphabet . It is the twenty second letter in the new Persian alphabet. It represents the sound or, in the case of Classical Arabic, . In Persian language...
: Ghayb" - "FPe (letter)Pe is the seventeenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Pei and Persian, Arabic ....
: Fatihah " - "Surah Al-Fatihah (1: 1-7)"
- "QQophQoph or Qop is the nineteenth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Syriac, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is an emphatic or . The OHED gives the letter Qoph a transliteration value of Q or a K and a final transliteration value as a ck...
: Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
" - "Surah Al-QadrAl-QadrSūrat al-Qadr is the 97th sura of the Qur'an with 5 ayat. It is a Meccan sura.إِنَّآ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ فِى لَيۡلَةِ ٱلۡقَدۡرِWe have indeed revealed this in the Night of Power: وَمَآ أَدۡرَٮٰكَ مَا لَيۡلَةُ ٱلۡقَدۡرِ...
(97: 1-5)" - "Qur'anu Rabbee"
- "KKaphKaph is the eleventh letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Kaf , Arabic alphabet , Persian alphabet...
: KalimahKalimahThe Kalimah literally translates as "the word". In the Islamic context, it translates to "the word of Islam." It is a centrepiece in the faith of Muslims...
" - "LLamedhLamed or Lamedh is the twelfth letter in many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Lamed and Arabic alphabet . Its sound value is .The Phoenician letter gave rise to the Greek Lambda , Latin L, and Cyrillic Л.-Origins:...
: La Ilaha Illa-Allah" - "MMemMem is the thirteenth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic...
: MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
Rasul-Allah" - "Seal of the Prophets"
- "NNun (letter)Nun is the fourteenth letter of many Semitic abjads, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic alphabet . It is the third letter in Thaana , pronounced as "noonu"...
: Nawm" - "Surah As-SajdaAs-SajdaSurat As-Sajda is the 32nd sura of the Qur'an with 30 ayat. Surah As-Sajda has a prostration in it.According to Tafsir ibn Kathir, Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said,...
(32: 16)" - "HHe (letter)He is the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician , Aramaic, Hebrew , Syriac and Arabic . Its sound value is a voiceless glottal fricative ....
: HijrahHijra (Islam)The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
" - "WWaw (letter)Waw is the sixth letter of the Northwest Semitic family of scripts, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic ....
: Wu'du" - "Surah Al-Muddaththir (74: 1-5)"
- "YYodhYodh is the tenth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Aramaic, Hebrew Yud , Syriac and Arabic...
: Yawm Ad-DeenQiyamahIn Islam, Yawm al-Qiyāmah or Yawm ad-Din is believed to be God's final assessment of humanity as it exists. The sequence of events is the annihilation of all creatures allowable, resurrection of the body, and the judgment of all sentient creatures.The exact time when these events are to occur...
" - "Surah Al-InfitarAl-InfitarSūrat al-Infiṭār is the 82nd sura of the Qur'an with 19 ayat. The chapter is named ‘Al-Infitar’ because of the occurrence of the word ‘unfatarat’, in the first verse of this chapter. Infitar means ‘split asunder’. This word, ‘Unfatarat’ is used in this chapter in order to describe the splitting...
(82: 1-19)" - "A Is for Allah"
- "Last Word"
External links
- YouTube.com (video of the song "A Is for Allah")
- IslamicLyrics.net (lyrics of the song "A Is for Allah" by Yusuf Islam)