Artist's retirement prompts debate in Egypt: is singing allowed or against religion?
Jordanian artist Adham Nabulsi has retired from singing so he can “worship God and obey his commands,” sparking controversy over whether or not singing and acting are considered haram.
CAIRO — Egypt and several other Arab countries are debating whether singing and acting are haram after Jordanian artist Adham Nabulsi announced his retirement from singing because “it does not go in line with God’s commands.”
In a video he published on Facebook on Dec. 20, Nabulsi said, “The main goal is to worship God and obey his commands, and through my current career, I don’t see this happening.” He described his retirement announcement as “good news.”
Nabulsi first came to the limelight in 2013 as a contestant on the Arab edition of the X-Factor, and significantly gained fame over the years.
According to media reports, Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta stressed that “listening to music, attending concerts, learning music and playing instruments are permitted, unless they incite passion, temptation, flirtation, and promiscuity coupled with alcohol, provocative dancing, and immoral acts, or prevent people from performing their duties, in which case they are prohibited.”
