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Prolific composer AR Rahman has always been candid about his views on religion and his decision to switch over to Sufism. In a recent interview, the Oscar winner elaborated on what he feels is the definition of Sufism and what he has learnt after studying the scriptures of different religions.
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While talking to Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, Rahman was asked about his take on religion and what he thinks is the role of music. “I am a fan of all the religions, and I have studied Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. My one problem is killing or harming other people in the name of religion. I love to entertain, and when I perform, I feel like it’s a shrine, and we are all enjoying the fruits of oneness. People of different religions, who speak different languages, all come together there,” said Rahman.
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AR Rahman was then asked why he leaned towards Sufism and what he thought was the definition of the religion. He said, “Sufism is like dying before dying. There are screens which will make you self-reflect, and in order to remove those screens, you have to perish. Lust, greed, jealousy, or judgementalism all need to die. Your ego is gone, and then you become transparent like God.”
Rahman said that even though people follow different religions and speak different languages, their faith should be pure. The composer stated that as long as someone is spiritually rich, they will reach their other goals. He said, “The commonality of faith is what I love. We might be following different religions, but the sincerity of the faith is what is measured. That’s what makes us do the good things. Humanity is benefited by that. We all need to be spiritually rich, because when spiritual richness comes, material richness follows.”
AR Rahman has talked about his beliefs in the past as well. In Naseer Munni Kabir’s book AR Rahman The Spirit of Music, Rahman recalled his journey of embracing Sufism and said, “Nobody is forced to convert to the path of Sufism. You only follow if it comes from your heart. A year after we met Qadri Saaheb, in 1987, we moved from Habibullah Road to Kodambakkam, to the house where we still live. When we moved, I was reminded of what Jesus Christ, peace be upon Him, once said: ‘I wish that you were cold and hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
He added, “These words taught me that it is better to choose one path. The Sufi path spiritually lifted both my mother and me, and we felt it was the best path for us, so we embraced Sufi Islam. No one around us cared about the conversion. We were musicians, and that allowed us greater social freedom.”
