A FRAGRANCE
OF PARADISE
TOUCHES SYDNEY
check out Raihan, the
Islamic pop group

The line stretches all the way outside the auditorium, hundreds of star struck teenage girls and eager young children crowding around, waiting to get their albums autographed by their pop idols. It looks like the Backstreet Boys are in Sydney, or, judging by the number of young kids and families in the line, it might be The Wiggles. But there is something different about this crowd, something makes them standout, different colours and nationalities, they dress different and look different too. This is because they are all here to see Raihan, the Islamic boy band on tour in Australia from Malaysia.

Raihan have performed to Prince Charles and other Commonwealth Nation leaders at the Commonwealth Summit in Scotland in 1997. “They were all singing along and clapping their hands. We had no gaps with them, we communicated through music, we feel that music is a very effective tool to approach them, to portray the beauty of Islam to the non-Muslims,” says Che Amran, a member of Raihan.

Raihan have received international recognition, recording with famous artists such as Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, in London, since their formation in 1996. But from the way they talk and behave when off stage, you would think they were just like any other tourists in Australia, interested in all the famous sites of Sydney.

The name Raihan is taken from the Arabic word meaning ‘fragrance of paradise’, because they want to convey the message of God. The group is made up of four Muslim Malaysians, Nazrey Johani, Che Amran Idris, Abu Bakar Md Yatim, and Amran Ibrahim, and they release their seventh album at the end of 2003.

But Raihan has a strong message in mind. With all passion and conviction, Che Amran says, “that what we want to try to convey is our soul, our feeling, our hope, all from God. Everybody needs God, meaning that what we sing will touch people, will touch their hearts, even if they can’t understand the lyrics.”

Raihan play an important role in fostering relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, preferring to stay away from political issues and focus on conveying a peaceful message through their music. “With music, people can associate and understand, whether Muslim or non-Muslim. When you listen to the music there are no boundaries,” says Che Amran.

Raihan also adopt the principle of “edutainment”, where people can be entertained but educated at the same time. And the spiritual approach they take is quite impressive. Each member of Raihan believes that “music has its own power, to change people, in their mind, and in their hearts.” The four members of Raihan do not take their responsibility lightly, they even apply it to the way they dress. Appearing on stage in their long shirts, baggy pants, and trademark caps that all the young boys in the audience are wearing, Raihan say they like to dress in a fashion sense that everyone can relate to, not specifically Muslims, because “our words and our songs belong to everybody.”

The smiles that radiate from each of their faces are another trait Raihan is famous for. When on stage and performing, they like to show that they are “the smiley faces of Islam, and that this is the good of Islam,” says Nazrey. But even off stage, their smiles are just as radiant, and they seem just as excited about their music as the hundreds of people that turn out to watch them perform.

There is a clear commitment to Allah, God, in all their songs and in everything they say and do. “I believe that if your intention is purely to Allah, and if you do things for the sake of Allah, then Allah will provide,” says Nazrey.

When talking to Raihan, one cannot help but feel affected by their sense of spirituality, their commitment to portraying the message of peace to the whole world, and the fact that they do it all with such passion. They recognise that everything is from God, the feelings and hope they communicate with their songs and the opportunities they have been given.

By Feda Abdo