Dear Maher,
Salamun alaikum and I pray you are well and safe.
Today you turned 40, a significant milestone indeed!
On behalf of the Awakening family, I would like to wish you a very happy and blessed 40th birthday. May Allah always keep you in His protection, love and mercy.
You joined the Awakening family in 2008 and have been with us for the past 13 years - a testament to our mutual commitment, respect and loyalty. We should all be grateful and proud of what we have achieved together. Like all relationships in a family, there are highs and lows but we can honestly and sincerely state there has never been a serious low with you, ever. May this mutual bond last as long as each and every one of us lasts on this earth and beyond. Don't forget that our Prophet (s) reminded us that souls are like conscripted soldiers.
You are not the first music celebrity who Awakening has introduced to the world, others have come before you, but you undoubtedly have a special place with us - not just as an artist who commands respect but also love. We've seen that becoming a celebrity has not fundamentally changed you. At heart and in practical terms you are the same Maher we met for the first time and that's not an easy feat to say the least. With success, wealth and fame comes many challenges and hurdles and you have navigated these challenges in an exemplary way. The online and offline spaces has not resulted in creating a dual personality, you have remained the same. Other celebrities and public figures stand to learn much from your approach and mindset.
The spiritually-draining and toxic social media-driven celebrity culture we are all (unfortunately) part of pushes many to yearn for fame and the desire to be known, but not you. You prefer to be unknown, by yourself and with your family beyond the watchful gaze of global audiences. Whilst others spend significantly on social media to gain likes and views, you pray to Allah discreetly that your fame doesn't increase any further. I must confess that at Awakening we are officially dreading this predicament but deep down we are actually proud of you that you carry yourself in this way.
Allah has blessed us to work together as a solid and dynamic team to produce some of the 21st Century's most popular and iconic Islamic songs from InshAllah to Ya Nabi Salam Alayka - reaching and inspiring hundreds of millions across the world, rekindling the spark of faith and consoling the hearts of those in distress and pain. These songs have undoubtedly become modern classics of the Islamic Music genre. Not a day passes where we don't receive messages and stories from fans across the globe recounting how your songs give them hope, strength and inner peace. Infusing our work with remembrance of the Divine and praise of His most beloved, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, has ensured that we all became (unworthy) beneficiaries of His blessings and for that we are eternally grateful.
Throughout this decade of fame, wealth and success, you have remained a grounded, down to earth and very decent human being. You care for others and try in your own way to make this world a better place. You are a pleasure to be around. I must admit that discussions with you have many interesting twists and turns but that's part and parcel of life :) We share our respective opinions in an honest, transparent and respectful way and we may even disagree quite strongly on matters but with every disagreement our mutual respect and care for each other only increases.
Beloved Maher - may God bless you, love you and keep our bonds of faith, vision and friendship alive and strong. May He strengthen you and continue to make you a source of inspiration, not only for Muslims but for all of humanity. As the great spiritual master Mevlana Rumi reminded us: "Wherever you stand, be the soul of that place."
With our duas and best wishes,
Sharif
On behalf of the Awakening family
16th July 2021
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