Ya Taybah – Native Deen (Video Review)
Muslim believers are required to follow and carry out the five pillars of the faith—1)The Shahada (The testimony of faith), 2) Salat (the five daily prayers) 3) Sawm (Fasting during Ramadan), 4) Zakat (annual almsgiving to charity), and 5) Hajj (The pilgrimage to Mecca) . While some can come easy and be done regularly like the five daily prayers, others can be tougher to perform such as the Hajj, which is why it is recommended to at least perform it once in a lifetime if one can afford it.
Even if one can’t afford it, journeying to Hajj should be a goal that every able-bodied Muslims should strive for. No matter their place in life, status or profession, a believer should work their hardest to achieve this goal and plan towards it and hopefully, with the help of Allah, they can attain the means to finally go and carry out this pillar.
In the Native Deen music video “Ya Taybah”, the spotlight is shone on a new convert who declares his intentions to one day perform the Hajj through his unconventional profession of b-boying or breakdancing. His journey and resolve serve as an inspiration for all who hope to journey to Mecca and Medina to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.
About The Video
“Ya Taybah” by Native Deen is a rendition of one of the most popular Arabic nasheeds and was released on the 2011 album The Remedy. The song has long been performed by various nasheed artists and the title Ya Taybah is the nickname given by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to the city of Medina.
In Native Deen’s version, Joshua Salaam speaks of the struggle of an average American Muslim who strongly desires to visit the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) city of Medina, which many Muslims typically visit after performing Hajj or Umrah. The chorus is the chorus of the original Ya Taybah song, “Ya Taiba Ya Taiba Ya Dawal Aiyyaana,Shtiknaa Lak Wilhawana Daana” (Oh Tayba, Oh Cure of the Patient, We miss you, and our passion to visit you has called us to you).
Coinciding Native Deen’s lyrics is the story of a convert Muslim brother Abdul Hakim Patrick that is a b-boy or breakdances as his profession. Through his breakdancing efforts, he hopes to earn enough money to fund a trip to Hajj.
The song features the brother dancing, teaching dancing classes and even showing the Native Deen members a few neat dance moves. The video ends with the b-boy brother finally earning enough to get a ticket to Hajj and boarding a plane to get there while imparting some inspiring words to others who are striving in the same path to keep working hard to achieve their goals like he did.
Final Verdict
Ya Taybah greatly captures the diversity of the Muslim ummah in America. There are people from all walks of life and backgrounds that are embracing Islam and they should not be judged for their God-given talents, especially when they are using those talents to get closer to Allah.
The video also depicts that fulfilling the pillar of going to Hajj and Medina is not just a big test and sacrifice in and of itself, but even getting the opportunity to go takes a lot of sacrifice and perseverance. To achieve such a goal is a great blessing to not take for granted.
Give “Ya Taybah” a watch and share it with your friends to inspire them on their own journeys, or to inspire them to want to take up breakdancing and bust a move!
