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Junaid Jamshed was the first pop star on the Pakistani music scene. At the height of his career, he turned his back on the world of glitz and glamour and devoted himself to Islam. A portrait by staff writer.
Junaid Jamshed a famous Pakistani recording artist who came to the limelight as frontman of pop group Vital Signs in 1987 with the song Dil Dil Pakistan and remained a youth icon through the 1990s.
In 1995, he released his debut solo album Us Rah Par which became an immediate national hit, followed by Dil Ki Baat in 2001. Since than he developed interest in religion and concentrated on singing hymns. His debut album Jalwa-e-Janan in 2005 was followed by Mehboob-e-Yazdaan in 2006.
In recent years Junaid has become associated with the Tablighi Jamaat. He has left the pop singing profession and committed himself to establishing personal business, preaching of Islam, and singing hymns (Na’ats or Nasheeds).
He is now among the popular dress designers of the country with many boutiques in major cities across Pakistan. He has also released two consecutive audio albums of hymns, titled Jalwa-e-Janan and Mehboob-e-Yazdaan respectively.
Growing up in Pakistan, Junaid Jamshed was a big household name everywhere as well as an icon for the youth. However a couple of years ago Junaid did a complete U turn and turned really religious. He has been regularly going for Tabligh with Tableegi Jammat. And yes he does look much different now with his beard and cap.
“When I came back from a religious tour in 1997, I realized that there was so much more to life than just singing and jumping around” - an insight that eventually prompted his transformation from pop icon to devout Muslim. Junaid Jamshed explains: “When I decided to give up singing, a lot of people were shocked. But I was sure that it was the right decision because Allah forbids the kind of singing that I was doing, and it’s my duty to follow His command.”
Since then, Junaid Jamshed has been widely criticized. Many fans can’t accept his sudden departure from the pop music scene. How does Jamshed deal with this criticism?
“I don’t deal with it because I don’t worry about criticism. In this day and age you simply can’t listen to what people say because you are always criticized, in every situation. It’s really a shame that I’m always asked why I stopped singing. It is Allah’s command. Why doesn’t anyone ask me where it says in the Qur’an that singing is allowed?”
By strictly adhering to the tenets of Islam, as interpreted by orthodox Muslims, the one time heart throb is barely recognizable these days, with his ever growing beard.
“I wear a full beard because that’s the way it should be. Some people may find that ugly and unhygienic, but if Allah had commanded us not to wear a beard and shave every day, then people would have something else to object to. People need to learn to accept the will of Allah.”
After embarking on his journey to religious enlightenment, Jamshed launched a highly successful fashion chain under his name. In ten cities across Pakistan, consumers can shop in Junaid Jamshed boutiques for traditional clothing, alcohol-free perfumes, and shoes.
So how does the former pop idol reconcile his devotion to Islam with owning a designer fashion label?
“Our prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was also a merchant who sold cloth. It was allowed, and all that is the will of Allah should be done. At first, I made the designs myself, but my products were so successful that I was able to afford my own designers, and they now run the entire design department.”
“I was a good Qur’an reader in school,” says Jamshed. “I could stress the Arabic words correctly. All this reading was virtually the best training I could get to prepare my voice for singing. So when we formed the band, it was easy for me to sing for hours on end.”
Jamshed was much more than just the lead singer of the Vital Signs. While the three other members of the band tended to remain in the background, Jamshed was their main representative, appearing on talk shows, signing autographs, and attracting the attention of enthusiastic fans.
Junaid Jamshed during the time as he was a Pakistani pop icon after producing six highly acclaimed albums, performing countless concerts around the world, and winning the hearts of millions, Vital Signs split up in 1995.
But his anxious fans were relieved when Jamshed started his own solo career and released a number of new hit albums. At the time, there were persistent rumors that Jamshed was thinking of quitting the music business to devote himself to Islam, but these stories were largely ignored, and the pop star continued to appear in concert and on television.
“For 16 years I had loads of money, fame and publicity. I simply don’t need to attract any more publicity. People don’t want to accept that I’m following the will of Allah and it just took me a long time to understand His will.”
And what do his wife and three children have to say about this transformation?
“Of course the changeover was very difficult at first. When you’re used to a certain lifestyle, it takes a lot of effort to change your ways and tackle new goals. But it is exactly like the preparations that you go through before you take a test. You study and read and delve into things so you can pass the test. Our current life is merely a preparation for the test that awaits us after our death. And we should thoroughly prepare ourselves. All I can do is travel around the world and call on people to follow the path that I have chosen. That’s all I can do.”
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