Salman Ahmad

Salman Ahmad

Founder, Junoon

"On Faith" panelist and rock musician Salman Ahmad founded the popular South Asian band Junoon. The group has sold over 25 million albums and in 2001 became the first rock band invited to perform at the U.N. General Assembly. Ahmad also was appointed U.N. Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS. He personalized the "I Care, Do You?" U.N. poster campaign in Pakistan by taking the well-known verse of the Koran about reverence for human life and paraphrasing it to say: "Saving one life (from AIDS) is like saving the whole of humanity." Born in Pakistan , Ahmad grew up in New York . He obtained his medical degree from Pakistan 's King Edward Medical college in Lahore . He helped form Pakistan 's first pop band, Vital Signs , whose debut album sold a million copies. Ahmad decided to give up his stethoscope and pick up his guitar, and after leaving Vital Signs in 1990 he founded Junoon. Recently Ahmad appeared in two documentary films: It's My Country Too , about Muslim-Americans, and Rockstar and the Mullahs . Both were broadcast worldwide on PBS and the BBC. A passionate activist in promoting peace between India and Pakistan , Ahmad made a song/video Ghoom Tana . It is on his latest solo album INFINITI. Close.

Salman Ahmad

Founder, Junoon

"On Faith" panelist and rock musician Salman Ahmad founded the popular South Asian band Junoon. The group has sold over 25 million albums and in 2001 became the first rock band invited to perform at the U.N. General Assembly. more »

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Keeping "I" Out of My Way

For me the journey has always been the destination, as Rumi says, that "there is no flying off to blue perfection," we simply wake up each day and go out and plow the fields armed only with our God consciousness and a clear awareness of the purpose of our individual journey.

The "I" is the illusion and Oneness is the Reality that everything emanates out of One all powerful compassionate, creative, Infinite Light Source and that we humans are all satellites reflecting that Source Light. In Islam there are 99 names/attributes of God/Allah and the most often repeated in the Quran are The most Compassionate (Al-Rahman) and The most Merciful (Al-Rahim.)

I have a 3-step method that works to define my journey for me:

1) To accurately write down my heart's needs, desires and life's purpose (DESTINY) as clearly as I can. (Daily meditation/prayer strengthens step one.)

2) To go out everyday and try to live according to these goals and then watch for the signs...

3) Do the Dance with Destiny -- this requires surrender, detachment, passion (Junoon) and due diligence. It also means keeping the ego in check when things don't go according to "my" plan (The "I" is the illusion).

The idea being that when my needs, desires and purpose (DESTINY) are in perfect harmony with God's purpose then a state of GRACE (BARAKAH) and "LIGHT UPON LIGHT" (Noor) is experienced.

I'm constantly challenged by the unpredictability of life, but this 3-step method helps to refocus me towards my purpose. The feeling of Grace and Peace are the SURE signs that things are on track while Anxiety and Restlessness are warning signs of ego interference. (The "I" is the illusion and Oneness is the Reality.)

There is a powerful poem titled Khudi (the self) by the celebrated Muslim poet Iqbal that llustrates the above. We recorded it for Junoon's album Azadi/Freedom.

"EXALT THE SELF TO SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS

"THAT BEFORE EACH DECREE OF FATE

"GOD HIMSELF ASKS YOU (HIS GREATEST CREATION)

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR DESTINY TO BE?

"THERE ARE WORLDS BEYOND THE STARS

"THERE ARE CHALLENGES OF LOVE AND DEVOTION THAT LIE AHEAD....

"EXALT THE SELF TO SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS

"THAT BEFORE EACH DECREE OF FATE

"GOD HIMSELF ASKS YOU (HIS GREATEST CREATION)

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR DESTINY TO BE?

"YOU ARE THE FALCON/IT'S IN YOUR NATURE TO FLY

"THERE ARE MANY MORE HORIZONS YET TO SOAR ABOVE...

"EXALT THE SELF TO SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS

"THAT BEFORE EACH DECREE OF FATE

"GOD HIMSELF ASKS YOU (HIS GREATEST CREATION)

"TELL ME WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR DESTINY TO BE?"

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Posted by Salman Ahmad on May 17, 2007 10:00 AM

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