They held us at Gunpoint | From Nightclubs to Nasheeds ft Ilyas Mao

DISCLAIMER This episode shares the personal life story and journey of our guest, Ilyas Mao. Neither Family Events nor Ilyas Mao condone the making or listening of music. The purpose of this conversation is to highlight his experiences and the lessons within his journey, not to endorse any impermissible practices. What does it take to walk away from everything you love for the sake of Allah? In this episode of The Family Podcast we sit down with Ilyas Mao, the globally loved nasheed artist, all the way from Canada. From fleeing civil war in Somalia as a child, to growing up across Pakistan and Canada, to building a career in the mainstream music industry and then leaving it all behind, his story is one of faith, creativity and sacrifice. We talk about: His family’s escape from Somalia and growing up as a refugee Falling in love with music production from the age of 13 Why he walked away from the nightclub and music scene How Bosnian poet Boonaa Mohammed helped him find nasheeds The reality and struggles of the halal nasheed industry Why the arts matter for raising confident Muslim children Nurturing artistic children within Islamic boundaries The danger of ego, fame and losing yourself on stage Losing his voice for six months and what it taught him His one piece of advice Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe for more. ______________________________________________________________________ Follow Us Family Events: Instagram:   / familyevent.  . TikTok:   / familyeventpo.  . Website: https://familyretreat.uk/ ______________________________________________________________________ ⏱️CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:30 If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be? 6:47 Escaping the Somali civil war 9:17 Growing up in Pakistan and moving to Canada 12:02 Falling in love with music young 19:00 Addicted to music but knowing it was haram 28:15 Meeting Boonaa and leaving music behind 32:51 Inside the struggling halal nasheed industry 44:23 Nurturing artistic children within boundaries 56:58 Ego, fame and the danger of the stage 1:04:00 Losing his voice for six months 1:09:57 The Family Scrapbook