Nader Mohammed Khan is a Canadian Muslim singer, songwriter, and social activist. He is the Founder and Programs Director of ReliefWorks, a unique initiative that promotes local relief efforts through Islamic music, arts, and youth engagement.

Over the last 15 years, he has toured and performed across Canada, USA, UK, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore in solo performances, and on tours with other internationally renowned artists such as Dawud Wharnsby, Zain Bhikha, Maher Zain, Native Deen, Hamza Robertson, Aashique Al Rasul, Idris Phillips, Mesut Kurtis, and Khaleel Muhammad.

His recent performance at the International Islamic Song Festival in Selangor, Malaysia was graced by the attendance of Malaysian Royalty. He has also performed by invitation at private zikr gatherings in the homes of many community leaders, and distinguished scholars such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, and others.

Nader incorporates English poetry of contemporary Islamic scholars such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Imam Zaid Shakir, and Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad into songs, which he has performed across the globe to popular acceptance. He is planning to release studio versions of these songs on his next album, insha’Allah.

Nader’s first album was produced under the “ReliefWorks” label, and was released in Canada and USA in December of 2008, and in the UK and Australia in November of 2009. He sings in English, Urdu, Arabic, and some Farsi and Punjabi. More information about his albums, performances, and upcoming projects can be found at the news page.

Nader lives in the glorious city of Toronto, Canada.

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Nader’s albums and concert bookings are handled through ReliefWorks, a unique initiative that promotes local and international relief efforts via Islamic music and arts, in pursuit of Divine pleasure through beauty, excellence, and service of His creation.

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“This album has been in the works for almost exactly 10 years. I began working on it in 1998, focusing mostly on Arabic and Urdu content. Over the years, as I read more English translations of the poetic works of earlier generations of Muslims, I started writing and composing songs in English. This proved very difficult at times – it took me five years to get a complete idea of what I wanted ‘The Sound Of Tears’ to sound like. At other times, it proved surprisingly easy – I remember writing ‘The Quest’ in an inspired mid-afternoon hour in Toronto on July 21st, 2001. A similar moment on a busy Dubai freeway was where I wrote ‘Take My Hand’ in 2005 (I pulled over to do the actual writing, in case you were wondering).Getting the actual production going was frustrating at first. I may have given up hope along the way, had it not been for the consistent support and encouragement of many, many people, and had Allah not shown me time and again that my work was adding real tangible value to the lives of others.I’ve done quite a bit of experimentation here, whether it’s singing Urdu naats and songs in Arabic and Persian melodic modes, or singing English lyrics to distinctly Turkish tunes. I hope it proves both enjoyable and inspirational to all listeners.”

CREDITS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“This album has been 10 years in the making. I had embarked on this project in December 1998, and as such have built up quite a list of people to thank by now. So, without further ado, my deepest and most heartfelt expression of thanks and gratitude to: My parents Mamma & Abbu, kids Nurah & Mustafa, siblings Bhaijan & Zaker, sister-in-law Bhabijan, my two closest friends Sidi Mostafa Azzam & Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, Uncle Nazakat, Aunty Safiya, Rehan, Seher, Attia, extended family across the Greater Toronto Area and across the globe, wherever you all are – this includes uncles, aunts, cousins close and distant, all my teachers including Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Talal Ahdab, Shaykh Abdullah al Kadi, Shaykh Nuh Keller, Shaykh Jamal Adh-Dhahabi, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Faisal Abdur-Razzak, Sidi Nazim Baksh, Shaykh Muhammad Zahid, Shaykh Zahir Bacchus, Shaykh Hamza Karamali, Shaykh Amjad Rasheed, Sidi Abdul-Rehman Malik, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Dr. Umar Abdullah, Sidi Omar Mahmood, Sidi Usama Canon, and any other teachers whom I’ve forgotten to mention, Ustadh Adnan Srajeldin, Shaykh Salah Al Kurdi, Sidi Hatim Yousef, Mrs. Shaheen Hyder; Sidi Hussein Hamdani, Omar Shabbir Khan, Sidi Alim Ali, Br. Saleem Hasanali, Amer Hassan (One Roof Recording), Sidi Mohammed Dbooni, Sidi Waleed Hilal, Preacher Moss, Faraz Qureshi, Wahiba Bukhari, Hanane Korchi, Dominic Chan, DBS Duplication, Sr. Seema, Hammad Din, Br. Jawad (Praji) Jafry, Sidi Moustafa Elqabbany, Sidi M. R., Sidi Feraidoon Mojaddedi, Sidi Hamidur Rahman Shibly, Sr. Nazima Yusuf, Dr. J Kreps, Br. A. Syed, Carter Hammett, Maria Panetta, Tina Bauer, Uncle Fareed Rabbani & Aunty Attiya Rabbani, Zaheer Razack, Saif Syed, Shiraz Sheikh, Omaira Alam, Joshua Herald, Mohammed Moinuddin, Dawud Wharnsby-Ali, Musa Uncle & Baby Aunty, Mahmood Matin, Sidi Khaled Qadir, Tariq Sheikh (and the entire Scottish Sheikh Clan), Sidi Abu Ahmad Saleh Attieh, Sameer Hasan & Fatima Ainul, Ahson Ahmad & Eman Tai, Nasir Abdul Fattah, Naushad Bhai, Shaheen Jamil & Anshu Jalan, Rasheed Sanhoury & Sadia Abubakr, Mr. Mohammed Tajammul Pasha, Mr. Mohammad Al Shahri, Rebecca Lemaire & Rajinder Deo, Shauna John, Tahir Cheema.”

There are so many others to thank. I am truly grateful to virtually every single person I’ve ever come in contact with during my life, regardless of how short a time, because they’ve had a hand in getting me to where I am. If I’ve failed to mention you, it’s from my shortcomings and I apologize.

I also want to thank you, the listener, for taking an interest in my work, and for buying this album in a time when piracy is rampant, cheap and accessible. Thank you for doing your part in helping me raise funds for worthy causes through ReliefWorks, and for ensuring that I will have the resources to produce and release more songs and albums in the future.”