Native Deen: Islamic Rap from Baltimore in Dubai

During the most recent Eid a group of students from a local University put on a festival to raise money for a Muslim charity. The center-piece of their event was a Baltimore based Islamic rap group called Native Deen. This group was fascinating.

They are orthodox Muslims (not Nation of Islam... i.e. Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan). And all their music is about Islam. It's a like Christian rock/pop only with an Islamic focus.

After the show was over I met up with some of the band and we had some discussion about Islam and Christianity. It was great fun talking with them and very interesting to hear some of their story.

One of the three guys, Joshua Salaam, told me at some length about how his story of growing up as an African-American Muslim. His mother's family had once been Nation of Islam but his mom had eventually moved away from that and into orthodox Islam. He had also served in the US military for some time and had discussions with fellow troops who where Christians.

I do want to touch on one particular thing he talked about centered on Jesus. The one story he wanted to talk about was his view of the Garden of Gethsemane. His recounting of the scene and the associated question went something like this:

"As a Muslim I don't believe Jesus intended to be arrested and to die. Muslims don't believe that Jesus actually died on the cross, rather they believe that Jesus was replaced with someone else by God. If you think Jesus did die willingly why did Jesus arm his followers with swords and station them as a force to protect him in the Garden of Gethsemane? And why did he return to their stations and get upset with them for getting drunk? I don't think Jesus wanted to get arrested or to be sentenced to death on a cross."

It's been a couple months since the conversation so it's a rough approximation though I think fair. And I must add that many well-read Muslims wouldn't agree with Joshua on his recounting of the events on Jesus' last night before death.

Here was/is my response to him.

Jesus fully intended and expected to be arrested, sentenced to death, tortured, and killed. He repeated this prediction many times during his ministry leading up to that night. Here are some references just from the book of Luke... 9:22, 9:44, 11:30, 13:33, 18:31-33, 20:9-15, 22:20.

Further, Jesus instructs his followers to buy swords so that scriptures will be fulfilled about him rather than to actually defend him. They buy two swords for a total of twelve men and Jesus says that is enough. He clearly means that it will be enough to fulfill the prophecy. It would also clearly be NOT enough for twelve fishermen types to defend themselves against armed Temple guards who would come to seize him. The reference is in Luke 22:36-38. Later, when one of them does pull out a sword and begins to fight Jesus stops him because he has clearly not understood why they had the swords in the first place.

And lastly, Jesus didn't post them as an armed guard. He posted them to pray (Luke 22:40) and there is no mention of alcohol in any of the Gospel accounts. Jesus returns to find them sleeping rather than praying (Luke 22:45,46).

Well, that sets the record straight I think. Do go and see the Native Deen website, they are an interesting phenomenon. And see their latest video here.