Whom Does the Microphone Glorify? ZIKR RAP, Words and Responsibility

A Reflection on Verses 26:224-227, 33:70, and 17:53

Author: Berk KÖKSAL

Date: 04.08.2026

Location: Mersin

Verse

1:1 — In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.*

Introduction

Greetings. Peace be upon you.

I am not normally someone who listens to rap music or identifies himself as part of rap culture. My musical direction lies closer to the space between classical music and rock, where neoclassical, symphonic, and at times heavier sounds meet. Guitar, orchestra, choir, atmosphere, and sound design are a more familiar language to me. Even so, within the Neo-Sacred Zikr universe I also wanted to make a rap album, and I was blessed with the opportunity to produce the ZIKR RAP album.

This decision was not made merely to try a different genre. In my understanding of production, genres are not ends but tools. Rock, classical music, choir, electronic sounds, or rap gain meaning only to the extent that they serve remembrance, truthful speech, and the glorification of GOD. For this reason, I used the slogan “The album rap music has been waiting for” for ZIKR RAP. It was a bold statement. Until then, I personally had not encountered a work in which rap was used as a central vehicle for glorifying GOD. This is not a historical claim that it had never been done before; it describes a space I had not encountered and wanted to open within my own work.

Yet the stronger the slogan, the greater the responsibility it carries. Saying “The album rap music has been waiting for” is easy; the real question is whether the album carries an ethic of speech that is pleasing to GOD. Having the word remembrance in a track title does not make that track right by itself. Mentioning GOD’s name can even become a method for enlarging the artist’s ego. The microphone amplifies the voice, but it does not purify the intention. Rhythm plants words in memory, but it does not make those words true.

For this reason, in this article I do not want to defend or condemn rap. I want to bring my own words, my slogan, my identity as an artist, and the ZIKR RAP project before the Quran and weigh them there. Because for me the essential question is this: When the track that remembers GOD ends, does my life continue to remember GOD?

1. The Poet’s Test, the Follower’s Direction

Verse

26:224

وَٱلشُّعَرَآءُ يَتَّبِعُهُمُ ٱلْغَاوُۥنَ

As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

Source: kuranteyit.com

26:225 — Do you not see that their loyalty shifts according to the situation?

26:226 — And that they say what they do not do?

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

Reflection on the Verse

If I detach 26:224 from the verses that follow it, I risk deriving a general condemnation of poetry or art. Yet the following verses show the direction of the criticism: loyalty that changes according to circumstances and people saying what they do not do. Then 26:227 makes an explicit distinction for those who believe, lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights.

The fact that the poet is mentioned together with followers particularly makes me think. An artist does not speak only in his own room; he creates a direction. His words can affect the listener’s anger, hope, hostility, or search. For that reason, being followed is not in itself a measure of success. Growing numbers do not mean that the words are true.

The question I need to ask myself is not how many people listen to me, but what they are directed toward after listening. Do listeners remember GOD more, or the artist’s personality? Do they see their own responsibility, or take refuge in the comfort of judging others? Before applause, the verse calls the person at the microphone to account for direction.

2. The Distance Between Words and Life

Verse

26:226 — And that they say what they do not do?

61:2 — O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?

61:3 — Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.

8:21 — Do not be like those who say, “We hear,” when they do not hear.

Reflection on the Verse

An artist may speak about a goodness he has not yet fully attained. A person can call others to righteousness while knowing his own shortcomings; the words he speaks may first serve as a standard that judges him. The problem is not that an imperfect person speaks good words. The problem is using those words to establish superiority when there is no sincere movement toward them in one’s life.

When I release a work centered on remembrance, I must be its first listener. Do the words I speak find a counterpart in my Contact Prayers, in my business dealings, in the way I treat my family, in protecting the rights of the people I work with, and in the decisions I make when I am alone? Or does remembrance remain in the music while life continues in another rhythm?

These verses seem to call not so much for the artist to be flawless as for the artist to be honest before his own words. Speaking while openly knowing one’s contradictions and understanding that one’s words may weigh heavily upon oneself is one thing; turning those words into a mask and a status is another. For me, the real responsibility of the artist begins after the line is released.

3. Religious Words Are Not Certificates of Trust

Verse

2:204 — Among the people, someone may impress you with his utterances concerning this life, and even call on GOD to witness his innermost thoughts, while he is the most ardent opponent.

33:70 — O you who believe, reverence GOD and utter only the correct utterances.

Reflection on the Verse

Words such as GOD, faith, remembrance, tawhid, prayer, and justice can create a powerful sense of trust in the listener. An artist who uses these words may, even unintentionally, be perceived as a spiritual authority. Yet 2:204 tells us that impressive speech and calling GOD as witness are not by themselves proof of inner truthfulness.

The presence of GOD’s name in a song does not make all of the artist’s interpretations sacred. Reciting a verse does not turn every sentence spoken beside that verse into revelation. Nor does an album title, cover, or stage language with religious associations automatically establish moral credibility.

For this reason, an artist who speaks religiously should not say “Trust me,” but should encourage the listener to examine the verses personally. The artist is not the source; at most, he can be a tool pointing toward the source. If my personality becomes the proof of the message, remembrance can turn from directing people to GOD into a method that binds them to the artist.

4. Remembrance Is Not a Genre or a Brand

Verse

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

2:152 — You shall remember Me, that I may remember you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative.

7:205 — You shall remember your Lord within yourself, publicly, privately, and quietly, day and night; do not be unaware.*

Reflection on the Verse

When the word “remembrance” becomes the name of an album or a musical genre, it becomes visible. Yet remembrance in the verses carries a continuity that is deeper than visibility. It requires remembering GOD when one is alone as well as in front of people, in silence as well as when sound is present.

For this reason, the name ZIKR RAP is not a declaration of achievement for me, but a heavy question. It is easy to write remembrance on an album cover; it is harder for remembrance to continue in the heart after the rush of production ends. If the project pulls me toward fame, comparison, anger, or competition of ego, a fracture forms between the name and the life.

In my understanding, music does not sanctify remembrance; remembrance tests the direction of music. Genres serve only insofar as they serve remembrance. And that service is visible not merely in repeating GOD’s name, but in righteous living, gratitude, responsibility, and justice toward people. If remembrance ends when the sound stops, then music has become the center.

5. The Fine Line Between Defending Rights and Anger

Verse

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

42:39 — When gross injustice befalls them, they stand up for their rights.

42:41 — Certainly, those who stand up for their rights, when injustice befalls them, are not committing any error.

17:53 — Tell My servants to treat one another in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge between them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

Reflection on the Verse

Rap is a language well suited to carrying anger and protest. Emphasis, rhythm, and repetition can make injustice, oppression, and hurt visible. Verses 26:227 and 42:39-41 do not exclude a person who has suffered injustice from defending his rights. An artist does not have to remain silent or passive in every situation.

Yet defending one’s rights does not give the artist unlimited authority to be angry. 17:53 draws attention to the danger that seeks to divide people and commands us to act toward one another in the best possible manner. Being right does not leave language uncontrolled. Anger may reveal the existence of injustice, but anger itself is not justice.

A rap track can criticize an oppressor, amplify the voice of the wronged, and expose a hidden injustice. Even so, the artist should not present his own anger as the whole truth. If defense becomes detached from remembrance it can turn into revenge; if it becomes detached from justice it can turn into a new injustice.

6. Speaking in the Best Possible Manner

Verse

17:53 — Tell My servants to treat one another in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge between them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

16:125 — Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kind enlightenment, and debate with them in the best possible manner. Your Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He knows best who are the guided ones.

25:63 — The worshipers of the Most Gracious are those who tread the earth gently, and when the ignorant speak to them, they utter only peace.

Reflection on the Verse

People often cross the line not when they think they are wrong, but when they are convinced that they are right. The sentence “I am telling the truth” can easily conceal humiliation and arrogance. The sharp language of rap does not give the artist the right to strike at every place he is able to strike.

17:53 and 16:125 bring not only the content of what is said but also the manner in which it is said into the moral sphere. The best manner does not mean softening truth until it becomes ineffective. It is the strength to state the truth without needlessly crushing the dignity of the person addressed.

The artist’s skill is not merely finding a powerful word. Real mastery is calculating where that powerful word will land and restraining oneself where it may wound unjustly. Sometimes the hardest line is not the one that shouts, but the one spoken without departing from justice.

7. Whom Is the Artist Calling People Toward?

Verse

26:224 — As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

5:105 — O you who believe, you should worry only about your own necks. If others go astray, they cannot harm you as long as you are guided. To GOD is your ultimate destiny, all of you, then He will inform you of everything you had done.

17:54 — Your Lord knows you best. According to His knowledge, He may shower you with mercy, or He may requite you. We did not send you to be their advocate.

Reflection on the Verse

A natural bond forms between artist and listener. A listener may feel close to a voice, a story, or a world. This bond can make a person feel less alone and open a door to reflection. Yet with religious content, the same bond carries the danger of turning the artist into a spiritual guide or an unquestionable person.

26:224 draws attention to the direction of following, while 5:105 draws attention to personal responsibility. I cannot carry anyone’s faith. Nor can a listener transfer his own responsibility to think, verify, and act to an artist. The ultimate return is to GOD.

ZIKR RAP should not turn people into a new group gathered around an artist identity. To speak of GOD’s oneness while making listeners dependent on the artist would create a contradiction between word and purpose. My task is not to place myself at the center, but to know the limits of my own voice while trying to remind people of GOD.

8. My Own Measure for ZIKR RAP

Verse

26:226 — And that they say what they do not do?

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

33:70 — O you who believe, reverence GOD and utter only the correct utterances.

17:53 — Tell My servants to treat one another in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge between them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

Reflection on the Verse

These verses cannot merely be themes for ZIKR RAP; they must function as a measure within the production itself. Are the words true? Does what I say have a counterpart in my life? Does remembrance remain only in the track? Does defending rights preserve justice? Does the language unnecessarily divide people? Is the listener directed toward GOD, or attached to the artist’s personality?

The slogan “The album rap music has been waiting for” is meaningful only insofar as it can bear the weight of these questions. The slogan does not elevate me above rap; on the contrary, it calls me to live more carefully beneath my own words. I cannot decide whether the album is what rap has been waiting for. I can only examine my intention, my work, and the language I use before the verses.

The idea that genres serve remembrance is also tested here. Service does not consist merely in placing sacred words into a rhythm. If a genre glorifies GOD while also glorifying the artist’s ego, the center has become confused. The most important measure of ZIKR RAP is not how innovative it sounds, but whom it glorifies when the sound is amplified.

9. On the Arabic Roots of the Words

Verse

26:224 — As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

26:225 — Do you not see that their loyalty shifts according to the situation?

26:226 — And that they say what they do not do?

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

33:70 — O you who believe, reverence GOD and utter only the correct utterances.

17:53 — Tell My servants to treat one another in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge between them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

Reflection on the Verse

Root information does not replace the verse and cannot establish a definitive ruling on its own. Even so, in 26:224 the root ش-ع-ر (Shin-Ayn-Ra) connected with poets opens onto the fields of perceiving and composing poetry, while غ-و-ي (Ghayn-Waw-Ya), which carries the direction of straying, opens onto the idea of losing one’s way. In 26:225, the root ه-ي-م (Ha-Ya-Mim) evokes wandering in confusion and allows reflection on the artist changing center according to circumstances.

The contrast between speaking and doing in 26:226 makes visible the moral distance between the roots ق-و-ل (Qaf-Waw-Lam) and ف-ع-ل (Fa-Ayn-Lam). In 26:227, ذ-ك-ر (Dhal-Kaf-Ra) carries the field of remembering and mentioning, while ن-ص-ر (Nun-Sad-Ra) carries the fields of helping, supporting, and defending.

In 33:70, س-د-د (Sin-Dal-Dal) suggests correct and well-directed speech, while ح-س-ن (Ha-Sin-Nun) in 17:53 brings together beauty and goodness. These roots do not provide a ready-made theory of art, but they remind me that the direction, form, and lived counterpart of speech are not light matters.

10. Other Claims

Verse

26:224 — As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

36:69 — What we taught him (the messenger) was not poetry, nor was he (a poet). This is but a formidable proof* and a profound Quran.

69:41 — Not the utterance of a poet; rarely do you believe.

Reflection on the Verse

Some approaches may read 26:224 as a generally negative ruling about poetry and poets. Other approaches may center the exception in 26:227 and argue that the criticism concerns the artist’s direction and the relationship between words and actions rather than the artistic form itself. Verses 36:69 and 69:41 clearly distinguish the Quran from poetry or the utterance of a poet. Different assessments can be made as to whether this distinction concerns the source of the Quran or poetic expression itself.

Objections may also be raised to using the word “remembrance” in the title of an album or project. The risk of using a sacred expression for commercial visibility or an artist cult is a genuine concern. On the other hand, one may also think that a contemporary musical genre can serve as a vehicle for remembrance. The distinction is determined not merely by the name, but by intention and the moral outcome of the production.

11. Conclusion

Verse

26:224 — As for the poets, they are followed only by the strayers.

26:225 — Do you not see that their loyalty shifts according to the situation?

26:226 — And that they say what they do not do?

26:227 — Exempted are those who believe and lead a righteous life, remember GOD frequently, and defend their rights. Surely, the transgressors will find out what their ultimate destiny is.

33:70 — O you who believe, reverence GOD and utter only the correct utterances.

17:53 — Tell My servants to treat one another in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge between them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy.

Reflection on the Verse

These verses about poets are a living account for everyone who produces, amplifies, and places words into people’s memory. While 26:227 makes a distinction through faith, righteous living, frequent remembrance, and defending rights, 33:70 questions the truthfulness of speech and 17:53 its effect between people. Thus the question is not only “What did you say?” but also “How did you say it, and how did you live after saying it?”

I do not come from rap. Rap is a tool for me before it is an identity. I made ZIKR RAP not to change genres, but to make the genre serve remembrance. Yet this intention does not exempt me from criticism; every word that carries GOD’s name calls me to live more carefully.

In the end, one question remains: Whom does the microphone glorify? GOD, or the artist? The answer appears not in slogans, but in the distance between words and life.

Note

2:32 — They said, “Be You glorified. We have no knowledge, except that which You have taught us. You are the Omniscient, Most Wise.”

GOD knows best.

Source: kuranteyit.com