Muslim singer Ere Asalatu explains church hymn performance

Popular Islamic singer AbdulKabir Alayande, better known as Ere Asalatu, has explained his decision to sing a Christian hymn during a church performance, saying Muslims also recognise Jesus Christ as Prophet Issa.

Asalatu addressed the controversy during an interview with actress Biola Adebayo on her podcast, published on Friday.

The singer had faced criticism from some Muslims after a video of him performing the Christian hymn, “Jesus is the only true friend,” at a church surfaced online.

Explaining his action, Asalatu said the Jesus mentioned in the song is the same Prophet Issa recognised in the Quran.

“This Jesus we are talking about is Prophet Issa in the Quran, the child of Mariam. Is he no longer your friend? He is your friend, he is my friend,” he said.

He added that Prophet Muhammad did not deny Jesus Christ and argued that Islam did not instruct Muslims to oppose him.

“Islam didn’t tell us to go against Jesus,” the singer said.

Asalatu disclosed that he initially decided against granting interviews on the controversy but later agreed to address the issue. He also said some Islamic leaders had contacted him privately and encouraged him to continue his work despite the backlash.

The singer maintained that his criticism had not affected his commitment to Islam, saying he would continue preaching the religion.

“Islam is a good religion and I will continue to preach Islam till my old age,” he said.

He described Islam as a religion that promotes order and modesty but criticised what he called excessive zeal among some Muslims.

Asalatu also called for religious tolerance, arguing that individuals should be allowed to practise their faith without being subjected to unnecessary pressure.

“Everybody should serve their God in their own way,” he said.

He further defended his use of music, rejecting claims that music was inherently incompatible with Islam. According to him, songs can contain knowledge and religious lessons.

The singer also criticised attempts to label people unbelievers over differences in the language used to refer to God, arguing that terms such as “Eledumare” and “Allah” could reflect linguistic differences rather than differences in belief.

Asalatu urged Muslims to promote unity, love and peace rather than allow social media arguments to create divisions.

“Islam is not a troublesome religion. Islam is not a religion that kills. Islam is a religion of unity. Islam is a religion of love and peace,” he said.