Yes we can!

Entertainment has been an intriguing industry in the world where it can generate income and a lot of youngsters are trying their luck in this field regardless from all sorts of background. Everybody seems to have fond interest in contributing towards entertainment and people doesn't seem to get enough. Nevertheless the so called artist are bound to be in the market only between a decade or two before being made redundant or obsolete. In this period of time, they are supposed to raise enough fund to live for the rest of their lives. Being an artist in a bigger country shouldn't be any problem because if they manage to make 1 hit album, they could already make a fortune out of it. Being an artist in a smaller region in the world tells a different kind of story and it isn't really exciting as other people think it's going to be. You might be in the same office as them or work in the same department, they could be your lecturer, school teacher, doctor, engineer, architect, etc during the day yet they still have to work during the night. We might see them in newspapers or magazines wearing smart 'sponsored' outfits and see them performing with smiles in their faces as though their life is perfect. Well I want to tell you this, it's not! (*sponsored means they have to be returned back)
Art as a whole is a very complicated and subjective area which many people won't understand or more precisely didn't bother to. Only a few passionate people want to associate themselves with art in depth. Thus it is not going to be the same for everyone doing the exact same thing, it's all depends on the luck and the effort put on the work they do.
So the story goes, once upon a time, in a land far far away, there lived a man with full ambitious intention to make the world a better place by spreading knowledge through songs and hoping to get Allah's blessings. Before long, he realized that he had been doing so many things for free, yes you read it correctly, free of charge. What kind of mentality does one have to make someone work for free? that's just ridiculous and a mean thing to do to a human. Islam teaches us to pay the salary to our employees even before their sweat got dried. We can understand if a person had already making a lot of money from the job that he's doing, and decided to give away something for free..that's fine. But if he's not making any money out of it and people keep on taking for granted of him, what will happen to him? I know this man was trying to be courteous but it looks like people were taking advantage of using him. So this man gave away a lot of free CD to his colleagues, families, not forgetting the press, tv presenter, radio dj, etc..in short, anyone who asked for free CD will finally somehow got it...leaving this man in debt around 10 grand just for that. Thinking that he can gain back all the money to pay the debt by his show, most of his performance are not paid in full amount as agreed, some of it didn't turn up at all. To make this story even interesting, the recording company didn't pay him a single penny of royalty because they said that unfortunately his album was not sold, everyone are downloading them for free from the internet. Then he said to himself, what a cruel world! This is reality, it's not like everyone live here know about Islam and want to embrace it as him. Time goes by and he is still fighting in that field believing someday, people might change the way they look at him. Someday people will recognize his work and appreciate him a lot more. Worse thing happened, his wife left him because of insecure and couldn't stand supporting him financially. Since he is lacking of experience to work like everyone else, he had no choice but to dedicate his life in the so called multi-million industry, but not making any. Please don't let this happen to your friend.
Some people may think that he was just mismanaging his money or it's his bad luck but I was hoping that after reading this, we will never take advantage from the vulnerable immature people. The moral of the story, firstly, whenever comes a new artist, please don't ask for free CD from him. You can ask his management or the recording company to get one. Please don't bully the enthusiastic novice and pure little boy because he will then felt disappointed to record his next album and you wouldn't be able to listen to him anymore. Please make an effort to pay their expenses even if it's a charity show. Secondly, always have back up plans! Fail to plan is planning to fail, but an idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea, because action speaks louder than words. Finish our degree, masters or phd, take any professional certificate to stay updated and let ourselves marketable. Thirdly, know that human love is limited to wealth, health and other temporary material thing but loving Allah is something everlasting and promising. So love our spouses because of Allah, not for their looks or money. Doing something for Allah and we will never feel disappointed.
Do we really want to see someone so dedicated in his work to break down due to financial pressure? Further more, that person is helping to widespread our religion and giving our children an alternative Halal music to listen to.... In a way, asking CD for free is kind of disrespecting the work of an artist. Did we go to our friend's shop and take anything for free? Can we possibly get someone to do a service for us using merely his talent for free? No, we don't... Do we need to change or can we change? Yes, we can!

"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom to the darkest of life.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can."