Legendary singer-songwriter Yusuf/Cat Stevens will lead a series of spiritual reflections on BBC Sounds and Local Radio.
The London-born musician, whose hits include Peace Train and Morning Has Broken, reads from the Quran and other holy text such as the Bible, explores his own philosophy and performs songs – all as Muslims observe Ramadan in lockdown.
The first of the four reflections will be broadcast on selected BBC Local Radio stations and BBC Sounds on Friday morning. The BBC is broadcasting Christian services and reflections from other religions while usual places of worship are closed.
Stevens, 71, has been performing for more than five decades. He has been a practicing Muslim since 1977, spurred by a near death experience which he will talk about in the reflections.
On Friday’s broadcast, the man who this year celebrates 50 years of his album Tea For the Tillerman with hits such as Father and Son and Wild World, says:
“The Universe itself can be considered an open book from God, with the signs and miracles all around us happening every day. Like the glorious rising and setting of the sun; the mystical moon, the deep night sky full of galaxies boasting billions of stars each with its own name and unique space in the universe; down to our very own Earth; the passing of night and day, seasons, oceans, life; creatures of all kinds and sizes; snow top mountains; green carpeted fields: not to mention the miracle of us being born through the love bond of male and female, from something the size of almost an invisible atom of dust.”
The four spiritual reflections ‘Signs on the Divine Path’ by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, also known as Yusuf Islam, will be available on BBC Sounds each Friday.
They are part of a series of weekly Muslim reflections being broadcast each Friday at 5.50am on 14 BBC Local Radio stations: Leeds, Sheffield, Lancashire, Manchester, WM, Leicester, Stoke, Derby, Nottingham, Coventry and Warwickshire, Three Counties, London, Merseyside and Berkshire.
A full Christian service is broadcast each Sunday at 8am, led by a different denomination each week. Each weekend also sees reflections from Sikhs and Hindus.
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