American singer Jennifer Grout has shared a new mesmerizing video of herself while reciting the Quran on social media.
Grout, who doesn’t speak a word of Arabic, appeared in the video reciting the “Al-Qamar” flawlessly.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEKd0BPpheY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In her video caption, the American singer said she worked hard to imitate the recitation of Mohamed Siddiq El Minshawi, one of the best readers of the Quran in the Arab world.
Grout noted that she worked on the recitation for 22 hours to learn it.
"As you can see it took around 22 hours just to learn it, and then probably another 6 hours or so of review to get it to this point. It is not 100% perfect even now, but I decided to share anyways because I am ready to move on to another recitation. May all of our efforts be rewarded AMEEN,” she added.
This is not the first time Grout has shared Quran recitation videos.
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Jennifer Grout[/caption]
It is worth mentioning that Grout, born on May 21, 1990, studied at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, then at the McGill University in Canada. She began studying music at 5.
In 2012, Grout got interested in Arabic and Amazigh culture and music after a summer trip to Morocco.
The 30-year-old appeared on 2013's MBC’s Arabs Got Talent, singing songs by Oum Kulthoum and Asmahan. She reached among the top three finalists.
Grout became a sensation in the Arab world with her participation in the talent show. She took a break from music for a few years following Arabs Got Talent.
The 30-year-old is often making headlines again with her recitation of the Quran.
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Jennifer Grout[/caption]
In July, Grout shared a lengthy statement on Facebook with her followers, accompanied by a photo of herself not wearing the hijab.
She published an over 400-word-long post on July 13, tackling the issue of “unrealistic expectations” enforced by social media.
Grout acknowledged the controversy that her writing might cause, noting that she had made peace with that, adding: "As I mentioned in my last one, I had to take a break from social media for the sake of my own sanity. One of the reasons social media weighs down on me so hard is because I feel that I am constantly trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations of the community, and this has, on more than one occasion, led to me losing myself entirely,".
"I have been Muslim now for over 7 years, Alhamdulillah. And yes, even though I am sharing a picture of myself without my headscarf, I am still Muslim. I do believe that covering is “fard,” an obligation, so I am certainly not trying to discourage any woman from wearing it," Grout noted.
The 30-year-old pointed out that the platform crushes her soul every day with trying to present herself as something she is not, just because people are expecting her to be a role model because she has a nice voice when reciting the Quran.
"I understand that my platform is both a blessing and a responsibility. I understand that Allah has blessed me with so much, including the ability to recite, and this is an honor that shouldn’t be taken lightly," Grout continued.
She noted that she felt the need to let her audience know and understand that the ability to recite does not define her, pointing out that she has many other interests, such as her love for singing, writing poetry, language, sports, and dancing.
"I could treat this platform purely as my business, and stay in the box which I’ve let myself get trapped in. But that’s not my reality; I am also an artist, a whole multi-faceted person, and this is the medium through which I am able to express myself and communicate, always with a purpose," Grout added.
She continued: "I love you all and do not want to offend anyone; I remain Muslim to my core. You may see me some days as you would like to see me. Other days you may see me as something you did not expect. I am very much imperfect, may Allah forgive us all,".
Grout concluded with two things, a plead not to define people by how they appear, whether good or bad as they do not really know them as well as a reminder that the words of the Quran transcend whoever is reciting it.
"I am merely a vessel, nothing more," she noted.
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