This track is built around a recording of my cousin at eight or nine years old, reciting Ayat al-Kursi over a video my brother shot on a Sony Ericsson phone. The full recitation is sampled throughout the piece, with primary emphasis on Al-Baqarah 2:256. The verse’s central principle resonates beyond its religious context, opening questions around conviction, agency, and choice.
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ
There is no compulsion in faith; the path of truth distinguishes itself from error.
Created in September 2022. The track never felt sufficient to the intentions that originally guided it. Allowing it to stand as it was marks a release from old intentions and an acknowledgment of change.