For me, spirituality and music go hand in hand. I know that whatever I have today will never be permanently mine. Life itself is ephemeral. My only prayers are those which seek God’s blessings to be able to perform well and be a good human being.

At the end of the day, even my music is not my own — it is a gift of God. I treasure this gift and cherish it thoroughly.

I am a firm believer in God. For me, God is what the ideologies of Sufism stand for. When I changed my religion, it wasn’t an instantaneous decision; rather, it was a decision which had more to do with healing and evolved over 10 years. From Dileep Shekhar, I became Allah Rakha Rahman in 1982.

The feeling was like that of taking a dip in the sea and washing the past behind. Suddenly, things seemed to change.

I embraced Sufism along with my family at a time when we were going through a very rough patch. Following the shift in faith, I experienced a deep sense of peace within myself. I have always tried to follow the path shown by my guru, Karimullah. He, in fact, had predicted my future — and it has turned out exactly the way he said it would.

For any human being, it is important to practise detachment. I have maintained my sense of balance and sanity in this past-paced world which I am a part of through detachment. To be part of a system and, yet, to not let it affect you is a victory in itself.

I believe in studying the scriptures. This helps bring about clarity in vision and acts as a talisman. If life has been given me new meanings, it is because of my beliefs. Belief leads to success. And success is maintained through faith in oneself and the Supreme Being.

(As told to Sanghita Singh)