Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has always been open about his spiritual journey and his decision to embrace Sufism. In a recent conversation, the music legend reflected on his understanding of religion, the role of music, and what drew him towards the Sufi path.
“I am a fan of all religions”
When asked about his perspective on faith, Rahman said he has explored teachings across religions. “I am a fan of all the religions, and I have studied Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. My one problem is killing or harming other people in the name of religion,” he said on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast. Rahman shared that performing on stage often feels like entering a sacred space where people from different cultures and faiths come together. “I love to entertain, and when I perform, I feel like it’s a shrine, and we are all enjoying the fruits of oneness. People of different religions, who speak different languages, all come together there.”
Why AR Rahman embraced Sufism
Rahman elaborated on what Sufism means to him, describing it as a process of shedding ego and negative human tendencies. “Sufism is like dying before dying. There are screens which will make you self-reflect, and in order to remove those screens, you have to perish. Lust, greed, jealousy or judgmentalism all need to die. Your ego is gone, and then you become transparent like God.”
He added that regardless of religious background, the sincerity of one’s faith matters most. “The commonality of faith is what I love. We might be following different religions, but the sincerity of the faith is what is measured. That’s what makes us do good things. Humanity is benefited by that. We all need to be spiritually rich, because when spiritual richness comes, material richness follows.”
His earlier reflections on Sufism
Rahman has previously reflected on how Sufism shaped his spiritual journey. In AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music, he shared that the philosophy deeply resonated with him and his mother. He wrote that the choice came naturally, not out of pressure, and recalled how a period of transition in 1987 intensified his search for a singular spiritual direction. He said that embracing the Sufi path uplifted both him and his mother, and that their identity as musicians gave them the social space to follow it without resistance.
