Much of the music press is talking about your collaboration with Ronan Keating on his cover of Father & Son. Can you tell us how this came about and what persuaded you to sing a verse for it?

My office was approached about the idea by someone representing Ronan. I wasn't really sure to begin with. But then after thinking about it, I realised that Father & Son is an important song with a strong moral message. At first I thought about possibly helping lay down a couple of background harmony vocals; I never envisaged doing anything more than that. Ronan then rang me up personally - it was hard to say 'no'.

I went along to the studio in Parsons Green, London, where Ronan was recording. The track sounded nice. So I got behind the microphone and started singing a couple of the father verses to loosen up. After a while I realised it was sounding good, everybody was really pleased with it. I did a few takes and it was done. That's how it happened.

A number of artists have previously covered Father & Son, including Boyzone. Is that how you first met Ronan?

Yes, I first heard the Boyzone version on the radio while I was eating a kebab at a local Turkish restaurant about nine years ago. It was my young son, Muhammad, who pointed it out. I was quite impressed; the harmonies and new string arrangement sounded appealing.

Later we were contacted by the group's manager and invited to go and meet the boys at Top of the Pops. I took Muhammad with me, he was about ten at the time. It was strange, of course, to be back in that 'pop' environment again, but the boys were very down to earth and natural and we had a great chat about life, faith and other things in the cafeteria. They were quite religious which was surprising.

Father & Son has always been one of your most popular songs. What inspired you to write it?

Father & Son is probably one of my most appreciated and well-loved songs; many people feel they can relate directly to it through their own experience of the generation gap within their families. In fact, the song was originally composed for a musical I was writing back in 1969 about the Russian Revolution. The story is about a son who wanted to leave home and sacrifice the comfort of country life in order to join the Revolution.

The song has been tipped for the Christmas No.1 spot. Was it planned to be released as a Christmas single?

The idea to release the song as a single was a total surprise to me. But everybody who heard the new version at the record company apparently considered it one of the best tracks on Ronan's album. So they wanted to release it as a single before Christmas. I thought that might be a bit too sensitive, but I didn't want to throw cold water over the idea.

How did it feel making a return to the world of "pop videos"?
One thing quickly led into another. Then it came to Ronan doing a video. It was obviously going to be difficult for him to stand frozen-still and do nothing while my singing part was playing. They rang me up and asked if I could get involved.

When the storyline for the film was sent to me, it wasn't anything like the kind of hip-hop, hedonistic music video ideas you usually see (or avoid seeing) on TV. It was tasteful and quite classical with hundreds of photos of fathers and their sons, smiling and playing or walking together. I was impressed. So I decided to give it a go, and could always cut it out if it didn't work out very well. In the end we filmed it under the direction of Kevin Godly. It turned out nice.Father & Son Video Set.

Will you be performing Father & Son live with Ronan at any point to promote the single's release?

I'm not planning on doing any further direct promotion for the single. There was an invitation to appear at the Royal Variety Performance but it was all a little too much, so I politely declined.

There's another big single being released by a host of artists called, 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' which is now favourite to be number one. It will help raise money for the humanitarian tragedy in Sudan's Darfur province, a place where even in the midst of the crisis they maintained the fast of Ramadan just recently. My intention is that the royalties from the release of Father & Son will also go to charity, helping the orphans in our
Small Kindness aid programs.

How do you think your participation will be received by the Muslim community, especially those adherents who believe in the express prohibition of musical instruments?

I know there might be some criticism from the Muslim community about doing such a project right now, but they've got to realise that these days, when Muslims are perceived to be so isolated from mainstream society and public life, we've got to do a lot of catching up. I see the song as a bridge-builder; something to help close the gap and communicate our shared concerns for a better and more harmonious and tolerant world. Music is a universal language which is understood by people throughout the spectrum of human life, and it sends a message which can be positive.

Over the years I have studied and evolved my understanding about the position of music and Islam. I have come to believe that whenever songs and lyrics (with or without musical instruments) lead people to what is clearly forbidden (haram) or are associated with things which lead to haram, then such songs and lyrics themselves become forbidden by extension. As for Father & Son - the way it has been sung and presented – it has nothing to do with the forbidden; it is more to do with the need to keep families united and together.

I have recently written an essay on the issue of music and its relationship to da'wah. We must try to project ourselves and our religion in a much better way; a way which is allowed within the broad Shar'iah (legal perimeters) of Islam, according to the provisions in the Qur'an and Sunnah. We must further the understanding in people's minds about the prosperity and joy which Islam offers humanity at large in all fields of life.

You only have to look at the Golden Age of Muslims in Spain to see how music as well as scientific thought and technology dominated the inspirational legacy bequeathed by Islam to world civilization; a legacy which the West enjoys today because of its contact with Islam.

In your recent essay, Music: A Question of Faith or Da'wah?, you wrote about how your music has helped many people and positively influenced their lives. Is that your overriding motivation for writing new songs and perhaps revisiting some of your earlier material?

There are many examples where the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged singing and the expression of good poetry. He also taught us to share whatever knowledge we have and that messengers always spoke in the language of the people. I believe to collaborate with a person such as Ronan who is a very clean living example of a family orientated man, with good religious morals, is a positive action which can lead to more understanding especially in these dark times. Some people have changed their lives and become better people by listening to my music - that's really saying something. Too much can be dangerous, but that applies to anything.

You said recently that you wanted to spend more time exploring your creative ideas. Could you elaborate on that?

I may do more in the recording field. The CD of Night of Remembrance is out now on Mountain of Light containing one of my latest compositions, I Look, I See. But I have recently written some new songs, one about Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The fact that the Qur'an speaks about so many of the Biblical prophets is still relatively unknown to many people. Therefore, I'm trying to communicate some of the universal values that we all share in order to convey the bigger picture which Islam represents in the conveyance of God's eternal message to mankind. Insha Allah (God-willing).