id-ul-Fitr - irrespective of diminishing buying power due to serious inflation - is still an occasion for families and friends to get together after the auspicious month of Ramazan.

We know that Ramazan is often the month where most devotional tracks are released but there is no deadline for artists as far as releasing spiritual material is concerned.

So, while some artists are dropping albums or singles as Eid brings the month of Ramazan to a close, three exceptional musicians found common ground to create and release a Naat (devotional music) called ‘Zameen-o-Zaman Tumharay Liye’. We love it not just because of how sacred it sounds (although that is certainly one determining factor), but because of how universal it is. You can watch the nuanced, effortless music video and the accompanying song or just listen to the single. It’s quiet yet embedded with a deeper love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH), an infallible one in spirit, and deeply powerful.

Another reason to give the naat a listen is the players.

Recognizing these individuals as a super-group is important because their work – detached from this project - holds enormous value even now.

Between the three of them (Babar, Ahsan, Rizwan) we’ve heard efforts such as Ganda Banda and the 3D Cats, Dusk, Sounds of Kolachi, Chand Tara Orchestra, Paanch – The Mixtape and Ahsan Bari in his solo avatar.

Speaking to Instep about the collaboration that is ‘Zameen-o-Zaman Tumharay Liye’, Ahsan Bari confirmed that such collaborations are not a one-off, whatever the larger nature.

“Babar Sheikh and I have been collaborating with projects like Paanch – The Mixtape,” began Ahsan, “We were sitting together and there was this kalaam (by Ala Hazrat Ahmed Raza Khan) and he took the initiative and said we should do this.”

As Ahsan Bari further explained, the project is called ABR (Ahsan, Babar, Rizwan) and while it’s still early, there are more tracks being worked upon. “There are some very good ideas; there are some kalaams that haven’t been done before as well as some material that falls under world music realm.”

Going beyond past efforts, ABR’s Ahsan Bari noted that one aim of ABR was to highlight music from Islamic (Muslim) culture.

When enquired, he explained in detail: “Because of how rich it is and how it has spread around the world (North Africa to Middle East to Pakistan and India, Turkey and Iran). It is a treasure if you think about just these regions. A lot of people are doing it like Sami Yusuf [banned in Iran after performing in the Israeli city of Nazareth] in their own way. Our take on this music is different so the hope is to bring it centerstage, in front of the world.”

ABR, confirmed Ahsan, is a product of these ideas. “Chand Tara Orchestra (CTO) was doing such work and I do have an inclination to explore such music with Sounds of Kolachi as well. So, we’ve taken this initiative together and we have a couple of other pieces in the pipeline.”