Syrian composer, musician and singer faithful to the instruments of traditional Arabic music. Al-Sarraj's had a far-reaching effect on the development of Arabic music in Syria particularly in traditional domain - his best known was 'Diar el-habib' ('The Home of the Beloved'). His soft music described as 'a sensual alignment of body, heart and soul' had soothing impact on his audience. Al-Sarraj's works are still reproduced (because his tunes are not copyrighted) by the second generation Levantine immigrants in America. Najib al-Sarraj was born in the city of Hama and taught himself to play stringent instruments and favoured the lute.