Islamic music is Muslim religious
music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of
Islam is
Arabia and the
Middle East,
North Africa and
Egypt,
Iran,
Central Asia,
India, and
Pakistan. Because
Islam is a multicultural religion, the musical expression of its adherents is diverse. The indigenous musical styles of these areas have shaped the devotional music enjoyed by contemporary Muslims:
The
Seljuk Turks, a nomadic tribe that converted to Islam, conquered
Anatolia (now
Turkey), and held the
Caliphate as the
Ottoman Empire, also had a strong influence on Islamic music. See:
Sub-Saharan
Africa,
Indonesia,
Malaysia, and the southern
Philippines also have large Muslim populations, but these areas have had less influence than the heartland on the various traditions of Islamic music.
All these regions were connected by trade long before the Islamic conquests of the 600s and later, and it is likely that musical styles traveled the same routes as trade goods. However, lacking recordings, we can only speculate as to the pre-Islamic music of these areas. Islam must have had a great influence on music, as it united vast areas under the first caliphs, and facilitated trade between distant lands. Certainly the
Sufis, brotherhoods of Muslim
mystics, spread their music far and wide.
Types of Muslim devotional recitation and music
Recitation without instrumental accompaniment
- Adhan -- the call to prayer, performed by a muezzin from a minaret, or (beginning in the 20th century) broadcast at high volume from a loudspeaker
- Salat -- the prayers to be recited five times daily
- Qur'an reading or recitation -- as performed by professional reciters of various traditions and styles
None of these forms of recitation, no matter how elaborately ornamented the vocals, are considered music by strict Muslims who shun music.
Nasheed
Some groups of contemporary Muslim musicians perform devotional songs they call
nasheed. Most nasheed groups perform using only voice and
percussion instruments. This music is considered halal, permissible, by many strict Muslims. Some nasheed groups add other instruments.
Sufi music
Sufi worship services are often called
dhikr or zikr. See that article for further elaboration.
The dhikr of South Asian Muslims is "quietist". The Sufi services best known in the West are the chanting and rhythmic dancing of the
whirling dervishes or
Mevlevi Sufis of Turkey. Some Mevlana music can be heard on the Sufi Music CD recommended below.
However, Sufis may also perform devotional songs in public, for the enjoyment and edification of listeners. The mood is religious, but the gathering is not a worship service.
In Turkey, once the seat of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate, concerts of sacred song are called "
Mehfil-e-Sama' " (or "gathering of
Sama'"). Song forms include ilahi and nefe.
Qasidah is a form of poetry. In this form of poetry the praise is presented.
Qasidah is four types, 1.
Hamd (
Hymn) 2.
Naat (A poem in praise of Prophet Muhammad 3.
Manqabat (A poem in praise of Saints) 4. Madah (A poem in praise of honourables)
In India and Pakistan, these concerts, and the associated style of music, are called
qawwali. A traditional qawwali programme would include:
- A hamd -- a song in praise of Allah
- A naat -- a song in praise of the Prophet Muhammad
- Manqabats -- songs in praise of the illustrious teachers of the Sufi brotherhood to which the musicians belong
- Ghazals -- songs of intoxication and yearning, which use the language of romantic love to express the soul's longing for union with the divine.
Shi'a concerts follow the naat with a song in praise of Ali (also manqabat)
and a
marsiya, a lamentation over the death of much of Ali's family at the
Battle of Karbala.
See Poetry in Islam for a discussion of the lyrics.
Qawwali is increasingly popular as a musical genre and performances may attract those who want to hear virtuoso singing rather than contemplate the divine. Some artists may skip the long sequence of praise songs and go straight from the introductory
hamd to the popular romantic songs, or even dispense with the devotional content completely. This is cause for much consternation for traditional enthusiasts/devotees of the form. The most well known qawwali singer is
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The dimension and style of music he brought about no one else is able to produce till this day.
As Sufi music has developed so have the generations. A Pakistani rock band,
Junoon, was formed in the 1990s to bring a modern twist to suit the new younger generations. The band was a huge world wide hit that created a lot of popularity for not only Pakistan.
Music for public religious celebrations
- Mawlid music -- performed for the birthday of Muhammad, in various regional styles.
- Ta'zieh music -- Ta'zieh is a passion play, part musical drama, part religious drama, rarely performed outside Iran. It depicts the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, venerated by Shia Muslims.
- Ashurah music -- performed during the Moharram mourning period, commemorating the deaths of Imam Hussein and his followers.
- Sikiri (from the Arabic word "Dhikr" which means remembrance of God -- performed by the Qadiriyya Sufi orders of waYao or Yao people in East and Southern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa).
- Manzuma -- moral songs performed in Ethiopia.
- Madih nabawi -- Arabic hymns praising the prophet Muhammad.
Modes
Vocal styles
Melismatic
Instruments
Some Muslims believe that only vocal music is permissible (halal) and that instruments are forbidden (haram). Since there is a strong tradition of
a cappella devotional singing.
Other Muslims will accept
drums, but no other instruments.
Yet other Muslims believe that any instrument is lawful as long as it is used for the permissible kinds of music. Hence there is a long tradition of instrumental accompaniment to devotional songs. A wide variety of instruments may be used, depending on local musical traditions.
Traditional:
- Drums (daf, bendir, zarb, rebana, Tombak...)
- gongs
- Stringed instruments
- Bowed (rebab, kemencheh...)
- Plucked (tar, tanbour, oud...)
- Wind instruments (ney...)
- Reed instruments (shehnai...)
Recent introductions:
Lyrics
When lyrics are not simply repeated and elaborated invocations (Yah Nabi and the like) they are usually poems in forms and meters common in the local literature. For further information, see Poetry in Islam.
Is music haraam (forbidden) for Muslims?
“And of mankind is he who purchases idle talks to mislead (men) from the path of Allaah…” [Luqmaan 31:6]
“Among my ummah there will certainly be people who permit zinaa, silk, alcohol and musical instruments…” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari ta’leeqan, no. 5590; narrated as mawsool by al-Tabaraani and al-Bayhaqi. See al-Silsilah al-Saheehah by al-Albaani, 91).
Many Muslim scholars believe that music is forbidden both by the Qur'an and by the
hadith, as well as by tradition. Many of the greatest Islamic scholars of the past, including the four Imams, agreed upon this.
However the debate has continued for centuries and the community remains divided on the issue till this day. It is a widely accepted view that one should do his or her own research on the topic, and one should then reach his or her own conclusion, but should not thereafter force it upon others. This method is also used for any other contentious religious issue, and is regularly cited as a more progressive approach.
[1]. For extended argument to this effect, see these sites:
[2],
[3]
and
[4].
Contemporary Muslim music
There is a growing number of contemporary Muslim musicians. One of the most notable movements has been in Muslim hip hop, or Muslim rap.
Muslim music or Nasheed record labels include:
Some contemporary Muslim musicians include:
Noted Sufi singers:
Also noteworthy:
- Axiom of Choice, an Iranian New Age and Sufi group,
- Rough Guide to Sufi Music, World Music Network, 2001.
See also
External links
Islamic Proof-Texts and Classical Scholarly Jurisprudence on the Allowance of Musical Instruments and Singing
Islamic Proof-Texts and Classical Scholarly Jurisprudence on the Prohibition of Musical Instruments and Singing
Online listening
Online Video
Call to prayer, prayers, and Qur'an recitation
Nasheed (Traditional Islamic Music) Lyrics
Further reading
- Jenkins, Jean and Olsen, Poul Rovsing (1976). Music and Musical Instruments in the World of Islam. World of Islam Festival. ISBN 0-905035-11-9.
- Habib Hassan Touma (1996). The Music of the Arabs, trans. Laurie Schwartz. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. ISBN 0-931340-88-8.
- Shiloah, Amnon (1995). "Music in the World of Islam: A Socio-cultural study." Wayne State University Press. Detroit. ISBN 0-8143-2589-0
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Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية, or جزيرة العرب) is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of
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Middle East is a historical and political region of Africa-Eurasia with no clear boundaries. The term "Middle East" was popularized around 1900 in Britain, and has been criticized for its loose definition.
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North Africa or
Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:
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Capital(and largest city) Tehran
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Ittehad, Tanzim, Yaqeen-e-Muhkam (Urdu)
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Arabic music (Arabic,الموسيقى العربية) includes several genres and styles of music ranging from Arab classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music.
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This article is about dynasty which ruled the political entity known as Great Seljuq Empire.
The
Seljuqs (also
Seljuq Turks,
Seldjuks,
Seldjuqs,
Seljuks; in Turkish
Selçuklular; in Persian:
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Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh
Peace at Home, Peace in the World
Anthem
İstiklâl Marşı
The Anthem of Independence
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A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfah), is the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world.
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Ottoman Empire or Ottoman Caliphate (1299 to 1922) (Old Ottoman Turkish: دولت عالیه عثمانیه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish:
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Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,221,532 km² (11,668,545 sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area.
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Indonesia Raya
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Sufism is a mystic tradition within Islam that encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to Divine love and the cultivation of the elements of the Divine within the individual human being.
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Mysticism (from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) "an initiate" (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning "initiation"[1]
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Adhan (Azaan) (أَذَان) is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin. The root of the word is ʼḏn "to permit", and another derivative of this word is
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The muezzin (in Arabic: مؤذن mu’aḏḏin) is a chosen person at the mosque who leads the call (adhan
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Minarets (Arabic manara (lighthouse) منارة, but more usually مئذنة) are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques.
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namāz in Persian, (Arabic: صلاة, Qur'anic Arabic: صلوة) is the ritual prayer practiced by Muslims in supplication to Allah.
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Qur'an reading is the reading (tarteel, tajwid, or taghbir) aloud, reciting, or chanting of portions of the Qur'an.
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percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. The term usually applies to an object used in a rhythmic context and/or with musical intent.
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Dhikr , ذکر (Zikr in Urdu and Zekr in Persian) (Arabic "pronouncement", "invocation" or "remembrance") is an Islamic practice that focuses on the remembrance of God.
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