Download Ch. 5 - The Music of Islam

THE MUSIC OF ISLAM
Islam began in Saudi Arabia (Mecca and Medina) in the Seventh century C.E. with divine
revelation of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. Islam describes the name of the religion, the word
AMuslim@ describes people who follow the spiritual practices and laws of Islam. Islam is barely
understood (if not misunderstood) in the West, and is, therefore, often looked upon with fear and/or
hostility by many Westerners. Our own fears and ignorance of Islamic belief and practice only add
fuel to our limited intellectual and emotional understanding of what Muslims hold as fundamental
and sacred. How quick we are to forget that, Muslims, like Christians and Jews, are people of the
Book, thus, we all share a few common bonds of faith, belief and spiritual practice.
Islam is a religion with about one billion followers in the world today, though Islamic belief and
practice varies tremendously from place to place, time to time, and even person to person. Extremely
briefly: Muslims believe that there is one God, the Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos, including
human beings; that this life is a brief (but crucial) sojourn of the human soul and that upon physical
death the soul passes onto the realm of the Hereafter; that eventually, there will be the Day of
Judgment when every soul will be recompensed for its life in this world, the good entering Paradise
and the bad entering Hell; that out of mercy, God sends guidance to people in this world in the form
of revelation; that these revelations are inspired in prophets, who have been sent to every community
(a general belief holds that thousands of prophets have been sent in history, the important ones being
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad; and finally, that Muhammad was the last of these prophets;
and that the revelation given to him, known as the Qur=an, is thus the last scripture to be sent by God
before the Apocalypse. Furthermore, the Qu=ran rectifies the distortions, misinterpretations and
loss of all previous scriptures. Thus, most Muslims believe that through right conductCbased on the
actions of prophets and the teachings of revealed scripturesC human beings can make themselves
eligible for God=s Mercy and Grace, and hence, salvation in the Hereafter. However, Sufi Muslims
(discussed later) go a step further; they believe that through right beingCbased on the >being= of
these prophets and the deeper meanings of revealed scripturesChumans can attain experiential,
visionary apprehension of the Divine in this world. The Sufi is not motivated by the desire for
salvation in the Hereafter, but by a desire to replicate the spiritual journey of the prophets that
culminated in the visionary apprehension of the Divine during their lifetimes.
Most of us place Islam geographically in the Arab Middle East, although the Middle
East only accounts for 20% of all Muslims. The largest populations of Muslim believers are found in
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. Historically, Islam spread westward across Eastern
Europe, encompassing all of northern Africa, and eventually moved north into Spain. Islam also
moved eastward from Saudi Arabia into Central Asia and Southeast Asia. As a religion, Islam
embraces the individual artistic and cultural practices of many nations, blending local and regional
indigenous traditions with central features of Islamic belief and performance practice. All Muslims,
regardless of where they live, believe and practice the Five Pillars of Islam, five duties that every
Muslim is obliged to perform.
The Essential Elements of Islam
Acknowledgment that Allah (God) revealed his will to Muhammad and that his words,
spoken in Arabic, are recorded in the Koran. Although God had selected 99 Prophets
before Muhammad (including Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus) as messengers of his will,
over time the message was misinterpreted. Abraham is considered to be the father of the
Arabs through his son Ishmael. The Father and Son built the House of God in Mecca
(Ka= aba). In Islamic belief, Jesus is acknowledged as the Messiah, but not as the Son
of God.
The second element is the confessional or Shahada (AThere is no god but God, and
Muhammad is the messenger of God.@)
Obligation of duties to be performed by Muslims in order to enter Paradise (Heaven). These
duties constitute the Five Pillars of Islam:
1. Shahada - AThere is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.@
2. Salat - daily Prayers done five times each day
3. Zakut - giving to charity for the poor
4. Sawni - Ritual fasting (dawn to dusk - no food, water, or sexual activity)
5. Haj - If able (financially and physically), all Muslims must make one pilgrimage to Mecca
6 Jihad - exertion for the way of God, often misinterpreted as Aholy war@
In addition, it is important to understand that Islam places an emphasis on the equality of men
before God, on urban life (modern world), on trade as an occupation, on the extended family, and on
the importance of language and respect for scholarly pursuits. Music is regarded with ambivalence
within Islam, and notions of the theoretical (ideal) side of music are more highly valued than the real
thing. (performance). Coincidentally, amateur music status is socially preferred over than of the
professional musician. Professional musicians acquire their knowledge and skills through heredity
rather than by choice of vocation, and they are not highly regarded, unlike musicians in the West.
Amateur musicians have higher status because they are free to improvise music at will, not according
to the demands of their patron.
Music and Islam
If one were to speak about music topics related to Islamic belief and practice , one would first
have to ask two questions. First, what kinds of music does Islam allow ?, and second. "Which area
(geographical) of Islam do you refer?". The spiritual and musical practices of Sufi Muslims differ
radically from the larger orthodox Muslim beliefs and practices of Sunni Muslims. Islam is a
religion practiced by more than a billion people in diverse regions of the world (i.e. the Middle East,
Eastern Europe, all of northern Africa, and into Spain, parts of Central and East Asia, as far east as
Malaysia).
As a concept, music is nearly universal in every culture of the world. Nevertheless, the
meaning of music, and the way music is played and understood is not universal. For example, some
Aoperatic-like@ works and sacred compositions in the West would be considered unacceptable to
orthodox Muslims. Likewise, Muslim orthodoxy looks upon the highly sensuous musical styles of
the Whirling Dervishes and Sufi Muslims as objectionable. Although the recitation of the Qur=an
must be clearly separated from any connotation with secular singing, Qur=anic recitation is based on
maqam scale patterns which are the foundation of secular music. Professional reciters receive their
religious and musical training in Qur=an schools. Reciting the Qur=an in public calls for mastery of
technique, a good voice and artistic integrity in the service of the holy text which must not be
obscured by subjective individualized expression.
The word Sama means both Ahearing music@ and Athe music that is heard@, so Sama describes
both a process and a definable object. The term Sama deals with the admissibility of music from a
legal, theological and mystical point of view, and is, therefore, concerned with sacred and religious
music. The Sufi=s interpret the term >Sama= somewhat differently than orthodox Muslims. To the
Sufi, Sama means free or soundless and is , therefore, linked with music. To the Sufi, the divine
emanates from everything, is in everything, and conveyed by everything. Those who attain this degree
speak to God even when they converse with other humans: they listen to God because He is active in
everything they hear. "Spiritual audition" consists of hearing with a spiritual ear how all things sing
the Glory of God, seize and enjoy the significance of this cosmic song. This kind of "sama= helps one
to contemplate the universe as if it were an open book. This natural >Sama= concerns that which is
actually practiced by the mystics. Nevertheless, >Sama= implies that there are two types of listeners:
Those who listen with the soul (hearing actual sounds as "natural audition"), and those who listen
with the mind, hearing the glory of God in everything (>divine audition"). With all this in mind,
perhaps you understand the Sufi=s notion of music a little better, and this may help deepen your
understanding of music within your own culture.
>Sound,= >music,= and >audition/listening= are understood to be very powerful forces by
Sufis. AKnow that the means of acquiring knowledge are five: seeing, hearing, taste, smell and
touch,@ writes the 11th century Sufi master al-Hujweri . AGod has created these five doors for the
human mind to obtain different kinds of knowledge through themY@ Of all the senses the sense of
hearing is the most important since message of God sent to mankind through the Messengers is
received by hearing the Word of GodY@ This incident is known as the Covenant of Alast (from the
phrase alastu be-rubbikum, >am I not your Lord?=). Assuming extremely important proportions in
Sufism, it is understood to be the primordial covenant, occurring before the creation of the world,
when every human soul beheld God and bore witness to His nature. Not only was aural
communication between the human soul and God a significant part of the occasion, Sufis believe that
the recollection of the occasion can be rekindled through zikr, >remembering=. Zikr is the act of
focusing one=s attention on God so as to draw close to Him.
Since music cannot act according to it=s own fundamental tenets, Muslims believe that the
Qu=ran is the ultimate source for guidance. Nevertheless, the Quran does not support/or refute the
legitimacy of music in Islamic practice. When music is considered a spell inspired by the Devil, it
calls into question the basic concept of a transcendental divinity with absolute rule over the world and
the deeds of man. Acting as a irresistible force, music an be identified with magical powers that
oppose religious elements which presumably have an independent capacity to guide man=s destiny.
These arguments would imply a rejection of all music. In fact, the total prohibition involves only art
music, which displays man=s vanity and primarily furthers interests in mundane, worldly concerns.
To speak of Amusic@ in Islam, one must ask the question, AWhich part or area (geographical)
of Islam do you refer?@. Historically, Islam spread westward across parts of Eastern Europe, all of
northern Africa, and into Spain. Islam also moved eastward from Saudi Arabia into Central Asia and
Southeast Asia. As a religion, Islam embraces the individual artistic and cultural practices of many
nations, blending local and regional indigenous traditions with central features of Islamic belief and
performance practice. Nevertheless, Muslim orthodoxy=s rather ambiguous, sometimes hostile,
attitude toward music is based on seeing music as a sensuous art form which must be kept under strict
control. According to the Shari=a (Islamic Law), there is no real distinction between the sacred and
the secular, the spiritual and the material, or the personal and communal. Allah=s purpose is allembracing, and humanity is to take part in the realization of Allah=s creative will as his
representatives. Thus, Islamic religious music is strictly divided into what is admissible and what is
not on moral grounds. For example, some Aoperatic-like@ sacred compositions in the West would be
considered unacceptable to orthodox Muslims. Likewise, Muslim orthodoxy looks upon the highly
sensuous styles of the Whirling Dervishes and Sufi Muslim musical traditions as objectionable.
Although the recitation of the Qur=an must be clearly separated from any connotation with secular
singing, Qur=anic recitation is based on maqam scale patterns which are the foundation of secular
music. Professional reciters receive their religious and musical training in Qur=an schools. Reciting
the Qur=an in public calls for mastery of technique, a good voice and artistic integrity in the service of
the holy text which must not be obscured by subjective individualized expression.
The Legal Status of Music in the Islamic World (Middle East)
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The Adhan (Muslim Call to Prayer)
There are several occasions when "sacred" music (in the Western sense) is involved in Islamic
worship. However, among Muslims it would be blasphemous to categorize the Adhan as music
because it is, more properly speaking, a form of chanting or recitation. Therefore, the Adhan itself is
a spiritual practice close to God (Allah) himself.. The Adhan has characteristics of pitch, melody and
rhythm, which we often associate with music, but it is not music in the way we understand this term
in the West. The most important of these are the Adhan (Call to Prayer), the Prophet's birthday
(Mawlid), songs (with religious poetry as text) in praise of the Prophet Mohammad and his family
(Na't), and the naming of God or spiritual concert (Dhikr).
The Adhan (Call to Pray) , chanted five times a day by a Muezzin, is chanted from atop the
minaret of an Islamic mosque. With this, the believers are called to the Friday holy service and to the
five prayers prescribed for the day- in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, at sunset, and in the
evening. Shortly before the beginning of the holy service the Mu'adhdhin or Muezzin). Five times a
day the Muezzin climbs atop the minaret or the roof of the mosque and loudly and distinctly chants
(with a strong clear voice) the Call to Prayer, which for orthodox Muslims comprises these seven
formulations:
The Adhan: Call to Pryaer
1. God is the most great.
2. I witness that there is no god but Allah.
3. I witness that Mohammad is the messenger of God.
4. Come to prayer.
5. Come to salvation.
6. God is the most great.
7. There is no God but Allah.
These seven phrases are repeated one or more times according to fixed rules, with a long pause
between each phrase. The musical structure of the Adhan is defined by the principle of contrast,
which gives an individual musical profile to each repetition of a phrase as well as to different phrases.
Whereas the first phrase tends to be fairly simple, the phrases that follow are often more melodic, if
not rhapsodic with embellishments. Altogether the Adhan is made up of twelve melodic passages that
move between two tonal centers in the same maqam (melodic form) row, but separated by a fourth or
fifth. The tempo of the Adhan is usually quite slow; only at sunset is it performed faster and with
fewer melismas (melodic
ornaments).
Mawlid -The Prophet's Birthday
A Mawlid performance calls for a male soloist backed by a male chorus singing (in unison) a
maqam-based melody. The Mawlid tradition dates back to the 9th century, but the oldest known
Mawlid text dates from the 12th century C.E.. Mawlid texts incorporate poetry, hymns and prayers
together with the custom of blessing those taking part in the festivity.
Madih - Hymn of Praise of the Prophet
The first Madih was composed by the first Scribe of Mohammad, Hassan Ibn Thabir. Much later, a
Sufi poet named al-Busiri wrote a long poem (182 verses) praising the clothing of the Prophet
Mohammad. This poem became the model for all subsequent Madihs to the present day. This
performance involves a solo singer, male chorus, and drum accompaniment. The Madih calls for an
improvised (based on maqam melodic practice) musical dialogue between the soloist and chorus.
Zikr (Sama)
A Zikr is a song of remembrance that involves the constant repetition of one (or more) of the many
names of God.
Sufism and Music
Sufism is most commonly understood as >Islamic mysticism=. But this term may obscure
as much as it illuminates since the terms >Islam= and >mysticism= canCand haveCbeen interpreted in
many different ways by different people. What is required is an understanding of how Sufis express
their own worldview; what exactly does the phrase >Islamic mysticism= mean to a Sufi? The main
purpose of Sufism is to achieve mystical union with Allah through ecstatic worship. The Sufi journey
occurs under guidance of a Sufi master, is driven by intense Love, and culminates in increasing
proximity with God, a proximity that is accompanied by experiential >visions= and >unveilings=. It
is within the context of this Sufi quest that sama=Clistening to music by Sufis for spiritual
purposesCmust be understood. Sufi masters are considered to be God-realized individuals, and as
such they are sources of faiz or spiritual blessings. Hence, one of the ways in which the Sufi is
brought closer to God through Qawwali is by heightening his attachment to past Sufi masters
(especially those of his own silsila, Sufi order).
In order to reach this goal, trance-inducing music and dance are performed while the
performers rhythmically pronounce the name of God (or it=s equivalent-AHu@, meaning AHe@. The
performers learn a special form of breathing to perform the Dhikr, an amalgamation of the
contemplative with the ecstatic, requiring virtuosic performing ability. The Dhikr is performed with
ever increasing ecstasy, leading to it=s climax, the Hadrah (God=s presence). Certainly, musical
virtuosity is something we in the West both understand and appreciate. In modern times a Qawwali
group consists of a qawwal (lead singer) backed by harmonium, a dholak (double headed finger
drum), a tabla, plus several backup singers leading the choral responses and vigorous hand clapping.
Sufi poetry constitutes a principle vehicle for expressing and communication Sufi mystical thought
and experience. The texts are rich in poetic images and use of metaphor investing Sufi poetry a highly
elaborated symbolic content.
Mystical love, the central thought and practice of the Sufis has two complementary dimensions:
Man=s deliberate conscious striving toward God by following the Way under the direction of a
spiritual guide to achieve Astages@ or Asituations@ (maqamat) of nearness to God.
The ecstatic, intuitive fulfillment through God=s illumination of man, his gift of states of nearness
leading ultimately to union with God.
Entering the Sufi path does not involve renunciation of worldly activities or asceticism; Sufis
stress detachment from all worldly concerns, and for Sufis, running away from any worldly concern
(asceticism) implies that one has not achieved detachment. A Sufi lives in the world while not being
of the world; it is said that >The greater the Sufi, the more normal he will appear to others= because
he will participate in all (Islamically permitted) worldly activities like anyone else. Moreover, the Sufi
path also does not require geographic proximity with one=s master (since the master can give
guidance through dreams, visionary experience, etc., etc.). These two thingsCthat asceticism and
geographic proximity with the master are not requiredCmean that a Sufi continues to live like anyone
else, even while his spiritual progress may be occurring by leaps an bounds. It also explains why
SufismCwhile being arguably the largest mystical tradition thriving in the modern worldCis not as
socially >apparent= as mystical traditions in other religions may be.
To become a Sufi, one aspires to the Sufi Quest, carried out under the guidance of a Sufi
master. A Sufi master is someone who has himself attained to GodCthough the infinitude of God
means that even his journey is still continuing!Cunder the guidance of his own master. Thus, the
importance of tradition abounds at the social level, Sufism is manifested in the form of chains of
master-disciple relationships, stretching all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad , who is thus
recognized as the first and greatest Sufi master, the founder of >Islamic mysticism=. These chains are
known as silsilas, and most silsilas are grouped under a few major >meta-chains= named after famous
Sufi masters. For example, the Chishti silsila is named after the 13th century Sufi master Moinuddin
Chishti, and all existing Chishti Sufis would trace their master-disciple chain up to Moinuddin
Chishti, and thence to the Prophet of Islam.
A novice Sufi begins their spiritual journey by formally giving their allegiance to a living
Sufi master, thus becoming part of an existing silsila. The operative force in the spiritual journey is
ishq or muhabbat, meaning Alove@. Love for one=s master makes the disciple so preoccupied in
contemplating the object of Love (his master) that his or her own identity is lost and merges with that
of the master. Since the master has also lost his own identity in his master, and so on and so forth,
right up till the ProphetCwho had lost his identity in GodCthis means that the actual object of the
disciple=s love is God Himself, and it is in His identity that he is being merged. As the disciple
advances spiritually, he or she begins to have visionary experiences, known as >unveilings=, in which
he or she begins to >see things as they really are=. In some of these visionary experiences, he/she
begins to meet his own master in the spiritual realm, and then the masters in the chain through the
past centuries. Towards the end of the journey, the disciple is presented to the Prophet himself, who
then guides the disciple, instructing him or her through visionary experiences until, finally, the
disciple is presented before God Himself
A second operative force is the notion of Aright [email protected] idea of >right being= should be
understood within the Sufi conception of human nature. The Sufis claim that the human organism is a
composite of the nafs, the qalb, and the ruh. The nafs, ego or the concupiscent self, is the source of
desiresCboth base instincts (like hunger, sleep, and sexual libido, etc.) as well as higher instincts (like
the desire for wealth and comfort, fame and pride, etc., which are in fact sublimations of the base
desires). The individual self is relatively ignorant of God and susceptible to satanic temptations.
Within Sufi belief, the ruh (spirit or intuitional self) is the opposite of the ego. The Aintuitional self@
is susceptible to angelic and Divine inspirations; it is a source of yearning for the Divine and pulls
towards His recollection and contemplation. Finally, the qalb, heart or intelligent self, is the seat of
consciousnessCit is >the conscious self=, the >awareness= that mediates between the concupiscent
self and the intuitional self. Within this understanding of the human organism as a composite of the
concupiscent self, the intelligent self, and the intuitional self, >right being= then refers to the
discipliningCnot annihilation or complete repression/suppression, but discipliningCof the
concupiscent self by the self-control exercised by the intelligent self, and in addition, making the
intelligent self completely immersed within the intuitional self.
The Tradition of Qawwali Singing
In modern times a Qawwali group consists of a qawwal (lead singer) backed by harmonium, a
dholak (double headed finger drum), a tabla, plus several backup singers leading the choral responses
and vigorous hand clapping. According to tradition, women do not participate as lead singers within
the Qawwali tradition. Qawwali singing originated with the foundation of the Christi Order of Sufi
Muslims in Khorosan early in the 10th century. The word, Qawwali - means literally Autterance@ and
the Qawwal is the mouthpiece of divine power. AWe do not sing, we are made to sing@. Qawwali
conveys a mystic, religious message that attempts to hold the listener=s attention to the point of
altered states of consciousness. It is believed, among Sufis that music is a vehicle used to reach the
heart and help one achieve a state of Grace or Enlightenment, a Astateless state@ or AMa=rifat@ inner knowledge. Qawwali performers sit in a close group, small hand-pumped harmoniums provide
the melody, whilst the rhythm is provided by one of several drums (tabla or dholak, and handclapping). The power of Qawwali singing resides in it=s almost endless repetition, ecstatic state, and
endurance.
Qawwali is part of a wider tradition known as sama=. Sama=, an Arabic word literally meaning
>audition= or >listening=, in Sufi terminology refers to the process of spiritual development attained
through the listening of music [with or without instrumental accompaniment]. Contrary to the
indication given by this definition, it would be wrong to think of sama= as a purely inner spiritual
experience, inaccessible to an outsider. In fact, while the ultimate object of sama= may be the inner
experience (which may be inaccessible to an outsider), it exists within the context of Sufi ideology
and is explained in numerous historical Arab, Persian, and Indian musical treatises accessible in the
West. Sama= is defined as >music used for a spiritual purpose=.
The Whirling Dervishes
Among the Sufis of Turkey and central Asia are several groups known as the Whirling Dervishes. In
modern times it is extremely rare to find sacred dance as a private act of surrender to the Divine. In
this course, our closest experience of this were the sacred temple dances to Shiva Nataraja in South
India.
The dance of the Whirling Dervishes as sacred ritual drama is a symbolic re-balancing of the
world by drawing cosmic energy down to earth. Sections of the ritual focus on the relationships
between body and soul, man and God, lover and beloved, with the ideal of submission to God
reiterated throughout. There is a strong sense of one-ness. The Sema ceremony of the Dervishes is a
serene ceremony of meditation used to bring Sufi Muslims (Dervish Order) closer to God. It is a
spiritual journey; the seekers turning toward God and truth, a maturing through love, the
transformation of self as a way of union with god, and a return to life as a servant of all creation.
The Dervishes first make three circles to represent the three kingdoms of the world:
animal, vegetable, and mineral. They wear black robes to symbolize death and tall camel hats that
represent tombstones. After making the circles, the Dervishes remove the black robes to reveal the
white ones, symbolizing life and rebirth. One by one they begin to turn, transporting themselves into
deep meditation and closeness to God. They hold their right palm upward toward Heaven and their
left palm downward toward earth, they twirl in a counterclockwise direction. The ritual does have
form within which the gentle turns become increasingly dynamic as the dervishes achieve trance. The
music ranges from somber to rhapsodic, the effect intended to be mesmerizing. There is chanting
poetry, rhythmic rotation. And incessant music creates synesthesia-which according to the faithful,
induces a feeling of soaring, of ecstacy and mystical flight.
Musical Examples - Sufism
Noor-E Khuda Hai Husn-E-Sarapa Rasool
(Sufi tradition)
(The Light of God is the embodiment of the
Prophets)
The creator is in love with you, as is
creation.
In a strange way the creator has vowed his
love for the prophet.
The beauty of the prophet is the light,
And his whole family is light,
Every generation is light.
The light of both worlds is embodied in
Mohammad,
The light of God is the prophet,
The brightness of his locks is light,
The shine of his turban is light,
The home of dust is dust,
Light is light.
God sent for him
Because he could not bear to be without him.
God aid my love has no rival.
The stars and the moon are for him,
All the beautiful sights are for him.
The thirty chapters (of the Qu=ran) are for
him,
When there was nothing
There was God.
Even when there was no day or night,
The light of the prophet was there.
Look at Umar, he meant to kill him
But on seeing him he changed his mind.
Koi Hai Na Ho Ga
(There Was No one, There Will Not Be
Anyone)
Of all the prophets his place is foremost
And Allah greets him.
I Aksa Mosque (Jerusalem) he leads all the
prophets (in prayer).
Indeed he is the Iman (leader) of all the
prophets.
There is no equal to our prophet.
Neither before or after
No one is equal to him.
There were many prophets who came,
He is the center of all
And he is the embodiment of all beauty.
He is high of forehead.
Although he lives on the earth,
He lives in heaven. He is the light of lights,
He is the beginning and the end.
He is all enlightenment.
He is the prophet,
After God he is the only one.
What more can be said,
He is beginning and the end.