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Islamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. 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:

Secular and folk musical styles

Middle East

Arabic classical music

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:

Turkish classical 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.

South Asia

The music of the Muslim populations of South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, with Nepal and Sri Lanka) had merged the Middle Eastern genres along with indigenous classical musical modes, and is generally distinct in style and orchestration, yet due to the strong links encountered between the Middle-East, Central Asia and South Asia, they are closer to Middle-Eastern styles than those of the peripheric outreaches of the Islamic world, which tend to be purely indigenous.

Southeast Asia

Maritime Southeast Asia has a majority Muslim population, but has historically incorporated less cultural influences from the Middle-East than South Asia, due to the fact that they were not incorporated within the Islamic Empire, but rather maintained links via trade.

Music genres of these areas generally predate the coming of Islam or have very little influence from Arab or Persian styles, with exceptions being the Malay Zapin and Joget genres, both of which had taken a lot of influence from the Middle East via Arab settlement in urban centers.

Maritime Southeast Asia's music is related to other musical genres played in South-East and East Asia. Gong chime ensembles such as Gamelan and Kulintang have been played in the region from before the arrival of Islam, and musical theory and method owe more to heavy Chinese influence, as well as Hindu-Buddhist principles, rather than Arabic musical philosophy. Variations of one of two main scales are played in the region among different ensembles: slendro and pelog (both scales with origins in Java).

Africa

Islam is the largest organized religion on the continent, although indigenous styles and genres are more prominent than those affected by Middle-Eastern theory.

East African music styles include the highly Arab influenced Taarab genre.

West African musical genres are more varied, and tend to incorporate both native and Berber influences, rather than those of Arab origin. A long history of court griot music based on historical accounts and praise-singing exists in the region. Wind and string instruments, such as the Kora or Flute are generally preferred to percussion, although percussion instruments such as the talking drum and djembe are also widely played.

Types of Muslim devotional recitation and music

Nasheed

Nasheeds are moral, religious songs sung in various melodies by some Muslims of today without any musical instruments. However some nasheed groups perform by using some percussion instruments. This type of singing of moral songs without Music is considered as permissible (halal) by almost all stern Muslims.

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 Mevlevi 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

Instruments

Some Muslims believe that only vocal music is permissible (halal) and that instruments are forbidden (haram). Hence 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:

Harmonium (popular in Pakistan and India)

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.^{[citation needed]}

Permissibility of music

The question of permissibility of music in Islamic jurisprudence is historically disputed.

Some Muslim scholars traditionally have held that music is forbidden both by the Qur'an and by the Hadith, as well as by traditions and believe that Muhammad stated that musical instruments are sinful when he said: "There will be among my Ummah people who will regard as permissible adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments,"^[1]; Some of the Islamic scholars of the past agreed upon this.^[2] However others including Imam Nawawi permit music stating that the prohibition of music and instruments at the time of the Prophet related to the usage - at the time the polytheists would use music and musical instruments as part of their worships.

Furthermore many modern Muslim interpretations allow music and singing under certain conditions, mainly if they do not encourage committing sinful acts.^[3] ^[4]^[5]

Contemporary Muslim music

Some notable Muslim nasheed artists include:

Noted Sufi singers:

References

^ Muhammed, as narrated by Sahih al-Bukhari, 5590.
^ Ruling on so-called “Islamic” songs with musical instruments. - Islam Question & Answer
^ Music and Singing are NOT forbidden in Islam (Submission.org)
^ Is music prohibited in Islam?
^ What Does Islam Say on Music? - IslamonLine.net - Ask The Scholar

@@ Line 111: / Line 111: @@
 The question of permissibility of music in Islamic jurisprudence is historically disputed.
-Some Muslim scholars traditionally have held that music is forbidden both by the Qur'an and by the [[Hadith]], as well as by traditions and believe that [[Muhammad]] stated that musical instruments are sinful when he said: "There will be among my [[Ummah]] people who will regard as permissible adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments,"<ref>Muhammed, as narrated by [[Sahih al-Bukhari]], 5590.</ref>; Some of the greatest Islamic scholars of the past, including the [[Madhhab|four imams]], agreed upon this.<ref>[http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=5011&ln=eng Ruling on so-called “Islamic” songs with musical instruments.] - Islam Question & Answer</ref> However others including Imam Nawawi permit music stating that the prohibition of music and instruments at the time of the Prophet related to the usage - at the time the polytheists would use music and musical instruments as part of their worships.
+Some Muslim scholars traditionally have held that music is forbidden both by the Qur'an and by the [[Hadith]], as well as by traditions and believe that [[Muhammad]] stated that musical instruments are sinful when he said: "There will be among my [[Ummah]] people who will regard as permissible adultery, silk, alcohol and musical instruments,"<ref>Muhammed, as narrated by [[Sahih al-Bukhari]], 5590.</ref>; Some of the Islamic scholars of the past agreed upon this.<ref>[http://www.islam-qa.com/index.php?ref=5011&ln=eng Ruling on so-called “Islamic” songs with musical instruments.] - Islam Question & Answer</ref> However others including Imam Nawawi permit music stating that the prohibition of music and instruments at the time of the Prophet related to the usage - at the time the polytheists would use music and musical instruments as part of their worships.
 Furthermore many modern Muslim interpretations allow music and singing under certain conditions, mainly if they do not encourage committing sinful acts.<ref>[http://www.submission.org/music.html Music and Singing are NOT forbidden in Islam (Submission.org)]</ref> <ref>[http://www.islamawareness.net/Music/prohibited.html Is music prohibited in Islam?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503545728 What Does Islam Say on Music? - IslamonLine.net - Ask The Scholar<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

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