Islamic music

Many people make music in the Muslim world.

It sounds many ways. Some use drums. Some use strings.

People love to sing. They often sing songs to show love for God. Some musicians like to make up new notes as they play. This is called improvisation. In South Asia, people sing a style called qawwali.

This music can be very powerful. It brings people together to listen and feel. Music is a special part of life for many.

Music is a big part of life for many Muslims.

Because the Muslim world is so large, the music sounds many ways. It includes styles from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Some music is made for religious prayer. Other music is for fun or folk stories.

In Somali music, people often play the kaban. This is a wooden instrument with strings called an oud. Musicians in South Asia sing a style called qawwali.

Qawwali is often performed by a group. They sing songs to praise God or holy teachers. Some songs even use the language of love. In Indonesia, people play gong ensembles called gamelan. These were played long before Islam arrived.

Many musicians use maqam to make melodies. A maqam is a set of special musical patterns. Some people also use iqa'at for rhythms. These are patterns of strong and weak beats. Musicians may also improvise. This means they make up new notes while they play. This skill is a very important part of the art.

Islamic music covers many different traditions across a huge part of the world. It includes the music of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Africa and Asia. Because the Muslim world includes many different ethnic groups, the music is very diverse.

Some music is meant for religious services or private prayer. Other music is secular, which means it is for art or fun. One important part of this music is improvisation. This is when a musician makes up new notes while they play. This skill is highly encouraged by many musicians.

Many musical styles use special patterns to create beautiful sounds. Melodies are often organized into modes called maqam. These modes use specific scales and melodic patterns.

Rhythms also follow special patterns known as iqa'at. These are cycles of strong and weak beats. In some places, like Somalia, musicians use a pentatonic scale. This means their songs use only five pitches in each octave. In other places, like Indonesia, people play gong ensembles called gamelan. These ensembles use scales called slendro and pelog.

This music has a long and rich history. During the Islamic Golden Age, art and music flourished.

Classical Islamic music grew from mixing different styles together. It blended pre-Islamic Arabian music with styles from Persia, Egypt, and Turkey. This happened because different nations were connected through trade and expansion. Many musical styles traveled along the same paths as trade goods. This helped spread new sounds across distant lands for hundreds of years.

Different regions have their own unique instruments and songs. In West Africa, people might play a Kora harp or a xalam lute. They also use percussion like the talking drum.

In South Asia, a famous style of Sufi music is called qawwali. A qawwali program might include a hamd to praise Allah. It might also include a na'at to praise Muhammad. Some singers, like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, became very well known. In Indonesia, the Gambus ensemble shows Middle Eastern influence.

Music also helps people express deep feelings and beliefs. Sufi musicians use song to show a longing for the divine. In Turkey, some Sufis perform with rhythmic dancing. In South Asia, singers like Abida Parveen perform the Kafi, which is a meditative style.

Some music is used to remember important history. For example, ta'ziyeh is a musical drama performed in Iran. This helps people honor the history of their faith through storytelling. Even today, new bands like Junoon mix these traditions with rock music.

Islamic music encompasses a vast array of musical traditions found throughout the Muslim world. This includes diverse cultures across the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, West Africa, Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. Because Islam is a multi-ethnic religion, its musical expression is incredibly varied.

Some music is performed during religious services or private devotions. Other music is secular, meaning it is created as art or for entertainment. The term "music" in Arabic, mūsīqā, was originally reserved specifically for secular art music. In that historical context, separate names were used for folk songs and religious chants.

Classical Islamic music is characterized by a highly organized approach to melody and rhythm. Scholar Jacob M. Landau notes that the vocal component often predominates over instrumental sounds. A key feature of this tradition is improvisation, where musicians are encouraged to create new melodies in the moment. Melodies are organized into modes called maqāmāt, or maqām. These are specific melodic patterns that use prescribed scales and rhythmic formulas. Rhythms are organized into cyclical patterns of strong and weak beats known as īqāʿāt. These structures provide a sophisticated framework for both singers and instrumentalists.

Classical Islamic music developed through a unique fusion of many different styles. This "new art" emerged from blending pre-Islamic Arabian music with the traditions of Persians, Byzantines, Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Turks, and Moors. This fusion was possible because of strong affinities between Arabic music and the music of nations occupied by expanding Arabic peoples. The core area where this classical style succeeded stretched from the Nile valley to Persia. However, many regions outside this area kept their native music forms. These local traditions often remained distinct from the classical style.

Regional traditions show how music travels through trade and cultural contact. In North Africa, countries like Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia share traditions with Egypt. Popular modern styles like Raï and Chaabi originated in Berber countries. In West Africa, music often incorporates native and Berber influences rather than purely Arab ones. Musicians there may use the Kora harp, the xalam lute, or the Tambin flute. In Somalia, music is often based on a pentatonic scale, which uses only five pitches per octave.

This is different from the seven-note heptatonic scales used in other regions.

In South Asia, musical traditions merged Middle Eastern genres with indigenous classical modes. This created a style that is distinct in its orchestration but remains linked to Middle Eastern roots. One famous example is Qawwali, a style of Sufi devotional music. A traditional Qawwali program follows a specific structure. It may begin with a hamd, a song praising Allah, followed by a na`at to praise Muhammad. Musicians may also perform Manqabats to honor Sufi teachers or Ghazals to express spiritual longing through romantic language.

In modern times, the Pakistani band Junoon has even blended these traditions with rock music.

Sufi traditions offer some of the most recognizable forms of Islamic devotional music. Sufi worship services are sometimes called dhikr, or zikr. In Turkey, the Mevlevi Sufis are known for their rhythmic dancing and chanting. In South Asia, the Kafi is another meditative style involving solo singing.

Music also serves to commemorate important historical and religious events. In Iran, ta'ziyeh is a form of musical drama that depicts the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali. Similarly, Ashura music is performed during the Muharram mourning period to commemorate his death and his followers.

In Southeast Asia, the musical landscape is influenced by different cultural forces. In Muslim-majority Indonesia, many local styles predate the arrival of Islam. While some styles like the Indonesian Gambus show Middle Eastern influence, many others are related to Southeast and East Asian traditions. For example, gong chime ensembles known as Gamelan and Kulintang were present before Islam arrived. These ensembles often use scales called slendro and pelog, which originated in Java.

In Java, the Muslim saint Sunan Kalijogo even encouraged the use of the gamelan for Islamic devotional music.