Islamic 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.