Musical Ethnography - Musical Aspects of Qur'an Recitation in the Turkic Community

Introduction

The music-culture I have been studying and researching for the past month is one I have been a part of for a long time. I decided that, for this project, the best music-culture for me to study would be the one I am closest to, so I chose qira’ah (Qur’an recitation) in the Turkish Sunni Muslim community in Dallas. Although the recitation of the Qur’an does not vary too significantly among different Muslim cultures around the world, there are a few specific differences in this music-culture in Dallas with regards to the community’s background, population, and values.

As it stands, over 99% of the population of Turkey is composed of Muslims, most of which are Sunni. Therefore, almost all Turks in the United States are Sunni Muslims, like me. In Dallas, there is a small but growing Turkish community comprising first generation Sunni Muslim immigrants. Although most of these people are from Turkey, there are also many people from other countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, it might be better to say that this community is more of a Turkic community of Sunni Muslims.

The Qur’an, as many of you know, is the Muslim holy book, making it one of the most important aspects of a Muslim’s life. The recitation of the Qur’an is especially important because it is believed by Muslims to have been sent down by Allah (God) to all of mankind through the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad. One interesting point is that the Qur’an was sent down verse by verse (as opposed to being sent as a whole book) and the first revelation was the verse “Read…” This made it obvious that the Qur’an was not sent down to be written and archived, but to be read. Also because the Prophet Muhammad is quoted to have said he likes “to hear Qur’an from others” that Muslims find it important to recite the Qur’an in the most beautiful way possible.

Just as every other Muslim community in the world, the Turkic Sunni Muslim community in Dallas continues the tradition of Qur’an recitation both as individuals while praying the required five-time daily prayers and as a community when they come together for meetings, Friday prayers, and religious holy days (eids).

Methodology

Because I am a part of this music-culture, I did not use too many outside sources for my initial research. I did, however, look up hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad) regarding Qur’an recitation on the web. Most of my research was done through my fieldwork including my interview with Hamidullah Qeyam, the Afghan imam (religious leader, not to be confused with clergy which do not exist in Islam) of the Turkish community center in Dallas.

As a part of this community, I visit the community center every week, especially on weekends. So, I have actually been observing this music-culture for months. However, as a part of this project, I attended an event on February 26, 2010 as the Turkish community center hosted a program celebrating the Mawlid an-Nabi (Blessed Birth of Prophet Muhammad)(2). During the program, Imam Qeyam recited verses from the Holy Qur’an. The audience consisted of over a hundred members of the Turkic community. After the event, I interviewed the imam for questions regarding qira’ah.

The interview was quite casual as Imam Qeyam also happens to be my Qur’an teacher on weekends as he teaches many students, like me, how to read the Qur’an better to follow Prophet Muhammad’s hadith: “The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.”

Aspects of This Music-Culture

Ideas About Music

As I have explained before, this Turkic community is composed of Sunni Muslims. Because this is a community in modern America and its members are mostly young, the first thing that comes to a member’s mind when the word music is mentioned is popular music, whether American or Turkish. Perhaps no member of this community would think of Qur’an recitation as music, but only a few would argue that the qira’ah does not have any musical aspects.

Because Qur’an recitation can be seen as an art form and it has many rules, both with regards to pronunciation and vocalization. The pronunciation rules, called tajweed, make sure every letter is clearly pronounced and every word is vividly understandable (1). These rules were established when the Qur’an was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad circa 610 CE and passed down generation to generation through hafiz (‘guardians’ of Qur’an who memorize it cover to cover). Although these rules are extremely important for correct recitation and the members of this music-culture give importance to it, many people do not know tajweed well enough. This can be attributed mostly to the period of religious downfall after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Because of this, many members of the Turkic community do not pay great (or enough) attention to tajweed when listening to qira’ah.

More value is given to the vocal qualities and maqam of the reciter as well as his ability to evoke spirituality among the audience members. Those who know tajweed usually have a better experience when listening to qira’ah because they recognize every detail in its beauty. However, qira’ah is not only done in front of an audience. Every recitation of the Qur’an is considered qira’ah and every Muslim does this at least five times a day in the mandatory prayers because qira’ah is a requirement of prayer. Another factor that distinguishes this music-culture from its origin is that the Turkic community has members from different countries that bring in their own style of recitation and add to the cultural experience apart from the religious.

Activities Involving Music

Qur’an recitation is an art that has been passed down generation to generation for centuries. Although traditionally shared in live performances, there have been many recordings of qari (readers/reciters of Qur’an) in the past. What began in the late 20th century with cassettes, continued in the 21st century with CDs, and later, with the internet. However, the traditional qira’ah is still performed in places of worship (i.e. masjids and mosques) all over the world, including the Turkish community center. These performances are not only done by professional qari who study for decades, but also by students of the Qur’an. Many of these students try to mimic the professionals in terms of style and, sometimes, timbre quality (1).

The audience usually only listens or whispers the verses to themselves as only one person recites aloud in front of the audience (i.e. there is not chorus). Because the Turkic community in Dallas is very broad with respect to race, ethnicity, color, etc, and because segregation and discrimination is completely forbidden in Islam, anyone can recite the Qur’an. However, because the female voice can be seductive to men, women do not recite the Qur’an aloud in front of men; although they may recite it among other women and children. Just the same, this music-culture does not look kindly upon seductive music such as many forms of hip-hop seen today.

Repertoires of Music

Because this music-culture is based on the recitation of a holy book, it might be considered part of the religious music genre. The “music” itself is the recitation of the text of the Qur’an and the style used for the recitation has been developed over the centuries since the revelation of the Qur’an. However, many professional qari also develop their own style. To show respect to the holy book, movements such as dancing or applauding are not allowed and talking during the qira’ah is highly frowned upon (1).

Material Culture of Music

There are only two kinds of materials used for Qur’an recitation, both of which are optional. The first is the Qur’an text in book form which is often put in front of the qari either for him to use as reference if necessary or, if he has not memorized the verses he is reading, for him to read directly off the book. The second item used is the rahle, a wooden book-rest to keep the Qur’an from touching the ground which is considered disrespectful. Both items can be purchased online or at most Islamic bookstores.

Conclusion

The religious music-culture of the Turkic Sunni Muslim community in Dallas is based on the recitation of the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an. Great importance is given to the art of qira’ah both in religious as well as traditional aspects. It is a very serious matter for the members of this music-culture; and, for religious reasons, they give it their utmost respect. What distinguishes this music-culture from its roots is that it is shared by the people of different countries in a non-Islamic nation. This makes this music-culture that much more important for its members as they continue the tradition that has survived for 14 centuries.

Works Cited

1) Qeyam, Hamidullah. Personal interview. 26 Feb. 2010.
2) Qeyam, Hamidullah. Qur’an Recitation. Dallas Islamic Center. Turquoise Center, Richardson, TX. 26 February 2010. Reading.