Music offers an interesting example of the intersections and differences between religious beliefs and culture in Muslim societies. Every cultural and ethnic group now counted among the Muslims of the world has its musical traditions and expressions. Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad do permit Islamic sounds (singing, instruments) as long as the purpose of the song itself is beneficial, and the words used fall within the range of permitted speech.
Islamic music has become part of Islamic rites of passage and events such as marriages, births, and festivals. Many groups have brought their native musical instruments into the culture and retained them, as well as passing them on to others. The common thread of the art of the human voice runs through Arabic and other languages such as Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and hundreds of other Asian, African, and European languages.
Below are the various forms of sounds in Islamic culture:
Daf
The Daf is a large Persian frame drum used in popular and classical music. The earliest evidence of the Dap (Daf) dates back to Sassanid Iran. These frame drums were played in the ancient Middle East (chiefly by women in Kurdish societies), Greece, and Rome and reached medieval Europe through Islamic culture
Islamic Call to prayer/recitation
Both the Islamic call to prayer and the art of reciting the Qur’an have influenced artistic expression in Muslim culture. Islamic worship incorporates a form of melody into worship. The call to prayer is an art form that utilizes tonal variation and rhythm in the human voice. Recitation of the Qur’an beautifies the words through tone, rhythm, and the shaping of the words.
Nasheed
