wordy

Some Islamistic Muslims? say that music is only allowed in religious settings but even there they are kind of restrict about it and they even deny that the sing when they read the text.

Is this a kind of double talk. They hear that they sing and know but are not allowed to admit it to be singing a melody cause it is Taboo to use music in that way?

Or is this a Western Cultural difference of what words refer to.

Reading the Koran is a function, it is supposed to bring over a message.

That they sing and use melody and free flowing rhythm is kind of so remote from their focus on the function so they don't hear that it is singing cause to them singing is to do a sexual thing? They often see music as sinful it seems.

A woman is only allowed to sing to her own husband or to her family as young. Or maybe among female friends.

So why is it so impossible for them to admit they do sing when they read the verses.

I even find the melodies rather cool. At least interesting. I have tried to imitate them and find it rather fun but it is impossible to talk to a true believer about it.

They are so focused on the function of the text that the melodies kind of never get noticed so they are able to teach me about them.

And I am not brave enough to make friends to a muslim either. They could be very sensitive about me being an angry atheist and that would spoil the whole thing.

I need to meet a former muslim that now is an atheist. They maybe could teach me the melodies?

Or are there links to such teaching on the net?

premjan

"recitation" or "chanting" is probably the appropriate term.

wordy

Premjan, your right. So the reason they refuse to say they sing the verses are that in their culture they already have a good term for it but haven't learned the Swedish word for it.

The English words being recitation or chanting.

My gut feeling is that both of them allow for such without melodies? You could do a recitation in one tone or maybe two or three. But the Koran recitation use very intricate melodies.

Should they be seen as built into the Arab language maybe. Prosody? Do they always speak in such melodies maybe?

Chants could be on one or very few tones too. Koran chanting is very varied at times.

Maybe all three versions exists.

Maybe they sneaked into it some hundreds years ago by some famous high up and nobody dare to change it but f´refuse to see it as melodies.

Suppose I get to know a real reciter of the Koran that has lost faith and don't mind to teach me the melodies and I record the melodies and make real music out of it.

Will they know which Sura I took the melody from. How many different melodies have they in circulation now?

Are one sura always recited or chanted with same melody each time? or do they have different melodies depending on personal preferences?

Who decide which melody to use? Do they get disappointed if some reciter use a less known one?

They learn this by heart as very young. They sit in Madras together a bunch of kids and have a teacher. He teach them what melody to use. So does it depend on whom your teacher. All countries having their own melodies?

Are Sunni and Shia using same melodies? Links to examples on same sura using different melodies?

wordy

Here is a link I found now tonight. Examples from eight different reciters.
http://www.al-quran.ca/en_index.html

They all as I am able to hear do the same verse but a slightly different way. Seems they all have had a teacher using same melody but they perform it individually?

some put more soul? in it then the others who sound like they do it more relaxed and not caring about giving all their efforts to do their best that time.

Very interesting. Wish somebody could comment on styles. What name has the different styles?

How could they say it has no melody and that the recitation is them actually singing it on tune? Cultural differences, seeing it very formally as a functional thing.

Come on folks you have some 50 pages in other threads so this one is as interesting. *Friendly Smile*

In case you wonder why me not answer. I have to go to bed now. its 01.47 AM late nigh or in the early morning here now.

premjan

Chanting of scriptural material is common in other religions - for instance the Atharva Veda in Hinduism is typically chanted. The Buddhists also have their chants, which are probably not outright songs. Gregorian chants are nearly music.

You're right that it isn't too far from singing at all, and could be called singing if it weren't for the proscription on music, and probably the fact that there is no melody sustained between verses (that I have heard).

http://www.al-quran.ca/en_agamy.html
http://www.piney.com/MuIslam.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tajwid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qur'an_reading

Ray Moscow

I also rather like the chanting of the Quran in mosques.

I suppose the "art" aspect of religion can be appreciated even by us infidels.

Clivedurdle

Dancing in the streets is directly related to this.

To worship the gods humans do want to sing and dance and make beautiful things.

Why they go out of their way to deny this is fascinating - is not the bowing in a mosque a very formalised dance?

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=220235

http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~blackrse/islam.html

http://www.uga.edu/islam/IslArt.html

Bubba

Actually, the Koran being chanted is beautiful. I also think some of the head scarfs that Islamic women wear are beautiful.

However, I am still proud to be an infidel.

Chris

wordy

What is the name of the special "spiritual" or "religious " music of Pakistan?

Gazal? Many famous singers and they give them money. Is that Sunni, Shia or maybe a Sufi variant of Islam? They sing songs with texts that God is a lover. Very ecstatic songs. So maybe not approved of by the most orthodox then.

Even as an atheist I find it rather likable, why don't we atheists have such festivities when we sing like that.

Have to sleep now so in my dreams I will dance and sing to such religious music but with atheist words.

Clivedurdle

We have our music - Lennon, Queen, Floyd.....