Artistic presentation, calligraphy and crafts

There is no need to elaborate on the artistic dimension of Qur’an recitation,

especially when performed by a professional qari’ endowed with a melodious voice.
Tartil based on mastering the rules of tajwid is actually a musical performance. The
use of different terminologies, such as tartil in stead of ghina (singing), is meant to
differentiate between melodious production as entertainment intended for
amusement and that associated with serious religious activity. For the same reason.
Other form of religious music, such as praise of the prophet (mada’ih) of religious
poetry, are referred to as chant (inshad) and singing (ghina). In daily life, however,
Muslims react to qur’an recitation, whether listening to recite or recording, in a
manner similar to that prompted by a musical performance.

Offering condolences (ta’jiya) is an occasion to listen to Qur’an recitation directly

from a qari’. In the Egyptian countryside, foe example, people extol the quality of a
certain qari’ with a loud cry of “Allah” after each pause between verses. They some
times even ask the shaykh to repeat a verse or verses. It is expensive to hire a well
trained qari’ with a beautiful voice, such a qari’ being something of a star. The
renown of the qari’ who is hired depends on the wealth of the deceased’s family or
the amount of inheritance (q.v.) he left behind. Thus paying condolences (ta’azi)
can offer a splendid opportunity for those who appreciate the art of Qur’an
recitation both to fulfill a religious duty and to experience exquisite recitation.

Again, in a fashion analogous to the enjoyment of music, qur’anic recitation my be

experienced through listening to a tape or compact disk. Like musical art, Qur’an
recitation can also be enjoyed through one’s own practice of recitation. The division
of the Qur’an into 30 (juz) __each of which is further divided part into two part (hizb)
which are themselves divided into four quarters (rub’) __ make it feasible for a
Muslim to enjoy daily recitation of at least one rub’. If not more. In a communal
context, the recitation of the Qur’an is performed weekly by a professionally
trained shaykh in every mosque before the Friday prayer and sermon. At the weekly
recitation, preference is a given to the recitation, preference is a given to the
recitation of q 18, surat al-Kahf (“the Cave”)

The ninety-nine most beautiful names of God (asma Allah al-husna)__originally

based on the q 59:22-24__are usually sung, accompanied by flute and drums, in soft
dhikr ceremonies. The singer, or munshid, melodically repeats over and over again
the names of good while participations sway back and forth to the right and to the
left. Within the melody, the name of Allah is uttered. The rhythm of the movement,
as well as the utterance of the name of Allah, gradually quickens in response to the
melody. The end of the performance approaches when the name of Allah alone is
recited by repeating the firs and the last letter (alif, ha) thus indicating the
attainment of the state of annihilation in God (fana’). Apart from the ritual function
of the musical presentation of the name of God, there is also the aesthetic side,
interest in which is confirmed by the widespread distribution of the musical
presentation of God’s names is not unlike their presentation in calligraphy (q.v.)

If the recitation of the Qur’an has developed its own musical genre, its written from
has developed two kinds of visual art, calligraphy and book decoration (she
ORNAMENT AND ILLUMINATION). Manuscript decoration (see MANUSCRIPT THE
QUR’AN) was an art developed by Muslims through their efforts to invent markers or
indicators for the early ‘Uthmanic copies (mushaf, see CODICES OF THE QUR’AN) of
the Qur’an, in order to facilitate recitation of the written text. First it was necessary
to add diacritical points in order to differentiate between Arabic letters of similar
written form; second, to establish signs indicating short vowels within and at the
ends of word; and third, to create a system for the numbering of the verses and the
demarcation of the beginning and the end of each sura. Different colorful artistic
markers, still highly esteemed, were well trained and had long experience.