The Qur'ân Recited
Mahmoud Ayoub, Temple University

UNTIL RECENTLY, the Qur’ân has been treated in the curricula of Western universities and colleges as a historical and literary document. Little attention was paid to the Qur’ân as a sacred scripture and the vital role it continues to play in the spiritual, social and cultural lives of millions of men and women around the world. Even scantier attention was paid to the place of the Qur’ân in the development of the art of music.

As interest is growing in the impact of the Qur’ân on the devotional and cultural life of the Muslim community, greater attention is given to the various sciences of the Qur’ân, including the highly developed art of Qur’ân recitation. This brief essay introduces students of Islamic and religious studies to four well-known modern representatives of this art whose recitations are readily available on audio cassettes, disks or compact disks. A few introductory remarks on the development of this art may provide a useful background for the discussion. Traditionally, Muslims have approached the Qur’ân from two distinct, but interrelated, points of view, as the Qur’ân interpreted and the Qur’ân recited. To the former Muslims have dedicated their best minds, and to the latter their best voices and musical talents. While the science of exegesis (tafsîr) aims at uncovering the meanings of the sacred text, the art of recitation (tilâwah) has been the chief vehicle of its dissemination.

The purpose and basic rules of Qur’ânic recitation are given in the Qur’ân itself. The Qur’ân must be recited or chanted aloud and in a state of physical and spiritual purity. It must be recited slowly, deliberately and rhythmically (Q. 73:4). The purpose is to please God by reciting His Word and to obtain by this devotional act His blessing. Through recitation, the Qur’ân also fulfills a unique social and liturgical role in Muslim society. In short, through its public recital, the Qur’ân has been an inexhaustible source of blessing and social cohesion for Muslims through the ages.

The art of Qur’ânic recitation goes back, according to tradition, to the Prophet and his companions. He is said to have paused between verses, pronounced his words emphatically and prolonged his vowels. Among the Companions, the best known reciter was the Yamanite Abû Mûs a al- Ash arî, who is said to have had a beautiful voice.

The Qur'ân should, according to Prophetic tradition, be melodiously chanted, but not sung. It should be chanted with humility and a sad voice. That is to say, the recitation should not be viewed as entertainment, but as a means of creating an atmosphere of tranquility and awe in the listeners. The Qur’ân enjoins, When the Qur’ân is recited listen to it attentively, that perhaps you may be shown mercy (Q. 7:204).

Qur'ân recitation as a devotional art began during the Prophet's time. References to Qur’ân reciters (qurrâ') as a special group go back to the time of Abû Bakr and Umar. This practice soon led to the establishment of Qur’ân schools, later known as kuttâb where children began their formal education. Such schools still exist in many Muslim countries, particularly in rural areas.

The Arab cultural renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th century included new and significant developments in music as well. Because Egypt was the main center of this cultural awakening, Egypt set the standard for both the recitation and structure of the Qur’ân. The modern royal Egyptian edition of the sacred text has become the standard, and the Egyptian style the universally accepted style of recitation.

Most well-known Egyptian singers began their career as Qur’ân reciters. While these achieved their popularity as secular singers, many achieved equal fame as professional reciters of the Qur’ân. Men like Mustafâ Isma îl, Abû al-`Aynayn Shu`aysha` and Muhammad Farîd al-Sandyûnî, to name but a few, developed what may be regarded as new schools of recitation. The techniques of these and other famous reciters are still taught in special institutes of Qur’ân recitation.

Other local styles of recitation were developed in every Muslim region. Turkish and Iranian reciters clearly reflect the timbre and tone of their rich musical heritage. The Maghribi style is specially interesting because it typifies so well the musical tradition of North Africa and Arab Spain.

Modern Qur’ân recitation broadly consists of two forms, tajwîd and tartîl. Tajwîd means to make good or excellent, and hence is supposed to show the reciter’s musical talent and virtuosity. Tajwîd is in fact a public musical recital which could have the same emotional effect on the audience as any good secular musical performance. Among the four reciters who will be presently considered, Shaykh `Abd al-Bâsit `Abd al-Samad is one of the best representatives of this art.

Tartîl, the other form of Qur’ân recitation, is a simple chant using a set pattern of limited musical range and phraseology. While the purpose of tajwîd is to evoke admiration for the artistry and vocal ability of the reciter, tartîl is meant to instruct the listeners and, through its hypnotic monotony, to create an atmosphere of solemn calm. Shaykh Mahmûd Khalîl al-Husarî is one of the best representatives of this form.

Shaykh Muhammad Rif`at remains one of the most famous reciters of this century. He had a powerful voice and a somewhat crude but enchanting style which appealed at one and the same time to the sophisticated audiences of Arab metropolitan centers as well as to the rustic people of the countryside. Rif`at would, however, be difficult for Western listeners to appreciate because of the rough quality of his voice and the muffled sound of old recordings, from which most available reproductions of his recitation are made. Rif at is more for the connoisseur of Qur’ân recitation than the uninitiated student. He is better known for his tajwîd rather than his tartîl.

The fourth shaykh is `Abd al-Rahmân al-Hudhayfî, a Saudi reciter who was trained in the Egyptian style. While all but al-Hudhayfî, who is still alive, died within the last three decades, their recordings are still reproduced, as they have not yet been equalled anywhere in the Muslim world.

If the purpose of introducing Qur’ân recitation to students of Islamic studies is to show the variety and popularity of this art, then the best known and most readily available recordings are those of `Abd al-Bâsit. Because of the wide range of his voice and great virtuosity in the tajwîd of the Qur’ân, many of his recordings were live performances. It may, however, be less distracting for students to use studio recordings.

If, on the other hand, the purpose is to help students appreciate a simple style of Qur’ân recitation which they can even try to imitate, then Shaykh al-Husarî’s simple tartîl is most effective. A special characteristic which greatly enhances the usefulness of his recitation is the clarity of his diction. Furthermore, al-Husarî’s recordings of both tajwîd and tartîl are readily available.

There are certain peculiarities of Qur’ânic recitation which, if overstressed, may be distracting to Western listeners. The most important of these is the khunnah (nasal sound) which is considered an essential technique of all forms of recitation, though not universally observed. Al- Husarî’s clear and sonorous voice largely obscures this nasal sound. `Abd al- Bâsit’s voice also obscures it in the higher range only. But many find this high shrill falsetto voice itself hard to appreciate.

The two other interrelated peculiarities are the stress of the guttural sounds of the `ayn and the hamzah. This technique reflects particular ancient Arab dialects, and is often used to show the wide diversity of Qur'ân recitation. This stress is most pronounced in the recitation of Shaykhs Rif at and Hudhayfî.

`Abd al-Rahmân al-Hudhayfî is the official reciter of the sacred mosque of Makkah. He has a good voice, but his recitation lacks the clarity and artistry of al-Husarî's style. He is, nonetheless, a good representative of the tartîl style.

The choice of examples of recitation for teaching purposes is important. Perhaps either a selection of the short sûrahs, or a sûrah dealing with a familiar subject may best serve this purpose. Beside the short sûrahs of the thirtieth juz , which are usually available on one recording, sûrah 12 (Yûsuf), 19 (Mariam), 36 (Yâ Sîn) and 55 (al-Rahmân) have been specially popular among pious Muslims.

Among these, sûrah 19 is perhaps the most interesting. Its narration of the birth of Jesus follows closely the narrative of the Gospel of Luke and other early Christian apocryphal sources. Like Luke's narrative, the Qur’ânic nativity story is dramatic and celebrative. Furthermore, the part dealing with the nativity story is not too long; it forms an independent and well- integrated narrative.

There are many interesting styles of Qur’ân recitation and numerous well-known reciters. There are also other famous Egyptian reciters to choose from. To be a hâfiz, literally keeper, of the Qur’ân is regarded by Muslims as an honor for which many strive, but few master. It is hoped that the few reciters here presented will serve as useful introduction to this fascinating devotional art.

RECORDINGS [All available from Rashid Sales Co., 191 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11201, 1-800-843-9401].

[1] al-Shaykh `Abd al-Bâsit `Abd al-Samad. al-Qur'ân al- Karîm [complete]. Available in murattal [20 cassettes] and mujawwad [50 cassettes]. Sono Cairo.
[2] al-Shaykh Mahmûd Khalîl al-Husarî. Sûrat Yûsuf [complete, murattal]. Orient Music [compact disc]. Also available from Original Music [418 Lasher Rd., Tivoli, NY 12583, 1-914-756- 2767].
[3] al-Shaykh Muhammad Rif`at. Excerpts from Sûrat Yûsuf, Sûrat Yûnis, Sûrat al-Tûba and Sûrat al- Kahf [cassettes, mujawwad]. Sono Cairo.
[4] al-Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmân al-Hudhayfî. al-Qur’ân al- Karîm [complete, murattal, cassettes].
[5] al-Shaykh `Abd al-Bâsit`Abd al-Samad. Excerpts from Sûrat Maryam, Sûrat al-Rahmân, Sûrat Yâ Sîn and Sûrat Yûsuf [mujawwad] on individual compact discs. Club du Disques Arabes. Also available from Original Music.