# Islamic Sacred Music



## poetic

Salaam,

I have been interested in Sacred Music but I don't like listening to it as it is often Christian (usually Catholic) and I am an ex-Catholic now Muslim...Idk, it just seems a little weird; like if I were a Wiccan who listens to Nasheed. Are there any works that implement a similar style to sacred music from the Renaissance or Des prez yet is more Islamically correct?

Thanks, Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakattuh, Dawud


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## Flutter

I'm Muslim too, this is a topic I've tried to find more about but it's still a rather obscure topic as far as classical music is concerned.

For instance, John Tavener composed a work about the 99 names of God called "The Beautiful names" (despite that's he's an orthodox Christian). https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/35236/
I would be interested to hear if there are any composers out there exploring this area.

Of course when it comes to music and Islam, we don't really have any major contributions with classical music as our music culture is far more improvisational and based around small chamber groups of musicians and singers, sort of like certain genres of Medieval Christian music but not in sound/atmosphere/texture.


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## poetic

Thanks brother. I will check that work out. Are you a born muslim or convert


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## Bwv 1080

As an iconoclastic religion Islam has been anti-music, particularly against instrumental music, much like more severe protestant sects


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## Rogerx

Use the Google search machine, helps a lot.


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## flamencosketches

Following this thread out of curiosity. Unfortunately, I know very little about the subject though I have heard and enjoyed music from the Sufi tradition in the past. I like its droning and improvisatory quality. Couldn't be more different from Christian sacred music.


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## Jacck

they have the quran chants




I have no idea if they have polyphony or not. Probably not.

there is the sufi tradition
Sufi Meditation Music





then there is the andalusian music


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## caracalla

If the Andalusian music above was any use to you, somebody you probably need to check out is Eduardo Paniagua.

Paniagua specialises in the music of mediaeval Spain (he takes it up to the early 1500s, but most is a lot earlier than that). His main ensemble, Musica Antigua, is mainly concerned with the music of the Christian kingdoms, but also makes a number of forays into the music of Andalusia and other territories under Islamic rule at an earlier date. They even have a couple of discs dealing with music from the Holy Land. In addition to Musica Antigua, he also helped set up Ensemble Ibn Baya, with musicians from North Africa, to explore a wider range of early Islamic music. Both groups have quite an extensive discography on his Pneuma label, which also publishes other ensembles working in these areas. 

I doubt if much of this could be classified as sacred music, though many secular songs of the Middle Ages do have religious themes. At any rate, searches on 'Paniagua', 'Ibn Baya' and 'Pneuma' throw up a lot of stuff on Spotify you might want to investigate.


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## DaddyGeorge

https://d1iiivw74516uk.cloudfront.n...0IjoianBlZyJ9LCJ0aW1lc3RhbXAiOjE1NDk2MjM0NjB9


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## caracalla

While looking for something completely different in the Studio SM back catalogue, I came across this: 'Musiques Religieuses en Islam' (SM 30-629). This dates from 1975 and is OP, but seems to be offered on ebay with reasonable frequency. I don't know if there's ever been a reissue on CD. Among other esoterica, SM have also released stuff like historic Syriac and Coptic chant, so I'd guess the Islamic disc is in the right ballpark. 

Celestial Harmonies also has a 15 vol (17 CD) set called 'The Music of Islam', drawn from right across the Moslem world and recorded in the 90s. There is a 1 CD sampler from this (13159-2), which is probably worth checking out as discs from the set can be purchased individually if desired. More info about the set is on their website.


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