Music and Islam (Winter 2024)

MUSIC AND ISLAM (Music 469/569)

Official Syllabus

Short URLs:

• for this website: https://bit.ly/mislam24
• for Google Drive site: https://bit.ly/mislam24g
• for assignment submission: https://bit.ly/mislam24a

Use this Google form (https://bit.ly/mislam24a) to submit all assignments. Please do not email assignments to the instructor. Note that all assignments are due on class meeting days before class begins.

I'm going to try to avoid eClass entirely; we'll see how it goes...if we need it, it's there! :)

Instructor

Professor Michael Frishkopf
Meetings: Winter 2024, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM pm, Old Arts 403
Office: 334D Old Arts Building
Office hours: by appointment
Tel: 780-492-0225, email: michaelf@ualberta.ca

Course description, objectives, requirements, schedule

Course description

This course addresses the sonic practices of Islamic rituals, Muslim discourses about music, and the relation of both to the rich diversity of religious and musical practices in Muslim societies around the globe. Course content includes lecture, seminar, and multimedia formats. No prior formal knowledge of music history, theory, ethnomusicology, or Islam is required. Undergraduates should enroll in Music 469; graduate students should enroll in Music 569.

Note: course content is divided by week (1-17); each week containing two meetings (Tuesday and Thursday). As a shorthand each class meeting is designated by the week number followed by "a" or "b", representing the first or second meeting respectively. Thus Week 3's Thursday meeting is "3b".

Course objectives

• To become familiar – experientially and intellectually – with the sounds of Islam: genres, styles, structures, musical-textual content, meanings, social-historical contexts, and spiritual-cultural implications.
• To develop a felt understanding and appreciation of experiential dimensions of Islam, as a system of spirituality, belief, practice, and affiliation, particularly in its affective aspects. Through our own experience and study of its sonic dimension, in social, cultural, textual, and historical context, we will gain greater access to the experiential dimension of Islam.
• To thereby learn about the broad spectrum of beliefs, discourses, and practices generally labelled "Islam" -- especially Islam's mystical dimension, Sufism.
• To become familiar with a range of Islamic discourses related to sound - both oral and written, including primary texts constituting the Islamic tradition.
• To gain access to the historical dimensions of Islam, and the development of Islam over time and space. In particular, we can understand Islam’s evolution as a process of constrained ramification, a combination of humanly-mediated (oral/aural) and materially-mediated (literate) transmission (sound more localized, text more globalized)
• To thereby learn about the interconnections of Muslim cultures and societies throughout history, especially in their affective dimensions, and the ways in which "sound" and "religion" are linked, amplifying, constraining, and otherwise shaping each other, as mediated by social dimensions of each.
• To understand the general relationship between Islam and music in Muslim-majority societies.
• Most broadly, to understand the ways in which systems of religion (e.g. "Islam") and sound (e.g. "music") can and do interact (directly or indirectly), affectively, discursively, or socially.
• Other objectives... what do *you* want to get out of the course?

Course requirements

Note that each week contains a Tuesday session (labelled "a") and a Thursday session (labelled "b"), so that for instance 4b is the Thursday session in week 4.

• Regular class attendance and full participation.
• Completing weekly reading, viewing, and listening assignments on time, such that you are able to participate in class discussions effectively.
• Submitting reading/listening/viewing reports synthesizing and critiquing assignments (approximately 1-2 paragraphs per work). Note that some kind of report will be due before class on most class days. Each report must be submitted via the Google form, https://bit.ly/mislam24a. NOTE: These writing assignments need not be highly polished or lengthy – indeed they should not exceed one or at most two pages. They should make explicit reference to assigned readings/listenings/viewings, and demonstrate some synthetic and critical acumen: show me that you've done the reading (or listening or viewing), and that you've thought about what you've read, by reflecting, comparing, assessing, and critiquing. These reports will help you to prepare your final paper.
• Preparing additional assigned exercises, which may be presented in class (these may involve singing or reciting for instance).
• Submitting a short research proposal (1 page) on a relevant topic of your choice, by 4b.
• Submitting a research paper outline and initial bibliography, by 9b.
• Submitting a rough draft of your research paper (may be partially incomplete) by 12a
• Oral presentation (20 minutes, plus 10 minutes Q/A) summarizing your research, towards the end of the course, accompanied by rough draft of final paper. Submit slides (ppt or other) by week 14b.
• Final papers are due by 16b. Requirements vary by level: (1) Music 569 (grad): at least 24 pages (1.5 spaced, 12 pt, 1” margins, not including bibliography), based on class readings plus at least 20 additional relevant sources; (2) Music 469 (undergrad): at least 12 pages (1.5 spaced, 12 pt, 1” margins, not including bibliography), based on class readings plus at least 10 additional relevant sources. I strongly recommend using Zotero to organize your bibliography and format references (see http://zotero.org). It will save you lots of time!

Course Schedule (with assignments)

Note: these pages will be updated by each Saturday, to be correct for the following week. (I'm revising from 2015, when the course was offered in fall; many links have broken over the past 8 years, and many events no longer line up.)

Note that each week contains a Tuesday session (labelled "a") and a Thursday session (labelled "b"), so that for instance 4b is the Thursday session in week 4.

Tues (a)	Thurs (b)	Week and Topic
9 Jan	11 Jan	1. Introduction to Music and Islam
16 Jan	18 Jan	2. Core ritual sounds: Adhān, Qurʾān, Duʿāʾ
23 Jan	25 Jan	3. Inshād and Language Performance. Islamicate music.
30 Jan	1 Feb	4. Music and Samāʿ; paper proposal due 4b
6 Feb	8 Feb	5. Introduction to Sufism and Sufi music
13 Feb	15 Feb	6. More about Sufi music, and Islam on the Edges: the Caribbean (a); film assignment instead of (b) (no class on Thursday, but please come to our Black History Month event, "Artists of the Caribbean Diaspora"; there will be three symposia each featuring a dialogue between two artists, at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm, as well as a concert at 6pm. See schedule here.)
20 Feb	22 Feb	7. Reading Week
27 Feb	29 Feb	8. Shiʿa and Ashurāʾ
5 Mar	7 Mar	9. Other Shiʿa groups and practices; paper outline and bibliography due 9b
12 Mar	14 Mar	10. Syncretic Islamic communities & their music
19 Mar	21 Mar	11. More on various Islamic communities & their music
26 Mar	28 Mar	12. Popular Islamic music: local and global
2 Apr	4 Apr	13. Music, Sound, and Architecture in Islam: The Sonorous Audible Mosque (13a). Presentations: Jude & Eli (13b). Research paper rough draft due by 13b (upload) Also Jude & Eli: please submit a link to your google slides presentations.
9 Apr	11 Apr	14. Presentations: Alanna, Jude, and Tobin. Presenters: please submit a link to your google slides presentations. (14a). Special guest: Khadijah and Afro-Arabian Dance (14b). Sunday, April 14: MENAME concert, 3:30 PM, Workshop West on Gateway Blvd just north of Whyte (featuring Khadijah). Get your tickets here! (They are limited in number so don't delay :)
16 Apr	18 Apr	15. No classes
23 Apr	25 Apr	16. No classes. All assignments (final paper but also any missed reviews) due 16b. Have a great summer!

Evaluation

Assignments and weights

There will be short assignments due prior to most class meetings, to be uploaded via eClass. These count equally, and total 45% of your mark. Another 15% is attendance and participation in class or field trips (if these can be arranged). The remaining 40% is the final paper (30% = 5% proposal + 5% outline/bibliography + 5% draft + 15% final submission) and its in-class presentation (10%).

NB:

• There will be no in-class exams.
• Unexcused late assignments will be downgraded one quarter point per day.
• When page counts are given they refer to 1" margins, 1.5-spaced, Times New Roman font, or equivalent. "References cited" or "bibliography" does not count towards the page total.
• Be sure to cite all references using the (author year:pages) format, and list all references cited at the end of your paper. I strongly suggest use of a bibliographic database tool to assist in organizing sources and recommend Zotero.

Grading scale

Evaluations of each assignment are on a scale from 0-4.3 points (and an equivalent scale 0 - 100). These scores are combined according to the percentages indicated below in order to produce a final numeric grade. This grade is rounded to the nearest numeric value in the table below, in order to determine the final letter grade.

• A+: 4.3
  
• A: 4.0
  
• A-: 3.7
  
• B+: 3.3
  
• B: 3.0
  
• B-: 2.7
  
• C+: 2.3
  
• C: 2.0
  
• C-: 1.7
  
• D+: 1.3
  

Resources

Islamic websites (primarily by and for Muslims)

• Resources for various Topics in Islam
• Mosques of Edmonton
• Resources for The sounds of Islam

Books

These books may be useful as you develop your own research projects. Our library should have most if not all of them. Often you can find them online in kindle editions, for rapid acquisition at a discount (and it's nice to have a searchable version!).

• Aidi, Hisham. 2014. Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture.
• Çizmeci, Esra. 2023. Performing Post-Tariqa Sufism: Making Sacred Space with Mevlevi and Rifai Zikir in Turkey. London: Routledge.
• Ernst, Carl W. 2011. Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam. Boston, Mass.; London: Shambhala.
• Feldman, Walter. 2023. From Rumi to the Whirling Dervishes: Music, Poetry, and Mysticism in the Ottoman Empire. 1st edition. Edinburgh University Press.
• Frishkopf, Michael Aaron, and Federico Spinetti, eds. 2018. Music, Sound, and Architecture in Islam. First edition. Austin: The University of TexasPress.
• Friedlander, Shems, Nezih Uzel, and Shems Friedlander. 2003. Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes: Being an Account of the Sufi Order Known as the Mevlevis and Its Founder the Poet and Mystic Mevlana Jalaluʼddin Rumi. New York: Parabola Books.
• Gill, Denise. 2017. Melancholic Modalities: Affect, Islam, and Turkish Classical Musicians. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
• Harnish, David, and Anne Rasmussen. 2011. Divine Inspirations: Music and Islam in Indonesia. Oxford University Press, USA.
• Harris, Rachel. 2020. Soundscapes of Uyghur Islam. Framing the Global Book Series. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
• Hill, Joseph. 2018. Wrapping Authority: Women Islamic Leaders in a Sufi Movement in Dakar, Senegal. Anthropological Horizons. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. https://www.deslibris.ca/ID/479784.
• Inayat Khan. 1996. The Mysticism of Sound and Music. Boston; [New York]: Shambhala ; Distributed in the United States by Random House.
• Jankowsky, Richard C. 2010. Stambeli: Music, Trance, and Alterity in Tunisia. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Jankowsky, Richard C. 2021. Ambient Sufism: Ritual Niches and the Social Work of Musical Form. Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
• Khabeer, Su’ad Abdul. 2016. Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States. New York, NY: NYU Press.
• Kapchan, Deborah. 2007. Traveling Spirit Masters: Moroccan Gnawa Trance and Music in the Global Marketplace. Middletown: Wesleyan.
• Knight, Michael Muhammad. 2007. The Five Percenters: Islam, Hip-Hop, and the Gods of New York. Oxford: Oneworld.
• Knight, Michael Muhammad. 2004. The Taqwacores.
• LeVine, Mark. 2008. Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam. New York: Three Rivers Press.
• Malik, Abd al. 2009. Sufi Rapper: The Spiritual Journey of Abd al Malik. Original ed. edition. Inner Traditions.
• Miyakawa, Felicia M. 2005. Five Percenter Rap : God Hop’s Music, Message, and Black Muslim Mission. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
• Nasir, Kamaludeen Mohamed. 2020. Representing Islam - Hip-Hop of the September 11 Generation. Bloomington: Indian University Press.
• Nelson, Kristina. 1985. The Art of Reciting the Qur’an. Vol. 1st. Austin: University of Texas Press. Available also on Kindle and Google Play.
• Nieuwkerk, Karin van. 2011. Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater Artistic Developments in the Muslim World. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10519732.
• Otterbeck, Jonas. 2023. The Awakening of Islamic Pop Music. 1st edition. S.l.: Edinburgh University Press.
• Qureshi, Regula. 1995. Sufi Music of India and Pakistan : Sound, Context, and Meaning in Qawwali. Vol. University of Chicago Press. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Rahman, Fazlur. 1979. Islam. Chicago : University of Chicago Press.
• Rasmussen, Anne K. 2010. Women, the Recited Qur’an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Ruthven, Malise. 1997. Islam: a Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Salhi, Kamal. 2014. Music, Culture and Identity in the Muslim World: Performance, Politics and Piety. Routledge Advances in Middle East and Islamic Studies. New York: Routledge. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10822561.
• Schimmel, Annemarie. 1975. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press.
• Schimmel, Annemarie. 1992. Islam : An Introduction. Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Sells, Michael Anthony. 1999. Approaching the Qurʼan: The Early Revelations. Ashland, Or: White Cloud Press.
• Şenay, Banu. 2020. Musical Ethics and Islam: The Art of Playing the Ney. University of Illinois Press. https://doi.org/10.5406/j.ctvz7k2w1.
• Shiloah, Amnon. 1995. Music in the World of Islam : A Socio-Cultural Study. Detroit : Wayne State University Press.
• Surty, Muhammad Ibrahim H.I. 1988. A Course in the Science of Reciting the Qur’an. London: The Islamic Foundation.
• Turner, Richard Brent. 2021. Soundtrack to a Movement: African American Islam, Jazz, and Black Internationalism. New York: NYU Press.
• van Nieuwkerk, Karin. 2011. Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater: Artistic Developments in the Muslim World. Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press. .
• Waugh, Earle H. 1989. The Munshidin of Egypt : Their World and Their Song. Vol. 1st ed. Studies in Comparative Religion. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press.
• Waugh, Earle H. 2005. Memory, Music, and Religion: Morocco’s Mystical Chanters. Studies in Comparative Religion (Columbia, S.C.). Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press.

Multimedia

• List of Islamic-themed films
• Kanopy films on Islam
• Films on Demand - Music and Islam playlist
• PBS series, Islam: Empire of Faith.
• The Message (1977) (Arabic version: Al-Risalah, 1976), a film directed by Moustapha Akkad, starring Anthony Quinn as Hamza, and Irene Papas as Hind
• BBC Musical Nomad (a journey through central asia)
• Koran by Heart
• Cairo in One Breath (Voices and Faces of the Adhan)
• The Sudanese Art of Reciting the Qur'an

YouTube playlists:

• Islam
• Music and Islam
• Islam in Africa
• Qur'an[1]
• Qur'an in Africa
• Sufism
• Adhan - call to prayer and [2]
• Salah - prayer
• Khutba - sermon
• sounds of Islam
• popular Islamic
• Discourses on music (see also: [3])
• Inshad: Shaykh Mohamed el-Helbawy (inshad, lessons on maqamat, from this celebrated performer and teacher...)
• Inshad: Shaykh Yasin al-Tuhami (Egypt's most celebrated Sufi chanter)
• al-Burda (the most famous poem of the Muslim world)

Maps, Timelines, Demographics

• Timelines:
  • Timeline of Islamic history from Wikipedia
  • Chronology of Islamic history, from the Met (with links to art)
  • Archnet timelines (history of architecture by dynasty)
  • Old Archnet timeline
• Maps:
  • distribution of Muslim population in the world today
  • Compare to the Arab world
  • Rise of Islam
  • Mapping the global muslim population (Pew Research Center)

(an excellent source of online maps is available at the University of Texas)

Educational sites

• IslamFYI (Princeton University)
• PBS Frontline program "Muslims": Accompanying site and Teacher's guide
• The Islam project

Related Expressive Arts in Islam

Poetry

• Princeton Online Arabic Poetry

Visual arts:

• Aga Khan Museum

Architecture:

• Archnet

Research tools: databases, archives

Please let me know if you find other useful resources; I'll add them here.

• General resources for ethnomusicological research
• Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at the University of Alberta
• Library resources for studies of Islam and Muslim civilizations, especially:
  • Encyclopaedia of Islam 3rd edition2nd edition1st edition (note: these are completely different works)
  • Index Islamicus
  • Oxford Islamic Studies Online
• Middle Eastern and North African newspapers
• Michael Frishkopf's research on the Sounds of Islam

Official statements

Course prerequisites: none
Course-based ethics approval, Community service learning: NA
Past or representative evaluative course material: see instructor
Additional mandatory instruction fees: No

Policy about course outlines can be found in Section 23.4(2) of the University Calendar. (GFC 29 SEP 2003).

Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at http://www.governance.ualberta.ca/en/CodesofConductandResidenceCommunityStandards/CodeofStudentBehaviour.aspx ) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.

Learning and working environment
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment. The department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to: • Discuss the matter with the person whose behaviour is causing concern; or • If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the Chair of the Department. For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/ ). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/DispPol.aspx?PID=110

Academic Honesty:
All students should consult the information provided by the Office of Judicial Affairs regarding avoiding cheating and plagiarism in particular and academic dishonesty in general (see the Academic Integrity Undergraduate Handbook and Information for Students). If in doubt about what is permitted in this class, ask the instructor. Students involved in language courses and translation courses should be aware that on-line “translation engines” produce very dubious and unreliable “translations.” Students in language courses should be aware that, while seeking the advice of native or expert speakers is often helpful, excessive editorial and creative help in assignments is considered a form of “cheating” that violates the code of student conduct with dire consequences. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process.

Recording of Lectures:
Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.

Attendance, Absences, and Missed Grade Components:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within two days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult sections 23.3(1) and 23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences will result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed-in or completed as a result. In this course, 10% of your grade depends on regular attendance and energetic participation.

Policy for Late Assignments:
See section on Evaluation, above.

Specialized Support & Disability Services:
If you have special needs that could affect your performance in this class, please let me know during the first week of the term so that appropriate arrangements can be made. If you are not already registered with Specialized Support & Disability Services, contact their office immediately ( 2-800 SUB; Email ssdsrec@ualberta.ca; Email; phone 780-492-3381; WEB www.ssds.ualberta.ca ).

Media Archives and Departmental Broadcasting of Audio-visual Material
Audio or video recording of performances, lectures, seminars, or any other academic or research environment activities are carried out by the Department of Music for archival purposes. These archives may be collected and housed in the Music Library. Recorded material is to be used solely for non-profit, educational, research, and community outreach purposes, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without obtaining the express permission from all parties involved. Please be advised that your solo or group performance may be featured on the University of Alberta's Department of Music website and/or social media platform(s). If you object to this use of audio and/or video material in which you will be included, please advise your instructor or the Department of Music in writing prior to participating in any performance, lecture, seminar or public event held by the Department of Music.