MI week 2

Tuesday (2a)

Due today

Report including the following four works - address each in 1-2 paragraphs, and submit on eClass 2a.

• al-Said, Labib. The Recited Koran, pp. 11-27, 53-76
• Frishkopf, Michael. Mediated Qur'anic Recitation and the Contestation of Islam in Contemporary Egypt , pp. 75-84 top part , and pp. 111 (Conclusions) to 114 (& read more if you’d like). Listen to the audio examples: ex 3.1, Mustafa Ismail - Mujawwad style, ex 3.2, Mustafa Ismail - Murattal style, ex. 3.3, Ahmad al-Ajmi - Saudi style,
• Nelson, Kristina. The Art of Reciting the Qur'an (on reserve, in bookstore, and also online); browse this important book. Read selectively according to your interests, and get a sense of its overall scope and limits. (Note: You do not need to read the whole book! This is an opportunity to practice an important scholarly technique: selective skimming.)
• Koran by Heart, a beautiful documentary about a Qur'an competition. (Kristina Nelson served as consultant on this film.)

Also: memorize Surat Ikhlas (chapter 112 of the Qur'an) -- containing just four short verses -- and try to perform along with the recording, using this website: http://quran.com/112. Note that you can turn transliteration on or off, and listen. The Qur'an contains 114 chapters or suras, arranged roughly from long to short. Surat al-Ikhlas (chapter of Sincerity), also known as Surat al-Tawhid (chapter of Unity) is said to contain the essence of the Qur'an as a whole.

Watch this video from The Guardian, in which a calligrapher speaks and demonstrates his art. Have a look at the calligraphic representation of the Qur'an.

For those who are interested, here are some links on Arabic script and calligraphy:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBYFPI8gIt4 technique of the calligrapher
• http://web.stanford.edu/dept/lc/arabic/alphabet/ (really nice site - you can see each letter, watch it being drawn, and hear its sound)
• http://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&key=Arab (technical discussion of the alphabet and script)
• http://www.omniglot.com/charts/print/arabic.pdf (a chart)
• http://www.omniglot.com/writing/arabic.htm (more)
• http://www.mastersofistanbul.com/en/ustalar/2/calligraphy Turkish masters of calligraphy

Class

• What is the value in examining the "sounds of Islam"? "Music of Muslim societies" from an Islamic perspective? Course goals.
• Adhan
  • intro
  • Map of adhans around the world. Note variation in performance style; consistency in text (mostly). Where does the text differ and why? How does Adhan convey ideology?
  • Women and Adhan
  • Try reciting the Adhan, in multiple maqamat, following this notation
• Qur'an
  • The structure of the Qur'an. The word - written (mushaf), recited (tilawa)
  • Major themes of the Qur'an
  • Film: Qur'an by Heart. What do you learn about Islam through its sonic dimension that you might not learn otherwise?
  • [1]. Mujawwad, murattal.
  • Ahkam al-Tajwid.
  • Calligraphy: Surat al-Ikhlas
  • Recitation: Surat al-Ikhlas
  • Surat Yusuf: multiple versions. How does recitation convey ideology without varying the text? [2]
  • Women and Tilawa
• Language Performance: LP (ppt on adhan - ICTM seminar)

Thursday (2b)

No class today, but please submit assignments on time anyway. Note assignments for Week 3 under the appropriate link on the main outline page.

Due today

Report including the following four works - address each in 1-2 paragraphs, and submit on eClass 2b.

(you can submit this assignment as late as midnight tonight - there is no class, so you may use the class time to watch one of the films)

• Shiloah, Music in the World of Islam, pp. 1-26
• Schimmel, Islam, pp. 29-50
• Empire of Faith part 2
• The Message

Class

No class today! Please watch one of the above films.