From the first ever event organised by Quranica:
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Music and Spirituality: radio discussion
30 JulIn February 2007, Quranica director Sohaib Saeed participated in a Beyond Belief discussion on BBC Radio 4 about music and its relation to spiritual experience, speaking as a promoter of the art of Qur’anic recitation.
Listen here: Beyond Belief > Music & Spiritual Experience
The other panellists were Rabbi Mark Solomon of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London, and Revd June Boyce-Tillman of the University of Winchester. It was presented by Ernie Rea.
The Art of Qur’an Recitation
9 JulBy Sohaib Saeed
The Qur’an has many names, as mentioned throughout its chapters and verses. Two are considered the most important. It is described as the Kitāb meaning “book”, and as the Qur’ān meaning “recital”.
The fact that these are the two names for the divine revelation received by Muhammad, believed by Muslims to be God’s last messenger, indicates that it has two forms: as a written scripture and as a recited text.
The fact that we know it first and foremost as the Qur’an is a clue to the recited aspect being its most essential reality.
According to American ethnomusicologist Dr Kristina Nelson:
“For the Muslim faithful, the familiar sound of Qur’anic recitation is the predominant and most immediate means of contact with the Word of God. Heard day and night, on the street, in taxis, in shops, in mosques, and in homes, the sound of recitation is far more than the pervasive background music of daily life in the Arab world. It is the core of religious devotion, the sanctioning spirit of much cultural and social life, and a valued art form in its own right.” (Nelson, The Art of Reciting the Qur’an, AUC Press 2001)
In this article, we shall explain the role of recitation in experiencing the Qur’an, and discuss the principles that underlie the beauty of recitation. (more…)
