Qur'an recitation, Torah reading, and Hip Hop

The week after spring break, the class entered a new unit: sound. We did this by reading the first chapters of Women, the Recited Qur’an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia by Anne Rasmussen. Qur’an recitation is a widespread practice in Indonesia when women recite passages from the central holy text of Islam. This ritual takes place in secular and religious settings. Rasmussen cites five contexts where Qur’an recitation is practiced. The first is  khatam al Qur’an, where the entire Qur’an is recited by thirty women at the same time. Pondok pesantren is when girls in boarding school learn recitation as part of their education. Qur’an recitation is also a staple of the college curriculum, where it is taught at a more advanced level. Women can then prepare to competitions in small groups, which is the fourth context. The fifth is the hafla-al Qur’an, a competition where recitations are judged by a series of experts, and prestigious prizes are awarded to the most talented Qur’an recitation. (Rasmussen, 74-5)

We discussed in class what is the criteria to judge a contestant in a hafla-al Qur’an. Even after watching the video in class, I am not sure on the technical aspects of a performance, but one can certainly gage whether a person is emotionally committed to their passage, or whether she is able to elevate the passage to express “the cadence of God.” 

I am fascinated at how Qur’an recitation is a seamless practice in both secular and religious settlings. I tried to think of equivalents in my life, and nothing comes close to Qur’an recitation in Indonesian culture.

A religious context that a holy scripture is recited is during Bar and Bat Mitzvah’s, when the thirteen year-old has practiced to read a passage from the Torah that falls on the day of the event. The child has been tutored to learn the melody of the passage, and can read the Torah with the help of a yad. It’s actually the point of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah that a child is mature enough to read the Torah and to study the specific meaning of the passage. If the child has a nice voice, and has practiced proficiently, it is very beautiful to hear the results of months of preparation. Even if you don't understand what's being said, it is a meaningful experience to know that words are being read aloud with passionate intention.

Torah is also read aloud by a rabbi during weekly Shabbat services. Though it is not a major occasion, it is not a secular event. Though I would argue that the practice of studying Torah is a higher priority in Judaism than reciting Torah, it is still something held to a very high regard. However, the religious context of reciting holy scriptures is not widespread in American culture because Jewish people make up a very small percentage of the population. 

The second connection I found to Qur’an recitation that occurs in a secular contexts is rap music. What is has in common with Qur’an recitation is that rappers spit rhymes with beats  in the background, and it is up to public opinion whether their performance is good or not. Rap music is fascinating because there is so many aspects of to what makes a good rap song. The lyrics and how they rhyme, whether its catchy or memorable or witty, the flow of the verse. The beats is important, whether it catches the vibe of the song. Vocals in rap used to be less of a priority, but rappers that can sing can elevate their song and make it more anthemic (Kanye West’s album Graduation and Kid Cudi). 

I am certain that rap music falls in the secular realm, but like good art, it transcends cultural boundaries. Like holy scriptures, the content of the rap lyrics can inspire introspection. Lyrics cover politics, death, love, sex, money, joy, depression. Even if the content of the lyrics is secular, religious references and imagery utilized can be very powerful. What is fairly obvious, however, is that rap lyrics are more contemporarily relevant than holy scriptures because many have been written in the past thirty years, compared to the thousand of years and the unknown origins of many religious texts. I would argue that rap music is a staple of American culture in a similar way Qur’an recitation is to Indonesia. 

What I take away from this unit is that I'm inspired that women in Indonesia can seamlessly blend the religious and secular with their music. It would give my life much more fulfillment if I could connect so deeply with my faith in secular, nationalistic contexts. I am aware of the separation between church and state in regards to music in America by studying how they work together in Indonesia.