The Discipline of Devotion (The Recited Qur’an/Hearing) -- Calliope Mills

The Discipline of Devotion 

By Calliope Mills 

From Wiki Media Commons

  

  When we think about religious devotion, we often picture moments of quiet reflection, prayer, or spiritual insight. But reading Women, the Recited Qur’an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia by Anne Rasmussen showed me that devotion also looks like repetition, muscle memory, and hours of disciplined practice; sometimes with sound being the cornerstone of it all.

Figure 20 from Rasmussen's book

     The women Rasmussen writes about aren’t just participating in their faith—they're embodying it through sound. From the precise articulation of Arabic letters to the melodic flow of Qur’anic recitation, every vocal detail matters. Pitch, tone, rhythm, breath—these elements are fine-tuned with the same care as a classical musician rehearsing a complex piece. And just like music, these sounds carry meaning far beyond the words themselves. They express reverence, emotion, and spiritual presence. As Rasmussen writes,” For it is disciplined and continuous practice that enables a reciter to, at the perfect moment of divine inspiration, unite individual creativity, technical competence, and an informed (Arab) aesthetic sensibility, thereby melodically beautifying the word of God” (p. 111). 

    As someone who's also poured time and energy into a craft related to sound, (that being my experience with dance), In some ways I saw myself reflected in their stories. The daily discipline, the subtle improvements that no one else might notice, the connection between sound and intention—these are universal. I realized that in my own life, sound has always played a role in focus and expression, even if I hadn’t thought of it that way before. 

My friends and I after dancing in high school 

 

KAOS a the International Bazar 

 
     For almost eight years now I have been practicing the art of learning K-POP choreographies. From watching the videos online with my friends in high school, to now being a third year captain of the KAOS dance team here on campus, my experience with the dance is what I would consider myself to be most disciplined to. I think that hardly a day goes by where I do not practice for this art form in one way or another, and striving after the smallest improvements or new revelations on how to best replicate a challenging move, is what occupies a lot of my day-to-day brain power. Not only is this practice something that brings clarity and balance to my life, but being both a teacher (as a captain) and a student (as a learner of the moves from professionals), brings a different element of discipline to the activity as well.

    Although what might be most notable about this practice is the physical elements–i.e. the movement of bodies–I find the sonic elements to be equally important. There is something imperative about bringing subtle beats and rhythms to life, the beats of perfectly synced footsteps and claps, and the cheers of accomplishment that take place during practice and performance. Dance for me is not a passion without sound.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (Video 1 of KAOS practice)

 (Video 2 of Kaos Practice)

 I find there is something truly sacred in the grind—something holy in the repetition. That’s the quiet lesson these women offer: that devotion isn’t just about belief, it’s about practice. And sometimes, it’s the sound of that practice—measured, intentional, beautiful—that says the most.