The sacred music of Islam: Samā’ in the Persian Sufi tradition

Abstract

The creation of a specific liturgy, composed of prayer, litanies, singing, music and sometimes dance, known as Samā’, integrating music into the practice of meditation, is an important aspect of the contemplative life in Islamic Sufism. The essay explores the basic theological and mystical concepts of Samā’. Part 1 discusses audition in Islamic theology, where three schools of scholars existed: advocates, adversaries and moderates. The views of the advocates—the Sufis—are discussed, and in particular, key works on Samā’ by the Persians Ahmad b. Muhammad al‐Tūsi and Abū Hāmid al‐Ghazāli . Part 2 explores the idea of the Sacred and the preconditions which the mystic must observe while listening to music, analysing Tūsi and Ghazāli's understanding of the three conditions (“right time, place and company”) of Samā’. Part 3 examines the relation of music to poetry in Islamic mysticism. Part 4 explores the relation of Koranic cantillation to singing, poetry and Samā’. Part 5 discusses the contemplative fruits of audition, the relationship of ecstasy (wajd) to trance experiences, and the attitude of the Koran and the Prophet Muhammad to dance, often considered an integral part of Samā’.