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Islamophony in the Acoustic Space of Tatar Culture
By Masguda Shamsutdinova
A distinctive feature of Islamic rituals among the Tatars is the use of their native language and melodic traditions to express religious sentiments. This practice has facilitated a profound interpenetration of religious and ethnic consciousness, transforming religious rituals into folk traditions that fulfill the emotional and aesthetic needs of the Tatar people. This study aims to elucidate specific characteristics of the interaction between verbal and musical elements within Islamic genres in the Tatar-Muslim religious tradition and their role in shaping the auditory perception of an external culture.
Qur’anic References to Sound
The Qur’an contains limited references to sound, yet these verses are central to theological debates, particularly among the Zahirites and Mu’tazilites, concerning the anthropomorphization of the universe. Key examples include:
• “The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise” (Qur’an 17:44).
• Expressions of divine wrath: “Some We seized with a storm of stones, and some We overwhelmed with a dreadful cry” (Qur’an 29:40); “A dreadful cry seized the wrongdoers” (Qur’an 11:67); “There was but one shout, and behold, they were extinguished” (Qur’an 36:29); “There was but one shout, and behold, they were brought before Us” (Qur’an 36:53).
• Sounds heralding the Day of Judgment: “When the trumpet is blown, they will rise from their graves and hasten to their Lord” (Qur’an 36:51).
• Divine speech and hearing: “Among them were those to whom Allah spoke” (Qur’an 2:253); “Who is more truthful in speech than Allah?” (Qur’an 4:87); “Allah spoke directly to Moses” (Qur’an 4:164); “Allah said, ‘O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands?’” (Qur’an 38:75); “He hears all and sees all” (Qur’an 42:11).
These verses suggest that God produces sounds, hears, and speaks, implying a communicative relationship with believers. Consequently, Tatar-Muslims engage in dialogue with God through zikr (remembrance), Qur’anic recitation, prayers, and munajat (intimate supplications), all within the framework of their cultural code.
National Musical and Poetic Traditions
A significant body of professional national musical-poetic literature exists to cultivate Islamic values among the Tatar people. This study, however, focuses on genres rooted in folk traditions that foster religious sentiments among younger generations, including bedtime prayers, numerical learning dialogues, and lullabies.
During periods when free expression of religious sentiments was restricted, Tatars concealed their practices in bathhouses, cemeteries, cellars, forests, or on frozen rivers. Isolated from Islamic centers and lacking formally trained religious figures, Tatars composed their own prayers, adapting Islamic concepts to their historical and cultural context. An example of such a “folk” prayer, used to introduce children to communion with the Divine, is as follows:
I go to sleep with the name of Allah; if Allah wills, I will awaken. If I do not awaken, grant me eternal faith in You, O Allah. With faith, I traverse this world; with Islam, I transition to the hereafter. O my beloved Almighty, I have many sins; forgive me, my Allah. In nights of Your remembrance, let my soul be purified, and let my tongue be bound to faith. When I say “Allah,” let the darkness of my grave be illuminated; when I say “Subhanallah,” let the gates of paradise open. O my Creator, Mighty and Forgiving, protect me from calamity and orphanhood. Bless our righteous deeds, grant abundance to our sustenance, peace to our souls, and provision to our livestock. For those who passed before us and those who rely on our prayers, may the reward of three Al-Fatiha and three Al-Ikhlas reach them. Amen, Allahu Akbar.
This prayer, known as teläk (“wish”), is widely recognized among Tatar communities fluent in their language, often transmitted by grandmothers. It adapts the meanings of the Asmaul-Husna (the 99 Names of Allah), incorporating attributes such as Protector (Qur’an 59:23), Mighty (Qur’an 59:23), Forgiving (Qur’an 20:82), and Provider (Qur’an 51:58).
Lullabies and Numerical Dialogues
A notable lullaby invokes divine assistance:
O Allah, drive the goats to the mountain, let them graze on the peaks, and let my child fall asleep.
This melody, rooted in the Tatar modal system, is also used by untrained reciters to chant Qur’anic surahs. Similarly, a dialogic form of teaching numbers integrates religious concepts:
• What do you know about one? I know there is one God.
• What do you know about two? I know of the two angels over my shoulders recording my deeds.
• What do you know about three? I know of odd and even numbers.
• What do you know about four? I know of the four companions of the Prophet.
• What do you know about five? I know the times of the five daily prayers.
This method embeds Islamic principles within educational practices, reinforcing cultural and religious identity.
Munajat: Intimate Dialogues with God
The genre of munajat (from Arabic, “intimate conversation with God”) represents a sophisticated form of Tatar religious poetry. These works, often composed, recited, or sung by elder women, convey Qur’anic ideas through Tatar language and melodic structures. Examples include reflections on mortality and divine judgment:
Youth flows like a ringing stream, old age gallops like a horse—all by Allah’s will.
The winds of death blow, ferrying us to the hereafter.
On the day you stand before Allah’s judgment, your mouth will be sealed. Your hands and feet will testify against you.
Munajat melodies, grounded in pentatonic scales, are restrained and austere, aligning with the Tatar musical ethos rather than the ornate styles associated with broader Islamic musical traditions. Their structured forms minimize improvisation, emphasizing textual clarity and religious imagery over musical embellishment.
Zikr and Ritual Soundscapes
The phrase Bismillahi Rahmanir Rahim (“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”) and A’udhu billahi min ash-shaytanir rajim (“I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan”) permeate Tatar daily life, interwoven with the geo-bio-phonic soundscape. Zikr (remembrance) formulas, such as Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah), Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), and Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), serve as verbal amulets, recited in various contexts to stabilize emotional states.
The Takbir (Allahu Akbar) is integral to rituals such as prayer, funerals, and festivals like Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. During Eid al-Adha, men process to the mosque chanting Takbir in a major pentatonic mode, pausing every forty steps to synchronize their recitation. This practice, rooted in the same modal structure as the Tatar folk song Taftilyau, reinforces communal identity.
Salawat (panegyrics honoring the Prophet Muhammad) during Mawlid celebrations feature rhythmic, vibrant melodies in major pentatonic scales, fostering a sense of collective devotion. Tarawih chants, performed during Ramadan, and the Adhan (call to prayer) further enrich the Tatar soundscape, adapted to local melodic traditions.
Qur’anic Recitation and Cultural Resonance
Tatar Qur’anic recitation, while influenced by Eastern styles, incorporates native maqams (melodic modes), resonating deeply with the community. A comparative experiment revealed that ornate, melismatic recitations (e.g., modern Egyptian styles) were perceived as inauthentic by some Tatars, who preferred their “own” modal renditions for their clarity and emotional resonance. The Qur’an itself advocates a balanced approach to recitation: “Do not recite your prayer too loudly or too softly, but seek a middle way” (Qur’an 17:110).
Conclusion
Despite geographical isolation from the broader Islamic world and immersion in a Christian cultural milieu, the Tatars have integrated Islamic universalism into their spiritual practices. The interplay of musical-poetic creativity with religious rituals has produced a distinctive artistic phenomenon, fulfilling the communicative and aesthetic needs of the Tatar people. Through prayers, lullabies, munajat, zikr, and Qur’anic recitation, the Tatar soundscape reflects a harmonious synthesis of faith and cultural identity.
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