Philosophies of Music in Medieval IslamThis surveys the philosophies of music of the most important thinkers in Islam between the 9th and the 15th centuries A.D. It covers topics ranging from the physics and aesthetics of sound, the nature of music, its place in the total scheme of things and in human life, the relation between music, astronomy, astrology and meteorology, the relation between music and human feelings, character and behavour, to the question of whether a good Muslim should be allowed to listen to music at all, and if so, to which sorts. The book traces the influence of Greek, in particular Pythagorean and Aristoxenian, thinking in Islam on this subject, and aims to provide a philosophically coherent statement of thinking of the Islamic writers concerned, a clarification of their central arguments, as well as a critical evaluation of their line of thought. The author introduces a wide range of material from manuscript sources, including much that has not been published before. This work will be of interest to Islamicists, but also to medievalists, musicologists, historians of the philosophy of music and classicists. |
Contents
GREECE WITHIN THE CRESCENT | 13 |
Focus on Music and Its Elements | 50 |
Music Knowledge and Appreciation | 81 |
LISTENING TO MUSIC AND ISLAM | 93 |
The Moderate View | 115 |
Mostly Permitted | 132 |
And Some Others | 146 |
Appendix | 163 |
| 171 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abū affinity al-Din al-Kindi al-samā Allah animals Arabic argument aspect of music audition beautiful voice caravan song causal celestial music celestial sphere chapter claim composition condemnation connections dance discussion effects of music elements essay example falak Farabi forbidden function functionalist account Ghazali ghina ghinā³ goal Greek Hadith ḥarām heavenly bodies Ibid Ibidem Ibn Abd Rabbihi Ibn al-Arabi Ibn Khaldun Ibn Sina Ibn Sina's Ibn Taymiyyah Ikhwan Islamic Katib Kindi kinds of melody Kitāb listening to music matter meaning meaningful sound moral music theory musical sound mystical natural occasion origin of music performance permitted philosopher philosophy of music pleasant pleasure poetry populist music practical music Prophet Pythagorean qiyās question Qur'anic chant Rasa'il reason refers religious rhythm samā says sense Shiloah similarity singing song soul specific spirit strings sufi sufism theoretical knowledge Theory of Music things tion tone vocal wine words writers