An Arabic Quran
Take 1: Original version
Take 2: Edited after feedback
Recitation of Quran
This piece was inspired by “Koran by Heart”. In particular, several of the children reciting the Quran in the documentary did not speak Arabic. These children memorized a complex document with precise pronunciation and voice quality—all in a language they do not speak. Kristina Nelson explains the religious and poetic importance of the oral Quran in Arabic: rote memorization from childhood, tajwid preserving sound, the inimitable proof of the Quran’s divinity, simultaneously great art and God in word, and the constant murmur behind everyday life. Yet I’m intrigued by how non-Arabic-speaking Muslims interact with the oral aspect of the Quran.
So I attempted to recite the first verses of the Surah Al-Fatihah. I listened to the words repeatedly, read the English translation, and practiced until I could produce something resembling the sounds I heard.
Personally, I found the exercise melodious, but possessing relatively little meaning. In the TV show White Collar, a forger says that the secret to mimicking handwriting is to do copy the signature upside down. Rather than copying words, the forger copies the strokes and his own handwriting doesn’t influence the forgery. My experience was similar. Without the understanding of the language, I merely mimicked sounds. My mouth formed the syllables, but I wasn’t reciting words that connected with emotions, ideas, or beliefs in my head. I suspect that Muslim children who do not speak Arabic might have a similar experience when first learning the Quran. However, their study of the Quran likely infuses those sounds with the Quran’s meaning, particularly for those who memorize the Quran.
I will mention that I still find lines running through my mind weeks later, like the chorus of a catchy song.
I used these two sites to learn the words:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQRWCpIxEx8.
http://www.theonlyquran.com/quran/Al-Fathiha/English_Transliteration
Surah Al-Fatihah (The Opener):
Arabic: بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين الرَّحمـنِ الرَّحِيم مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيم
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّين
English Translation:
“In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds.
The Compassionate, the Merciful. Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.
You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.