Islam Music Essay

6023 Words25 Pages
Islam and Music in Contemporary Malay Society 1. Objectives The Malay community has a colourful range of musical traditions that are formed through a mixture of various cultures. Islam is the predominant religion of the community and hence, an issue that is inextricably linked between Malays society and Islam is the permissibility of music in Islam. The diversity of views on this issue and the debate it has raged is unlikely to fade in the near future. Furthermore, the wide-ranging scholarly backing on all sides make it an impossible task to come up with a firm, united stand within the Malay community on this issue. This paper aims to firstly uncover the roots of this issue within the Malay community and secondly expound on the major justifications employed by both sides of the conflict in the hope that a clear picture of the relationship between Music, Islam and the Malay community is portrayed. Finally, I will conclude the implications of this issue on Malay musical traditions. 2. Background i) Cultural Roots of the Malay Community The Malay community is generally described by a combination of geographical, cultural and linguistical constraints, as well as a heavy emphasis on faith – in particular, Islam. Historically, the Malay culture has been highly influenced by a myriad of sources from a distant Hindu/Buddhist past, to a mix of Arabic and Indian Islamic heritage, to what it is today[1]. Even now, the heavy influence of external cultures is still very evident in the community as we see trends ranging from Westernisation (which is a trend evident in most other cultures), the influence of Bollywood in Malay entertainment and fashion as well as greater ‘Islamisation’ - or ‘Arabisation’, as the detractors would call it – in some aspects of Malay culture and religion. ii) The Roots of Islam in the Malay Community[2] Before the 14th century, the
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