The call to prayer in Morocco seems inevitable, like the sun rising.
In this clip one of us is with a group of people in the old city of Fes watching the clock and waiting for the call for the sunset prayer. Someone says, ” I think it’ll happen,” and then one by one each mosque in the area begins the call to prayer, each one coming in a little behind the other so that it seems as if they are singing in a round.
It’s been a year since we were in AlMaghreb, but a friend who just returned from a summer in Rabat passed along this recording. It’s a recitation of Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) that tells people not to speak while the Imam is giving the Friday sermon–so that they may get the full benefit of the sermon.
Walking home on a Wednesday night in Rabat we heard from a few blocks away the sound of a party (assumed to be either a wedding or a baby naming ceremony). A group of men are singing amdah, religious songs praising the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad and asking God to bless him. The sound is coming from an apartment building where several apartments are being used to house the party guests. This clip was taped on the sidewalk outside the building.
Bab Bou Jelloud, is a popular starting point for groups touring the medina (old city) of Fes. One Saturday morning a group of about 50 Moroccan women entered the gate carrying small drums and singing a traditional Moroccan song “Dayf Ullah” which means “God’s guest” and is a term used to describe someone who shows up surprisingly or uninvited – you would still accept them and welcome them because God sent them to you. At the end of the sound clip you will hear the tour guide with a bull horn trying to get the women’s attention and explaining to them where they are at in the medina.
This afternoon Quran recitation was organized by a group so that people could enjoyably listen to different Quran reciters. Each person recites for only a minutes, and between each reciter there are short talks about the relationship and place of the Quaran in the life of Muslims. This Umsiyah was held at a meeting hall used for lectures and meetings of religious leaders. It is on a busy street across from the Royal Mirage Hotel in Fes.
Memorization of the Qur’an is an important and traditional way of learning the holy text, practicing Islam, and an act that is greatly celebrated upon completion. For better or worse, in Morocco, the technique of memorization has been extended into secular education, and students in the majority of Moroccan classrooms study a variety of subjects using the a rote memorization technique. Below you can hear elementary students singing as they learn.
No two tahleels in Morocco sound alike. This one was recorded at a mosque near Bab Boujeloud, in Fes. The muezzin’s voice is certainly unique.
