IN DESIRE FOR LOVE AND CATHARSIS: THE MAGIC OF BOSNIAN ILAHIYYA (NA’AT) AND ILAHIYYAS BY THE CHORUS “GAZIES OF BUŽIM”

Abstract

UDK 28-291
         783.65:28

The article deals with various musicological and religious elements of Ilahiyya and it gives account of the musicality of its maqam and aesthetics of its vocal interpretation. It also discloses some traits of llahiyya that make up the traditional religious music genre of Muslims. It focuses upon the application of the qualities of this genre to Ilahiyya in Bosnian Muslim religious tradition. The article gives an evaluation of the aesthetic aspect of the musical character of Ilahiyyas performed by the “Gazies” chorus in their last two published albums. The article presents Ilahiyya as means that may, with divine aspect of its melody, open a path towards knowledge of God. This is also a path of self-realisation and self-fulfilment. It requires from the creator of an Ilahiyya, creator of its melody and its text and from its performer – to employ utmost devotion and submission to the Almighty, with their soul and voice and with the harmony of its tunes. Qualitative performance of an Ilahiyya reflects the performers’ devotion to the Almighty, his absolute and profound inspiration by His Exaltedness, His creation, Holiness and Mystery. The requirements are elaborated in the text as these are applied in Ilahiyyas performed by “Gazies” chorus. The main message of the article is: the feeling of exaltation given in human voice (maqam), in melody that is accompanying it, is possible only with self-awareness and piety of a mu’min, believer through his openness to holy, supernatural and mystery. And finally, performance of an Ilahiyya requires a performer who is mu’min inspired by Allah. Then Ilahiyya becomes not only a path of confirming a believer in his faith in Allah, but it also has therapeutic power on the path of self-realisation, joy and catharses. It should be valued and preserved as it is a musicalartistic path of man towards Allah. The article also refutes some views (quoted from the magazine “Saf”) that assert the music as harmful to the iman of a Muslim. At the end it offers some relevant references of the works dealing with the Ilahiyya.