Salam Alaikom . I would like to introduce a very interesting book about Quran recitation to those who are interested in learning about it . The name of this book is ” THE ART OF RECITING THE QURAN ” was written by Kristina Nelson . You can buy this amazing book from http://www.Amazon.com
I will present the Acknowledgments of this book to you and I hope you read the whole book .
This book is based on my dissertation at the University of California at Berkeley . I conceived the desire and intent to study the recitation of the Quran some years ago , and I am extremely grateful to everyone in Berkeley and in Egypt who helped me to actualize the project .
In particular , I thank professor Mounah Khouri , who started me on the path of Arabic studies . I am also indebted to professor Bonnie wade for opening to me the new scholarly vistas of ethnomusicology and the social sciences in general and for helping me to form and sharpen the concept of this dissertation into a viable piece of research .
The research could never have been accomplished without the generous financial support of the social science Research council and the HEW Office of Education Fulbright -Hays Research Abroad program and the letters of encouragement and support I received from their administration .
In Egypt the list is long : everyone I met in the course of my research was extremely helpful and generous with time , information, and hospitality . I would particularly like to thank the professional reciters I interviewed ( who are listed by name in Appendix A ) .
They are all prominent and busy men who , without exception , were gracious and generous in sharing their knowledge , experience, talent , and enthusiasm, inviting me into their homes and to their performance .
The administrators and staff of the religious radio station ” I’da at al – Quran al Karim also showed great interest in the research : not only were they helpful and cooperative in interviews and requests for information on schedule , performance , and the like , but they often anticipated my requests , initiating some introductions and facilitating my attending some otherwise inaccessible performance .
My great thanks to the director , Dr . Kamil al Buhi , the general secretary , sayx Abd al Hafid . Mr . Ahmad of the technical staff . Mr . Abd al Badi al – Qamhawi .
I would like to thank the members of the Lajnat al Qurra for allowing me to sit in on their sessions , for their patience in answering my Questions , and for their general guidance in directing me to bibliographic sources and to research contexts I might otherwise have missed .
I thank the late sayx Said al Sahhar ( d . 1983 ) for introducing me to sayx Abd al Fattah al Qadi , and to the activities of the Administration of Quranic Affairs , when he was serving as auditions . I thank sayx Muhammad Musri ‘ Amir for his generous help in obtaining bibliographic material , including his gift of a recently published text , and for his interest and hospitality .
I thank sayx Rizq Habbah and sayx Afifi I – sakit for their interest and helpful comments . I am grateful to Dr. Mahmud Kamil , professor of music and author , for sharing his expertise with me and for introducing me to activities in the musical world of Cairo . I thank Mr . Ahmad Sidiq , prominent composer , for his interest and support .
I am particularly grateful to engineer Mahmud Mustafa for welcoming me to his weekly listening session and introducing me to valuable contacts , and for his generous donation of his collection of the recorded performance of sayx Kamil Yusuf al Bahtimi , sayx Muhammad Siddiq Al Minshawi , and Muhammad Salamah to the University of California library .
Over a period of several weeks Mr . Mahmud spent all of his free time copying the tapes with the help of his colleague , Mr . Hasan Sararah . Both Mr . Mahmud and Mr . Hasan were generous in sharing their information and time with me , escorting me to performances , and answering my queries with patience, good humor , and enthusiasm . I thank them both .
I thank Hajj Husayn Faraj , the hospitable host of another listening session , and patron of reciters , for opening his home to me and including me to the recitation activities he sponsored .
I am very appreciative of his gift of recordings from his collection . I am particularly grateful for the faithful correspondence of Hajj Husayn and his colleagues , Mr . Abd al – Aziz ‘ Ali Abd al – Latif , in the seven years since I left Egypt . I thank them for their continued interest and their efforts to keep me up to date with news of particular interest to this research .
I thank all of the participants of these two listening sessions for their interest and comments . I am indebted to Dr . Mahmud Gurab , pharmacist , patron and friend of a great number of Egypt’s professional reciters , and tutor to many of their children .
Dr . Mahmud introduced me to many of these reciters and took me to many communicating it with an irresistible enthusiasm .
I’m grateful to many teachers : I thank sayx Amir al said Ut – man for allowing me to participate in the recitation class and for his demanding and challenging guidance of my efforts to master the rules of recitation . I thank sayx Abd al Muta al Mansur Arafah for his skilled and patient teaching . My study with him was , perhaps , the key which unlocked this dissertation , and his support and vigilance over my progress was , and continues to be , invaluable . I thank Mr . Mansi Amin Fahmi for helping me to understand the musical aspects of recitation and to appreciate the skill and talent of the reciters . His lessons were always a delight .
I thank the administrative staff of the institute of Qiraat for their active interest in the project .
I am grateful to Mr . Muhsin al – Sirbini , director of the Office of Administration of Quranic Affairs ( in the Ministry of Religion Endowment ) for all his help . I thank Sayx Abd al – Fattah al Qadi for his interest and for sharing with me the benefits of his scholarship . I am appreciative of the help given me by Dr . Hamasah , professor at the American University in Cairo and Dar al Ulum , who introduced me to sayx Mahmud al Tablawi . I thank Mr . Suleiman Gamil , Egyptian music critic and composer , presently the cultural attach at the Egyptian Embassy in Brussels , for sharing with me his insights and expertise . I thank Dr . Hasan al Safil , scholar and teacher at Dar al Ulum , for his support , comments , and careful consideration of my material . I also thank Dr . Sa’id al Masri for sharing his knowledge with me and for making his extensive collection of recording of Egyptian music and recitation available to me .
I thank Mme . Bruxanne Ahmad Amin for her cooperation in letting me copy material from the library of the Egyptian Puppet Teacher . I also owe thanks to the personnel of the audio- visual department of the American University in Cairo for allowing me to use the tape-copying service .
My special thanks to those who helped turn the dissertation into the book . I value the experience and unflagging encouragement of my editor , Daniel Goodwin , and the support and advice of Richard Martin and Ira Lapidus . For help on linguistic terminology , I thank John McCarthy and Anthony Woodbury . I am especially grateful for the careful reading and insights of Humphrey Davice , Pamela Swing , and Tom Turino .
Finally , to all those , too numerous to name or single out , who offered their help , opinions , and insights with sincere interest and warm support , I offer my grateful appreciation .
Sayed Abazar Wahedi 