Influences of Islamic Mysticism on Form and Content in Music

In addition to endorsing the historical significance of ‘mystic music’، a survey of the spiritual and moral bearings on music، exemplifies the major differences that exists on views about music، between Islamic mysticism and other forms of spirituality. Mystic music، as viewed in Islam، is a consequence of ethical revelations made on music through literature. The close interaction with literary mysticism is thus the fundamental milieu for the development of mystic music. In light of the fact that mystic music is a consequence of the sublime transcendence associated with mysticism، its outcome could resonate the mystical esteem and morale not so frequently practiced by the layman. As a result، mystic music cultivates a sense of spiritual union which fosters the establishment of ‘musical mysticism’. This article aims to explain how the foundations of mysticism influence form and content in music. Intrinsically، music does not have any effect other than exciting emotions. Its tone is merely repeating human emotions، causing passivity in the human soul and the excitement of emotions in others. The perception of music، like all the other branches of art، is dominated by human subjectivity. This means that the structure and content of music is directly aligned to the cultural conceptions، emotions، thoughts، and attitudes of its creator. Taking into consideration the works and research findings of other scholars and theoreticians in the field of music، philosophy، and mystics، this article has made an attempt to substantiate the reciprocal relationship between the content of music and the sensations practiced by its creator. An important common parameter between music and mysticism is seen in their language of expression in which virtue، feeling، inspiration، and inner emotions are all expressed in the context of ’union and separation’ the metaphor for the passion of the soul which exists in every language. Mystical perceptions and the resulting feelings of the human soul can influence both the form and content of music on two principles. Primarily، because music is a volitional action it can be a source of hemicellulose knowledge. Secondly، the need for a congruity between cause and effect encourages one to perceive that music، being an effect of the human soul، must search its congruence in its cause. Mystical perceptions and the resulting feelings in human soul can influence both the form and content of music based on two principles. First is the origin of music which is in volitional human actions; Second is the need for congruity between cause and effect. The mystical music has caused some kind of orientation towards mysticism that may be called “musical mysticism «. In this brief article – which is extracted from the author''s dissertation entitled» Explanation of Philosophical and Theological Foundations of Music«، it has been tried to explain how mysticism foundations influence the form and content of music.