Sounds of Sufism: Musical Creativity as an Islamic Duty in Senegal and Morocco

The relationship between Islam and music has been a continuous topic of debate in the Muslim world. Although many Islamic scholars believe that music is prohibited (harām), an increasing number of Muslim musicians have incorporated their faith into their music in recent years. Today, Islamic music is strongly associated with Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam that is distinct from mainstream Islam in that it emphasizes a deep, personal connection with God. This article explores the role of music in Senegalese and Moroccan Sufi practices, notably its appearance not only in the form of musical renderings of Qur’anic verses and sacred Sufi poetry but also as a creative exploit holding an importance second only to the five pillars of Islam. I aim to answer the following questions: Why is music so deeply ingrained in Sufi mysticism? How have followers of the Fayda and Muridiyya Sufi movements in Senegal encouraged musical creativity? What can Morocco’s Black Gnawa Muslims teach us about the versatility of music in Islamic practices? Drawing on a close reading of scholarship on music in Islam and a comparative study of creative labor in Senegal and Morocco, I contend that African Sufi Muslims regard music-making as a sacred duty, rooted in a reverence for creative intellectualism as an embodied form of worship. Ultimately, this article shows how music functions as a cornerstone of Sufi tradition and as a vital medium for reimagining and modernizing Islam in contemporary African contexts.