ABSTRACT
This chapter explains how Arab music works and why it is related to the recitation of the Qur'an in Jakarta. Since the arrival of Islam in Indonesia, Indonesian Muslims have been learning to recite the Qur'an, and to sing other religious musical genres with the language, melodies, rhythms, timbres, and musical aesthetics of the Arab world. Although recitation is never to be confused with music, reciters may study the Arab musical modal system, or maqamat, perhaps even in the context of a music conservatory. Opportunities for women of all educational and social strata to learn and experience the performance of the Qur'an are not limited to institutions like the Insitut Ilmu al-Qur'an (IIQ) or the Pondok Pesantren (religious boarding school). The Qur'an, because it is meant to be recited aloud rather than read silently, is enjoyed as a kind of musical oratory.
