Mustafa Ismail's Melodic Narrative Part 2

When Ismail repeats the verse, he starts from "so help!" again, but this time he lands on ajam (b flat), shifting the maqam from saba to ajam ‘ushayran. This maqam’s uplifting quality shifts the lament of saba into the joy and triumph of ajam, musically illustrating the fulfillment of divine support. 

To reinforce this meaning, Ismail abruptly shifts from ajam (b flat) to jaharkah (F) before ascending back to ajam and returning to saba, again mimicking the downpour of rain.

However, instead of closing on iraq, he resolves on dukah, firmly concluding in saba, not maqam bastah nigar. Although Ismail’s students, such as Ahmad Mustafa Kamal and Dr. Ahmad Nuaina, emphasize that he never studied maqamat academically, his talent astonished the musicians of his time, including Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Umm Kulthum, who would comment on his recitations using musical terminology. 

This exposure allowed Ismail to master the art of maqamat, using his voice to deliver the meanings of the Quran directly to the hearts of his listeners.

Now let us return once again to the 1970 recording of Surah Fatir, which we initially discussed, and analyze the maqam progression in this recitation in its entirety. As mentioned, the sheikh begins the recitation in maqam bayati on the dukah note, as is customary in all his recitations.

Ismail moves within the root tetrachord, transitioning from dukah to jaharkah, occasionally venturing into the branch tetrachord, deeply exploring maqam bayati shuri or kar geghar, which consists of bayati on dukah and the secondary jins of hijaz on nawa.

After continuing in this manner for ten minutes, he reaches the verse we analyzed earlier: "And if they deny you—so were messengers denied before you. And to Allah all matters return." (35:4) Here, he branches out from the original bayati to bayati husayni, employing the secondary tetrachord rast, from nawa to kirdan.

Then, he returns once again to the root bayati tetrachord in the verse: "Then, is one to whom the evil of his deed has been made attractive so he considers it good [like one rightly guided]? For indeed, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. So do not let yourself perish over them in regret. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do." (35:8) Continuing to: "And it is Allah who sends the winds, so they stir up clouds, and We drive them to a dead land and give life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness. Thus is the resurrection." (35:9)

Here, Ismail pauses briefly to explore maqam kar geghar again. The listener can tell that the audience insisted he repeat this verse.

However, instead of repeating it in bayati, Ismail—though only temporarily— altogether changes the root maqam from bayati to saba on dukah.

Once he and the audience have fully absorbed this verse, the reciter moves to the next verse: "Whoever desires honor—to Allah belongs all honor. To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work He raises. But those who plot evil deeds—for them is a severe punishment, and the plotting of those—it will perish." (35:10) 

He continues in saba, and when he repeats the verse, he surprises his audience, just as he did in Surah Qamar, by concluding his recitation in maqam bastah nigar—meaning sikah on iraq, along with a saba branch on dukah.

He then returns to maqam bayati, remaining in it until the following verse: "And Allah created you from dust, then from a sperm-drop, then He made you mates. And no female conceives nor gives birth except with His knowledge. And no aged person is granted [extra] life, nor is his lifespan lessened but that it is in a register. Indeed, that is easy for Allah." (35:11) Upon reaching the end of the verse, he descends to the final note of the maqam, settling on dukah in a subtle melodic cadence.

This signals a final transition from maqam bayati toward maqam nawa athar on yakah (G3). The reciter explores this maqam, oscillating between the nikriz root pentachord and the hijaz branch, all within the verse: "And the two seas are not alike—one fresh and sweet, palatable for drinking, and one salty and bitter. And from each you eat tender meat and extract ornaments that you wear. And you see the ships plowing through them that you may seek His bounty and perhaps you will be grateful." (35:12)[1]

He remains in maqam nawa athar for the next verse: "He causes the night to enter the day, and He causes the day to enter the night and has subjected the sun and the moon—each running [its course] for a specified term. That is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs sovereignty. And those whom you invoke besides Him do not possess [even] as much as the membrane of a date seed." (35:13)

Then, he transitions to maqam sikah in the subsequent verse: "If you invoke them, they do not hear your supplication; and if they heard, they would not respond to you. And on the Day of Resurrection they will deny your association. And none can inform you like the One Who is Acquainted [with all matters]." (35:14) Anchoring himself on the base note of the sikah maqam (e half-flat).

He continues in the next verse: "O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the One Free of need, the Praiseworthy." (35:15) At this point, Ismail enters an intense creative moment, spending six minutes exploring the contours of maqam sikah, delving into both its root and branch tetrachord, even descending below the fundamental sikah note itself.[2]

He remains in this maqam until the next verse: "If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation." (35:16) to "Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner." (35:24)

At this point, he transitions to the verse: "And the blind and the seeing are not equal." (35:19) shifting to a maqam closely related to sikah, rast, resting on the note below sikah. As the audience has come to expect, when Ismail ascends in the melodies of rast, he concludes Surah Fatir and transitions to another chapter which he has often tethered to this maqam, Al-Haqqa.

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[1] Isma’il also branches here to the nihawand and rast tetrachords on the degree of nawa [G4]. It is also possible to interpret the root tetrachord as hijaz kar with rast [C4] as the tonic, rather than nikriz on yakah [G3]. I am deeply grateful here to my two teachers Omar Abbad and Muhammad al-Gamal for their help in analyzing this segment of the recording.

[2] It is also possible to interpret Isma’il’s recitation here as lingering on another relative of maqam sikah which is called sikah baladi [folk] which has dukah [D4] as the tonic, not sikah [E4 half flat].