Qur’anic Recitation Among Pittsburgh Egyptian Muslims: An Ethnographic Field Study

Abstract

The art of Qur’anic recitation is central to Egypt’s cultural and ethnic heritage. This study explores the role of Qur’anic recitation in the lives of immigrant and first-generation Pittsburgh Egyptian Muslims in 2016 and 2017. Through listening sessions and interviews, the research explores several questions, including: ‘Do generational differences exist in the role of Qur’anic recitation in Egyptian Americans’ lives?’ ‘What role does nostalgia play in the experience of Qur’anic recitation?’ ‘How do Egyptian Americans relate the Qur’an to music, and connect with its sound?’ and ‘How does Qur’anic recitation contribute to building community and identity in diaspora?’ In a time where many questions are asked about American Muslims and the role that Islamic traditions play in their lives, this research on the traditional art of Qur’anic recitation is pertinent and timely. Similar ethnographic studies have not been performed on Egyptians in the United States nor on the role of Qur’anic recitation in the lives of Muslims. As such, this article provides a groundbreaking perspective on what it means to recite the Qur’an as an Egyptian in the United States.