Islam in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives - Islamic Books ...

2 0 8Islam i n World Cult u r e sMuslim girls practicing aerobics in the courtyard of their Muslim madrasa in the Mentengarea of Jakarta, Indonesia. (Sergio Dorantes/Corbis)Adding energy to the reinvigoration of traditional Qur’anic practices in conte m p o r a ry Indonesia is a kind of competition in the reading, memorization,c a l l i g r a p h y, and comprehension of the Qur’an. This competition seems to havehad its roots in Southeast Asia in the earliest period of Islam, but it is nowspreading throughout Indonesia and even through the wider Islamic world as aform of d a ’ w a . Many Indonesians see popular contests in the recitation of theQur’an as a way to “invite” others to share in the moving experience of religiousp i e t y, whether or not they continue their study of Qur’anic reading beyond thebeginning level. Contests for the recitation of the Qur’an have been held bymany kinds of institutions and professional groups in Indonesia; every year,there is one very large national recitation competition that features a great paradewith floats and performances in Islamic cultural arts as well as the competitionin recitation, memorization, and calligraphy. Such contests are rarelyseen as controversial, even among very conservative Muslims who might otherwiseobject to competing for prizes. This is because Indonesians promote thecompetitions’ positive effects on Islamic communities and their role in encouragingyoung people, especially, to enjoy Qur’anic activities. Indonesian Muslimsalso recognize that contestants are coached to do their best in order to presenta positive Qur’anic experience to everyone involved, according to Qur’anic values,and that they are not encouraged to compete simply in order to win.