The Qari Icons and Their Influences in the Evolution of Tarannum Art in Kedah: A Historical Review

The art of tarannum al-Quran is a Muslim’s precious heritage. Thus, this paper focuses on the evolution of the Hijazi and Misri streams in the art of tarannum al-Quran in Malaysia. The emphasis is given to the state of Kedah which is one of the early places of birth of this art in the country. Besides, this paper also highlights the aspects of the flow, styles, and recitation art of the famous qaris in this state, as well as the song transformation from the past to the present. This article includes two disciplines of study, namely library and field studies where several methods were used to collect the data including document analysis, interviews, and observations. The result shows that Kedah is one of the earliest pioneer states, and the catalyst of tarannum art, which triggers the transformation of al-Quran songs in Malaysia.