Musical genres and poetic forms
ghazal — poetic form in Arabic, Persian and Urdu consisting of several couplets, usually following the rhyme scheme AA BA CA DA etc. Originally used for love poems, the genre was appropriated for expressions of love, longing and devotion to God.
gojol — the usual Bengali term for a religious devotional song (comparable to Urdu naat); the word is derived from ghazal
ilahi (Turkish), ilahija (Bosnian), etc. — traditional religious hymn in Turkish and Balkan cultures.
mawlid —
munājāt —
munāqabāt —
naat — in South Asian cultures, a poem in praise of the Prophet, traditionally sung a cappella by a solo performer, known as a naat-khawaan. Though strictly speaking naat (in contrast to hamd) is only for songs about the Prophet, it is sometimes used more broadly to mean any religious song.
nasheed — usual Arabic/English term for a contemporary Islamic devotional song, often sung without any musical accompaniment.
noha —
qaṣīda, pl. qaṣā’id —
qawwali —
rubā‘ī —
Instruments
daf — traditional frame drum; the only permissible instrument according to some scholars
ney — reed flute
Other key terms
darood shareef (Urdu) — prayers upon the Prophet (equivalent to Arabic ṣalawāt)
dīwān — a compendium of poetry; the collected works of a poet
du‘ā — prayer / supplication to God
maqām, pl. maqāmāt —
munshid —
semâ‘ —