Mahmood Ul Hassan Ashrafi

Qawwali is a Sufi devotional vocal music from the Indian subcontinent that aims to evoke spiritual ecstasy and communal devotion. It is typically performed by a lead singer (qawwal) with a small ensemble of accompanying vocalists, harmoniums, handclaps, and percussion such as dholak and tabla. Musically, Qawwali blends raga-based melodic frameworks and flexible, improvisatory singing with driving rhythms and responsorial choruses. Texts are drawn from Urdu, Persian, Punjabi, and other North Indian languages, and include ghazals, kafis, hamds (praise of God), naats (praise of the Prophet), and manqabats (praise of Sufi saints). Performances traditionally take place at Sufi shrines (dargahs), where repetition, call-and-response, and gradual intensification lead listeners toward wajd (states of spiritual ecstasy). In the modern era, Qawwali is also heard on concert stages, recordings, and film.

Naat is an Islamic devotional vocal genre centered on praise of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). It is commonly performed as sung or chanted poetry in Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, and other Muslim languages, and is especially prominent in South Asian Sunni devotional culture. Musically, naat often emphasizes clear diction, melodic ornamentation, reverent delivery, and a restrained emotional arc that moves from humility and longing to praise and supplication. Performance contexts include religious gatherings (mehfil-e-naat), mosque or community events, celebrations of the Prophet’s birth (Mawlid), and personal devotion, with styles ranging from unaccompanied recitation to lightly accompanied studio productions.