Literature Atlas

How Stories Are Told
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Genre

Hamd

Religious and Devotional Writing

Hamd is a genre of devotional poetry, found across Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu literatures, composed exclusively in praise of God. Its name echoes the Quranic phrase al-hamdu li-llah, praise be to God, which opens the Quran's first chapter, Al-Fatiha, immediately after the invocation of God's name, and hamd compositions circulate among Muslim communities from Indonesia to Morocco. In Qawwali performance a hamd traditionally opens the set, a convention associated with performers such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri Brothers.

Facts
Place of Origin
Arabic Quranic tradition 1
Notable Example
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 1
Defining Trait
A word or composition that exclusively praises God 1
Sources
1. Hamd, Wikipedia
  • Lead section, etymology
    The word 'Hamd' comes from the Qur'an, and الحَمْد لله is the epithet or locution which, after the Bismillah, establishes the first verse of the first chapter of the Qur'an, al Fatiha Mubarak (the opening).
  • Hamd singers section
    Some well-known Hamd singers are Mishary Rashid Alafasy, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Sabri Brothers, Najam Sheraz, Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi and Muhammad al-Muqit.
  • Lead section, definition
    Hamd (Arabic: حمد, romanized: ḥamd, lit. 'praise') is a word that exclusively praises God, whether written or spoken.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.