Recitation. The tradition of reciting oral literature was among the most widespread and common leisure activities among Muslims of the medieval period. As a restorative or "recreational" activity in the literal sense of the word, reading or reciting the Qur'an aloud in rhythmic cadences, or listening to a skilled qari' (Qur'an reciter), was probably the most universal Muslim activity apart from daily work. On the occasion of Friday prayers, at any commemorative service, and as a daily activity for many, the remembrance of Allah through reciting scripture, performing dhikr (formulaic, often rhythmic, repetitions of words in remembrance of God) were regular activities among the pious. The practice of dhikr became a sophisticated art among Sufi orders, whose music and rhythmic movement led to ecstasy and whose practices at their most extreme met with jurists' disapproval. From children's earliest introduction...