Hajaa

Hajaa, also rendered in some Latin spellings as Hacha' or Hadja', is a rhythm of Iraqi origin with considerable flexibility, and modern references present it in more than one form: 2/4, 4/4, and 6/4. Its basic form is 2/4, and this form is notationally identical to Wahda Saghira, though it feels faster and more springing. This 2/4 form appears in Levantine folkloric songs such as Al-Maya and also in Sufi contexts such as Tala' Al-Badru 'Alayna. From it developed the very common 4/4 form, which can appear as a modification or transformation of other 4/4 rhythms such as Maqsum and Baladi, introducing a more broken dramatic atmosphere through the contrast between a single Dum and multiple Teks. This 4/4 form is especially common in Sufi dhikr, where it suits repeated utterance patterns such as Allah on the first three Teks. The 6/4 form is less common, but it is explicitly cited in the introduction to Alf Leila wa Leila.

Hajaa is used as a rhythmic template for feeling the 4/4 meter. Start from the first Dum, then connect the Taks and rests to the movement of the melody or song.

• Al-Maya
• Tala' Al-Badru 'Alayna
• Alf Leila wa Leila