Safi al-Din al-Urmawi

• Name — Safi al-Din al-Urmawi • Born — 1216 • Birthplace — Urmia or Baghdad • Died — 28 January 1294 • Place of death — Baghdad • Occupation — Musician, Writer on the theory of music • Notable Works — Kitab al-Adwār, Risālah al-Sharafiyyah fi 'l-nisab al-taʾlifiyyah • Illustration — A manuscript copy of Risalah al-Sharafiyah fi al-Nisab al-Ta'lifiyyah, one of al-Urmawi's 2 famous works, 16th century, Adilnor Collection Safi al-Din al-Urmawi al-Baghdadi or Safi al-Din Abd al-Mu'min ibn Yusuf ibn al-Fakhir al-Urmawi al-Baghdadi (born c. 1216 AD in Urmia, died in 1294 AD in Baghdad) was an Iranian musician and writer on the theory of music.

Safi al-Din Abd al-Muʾmin ibn Yusof ibn Fakhir al-Ormawi al-Baghdadi (Sufi al-Dīn in some Ottoman sources), renowned musician and writer on the theory of music, was born c. 613 AH (1216 AD), probably in Urmiya (Iran). He died in Baghdad on 28 Ṣafar 693 AH (28 January 1294 AD), at the age of about 80. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam "The sources are silent about the ethnic origin of his family. He may have been of Persian descent, as Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi calls him afdal-i Īrān (A sage of Iran)". Based on its terminology, Al-Urmawi's 'international' modal system was intended to represent the predominant Arab and Persian local traditions. In his youth, he went to Baghdad and was educated in the Arabic language, literature, history and penmanship. He made a name for himself as an excellent calligrapher and was appointed copyist at the new library built by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustaṣim. He had also studied Shafii law and comparative law (Khilaf Fiqh) at the Mustansiriyya Madrasa which opened in 631 AH (1234 AD). This qualified him to assume a post in al-Mustaʿsim's juridical administration and, after 656 AH (1258), to head the supervision of the foundations (naẓariyyat al-waqf) in Iraq until 665 AH (1267), when Nasir al-Din Tusi took over. al-Urmawi became known as a musician and excellent lute (‘Ud) player and accepted as a member of the private circle of boon companions, thanks to one of his music students, the caliph's favoured songstress Luḥaẓ. His musical talent made him survive the fall of Baghdad, by generously accommodating one of Hulagu’s officer. Hulagu the Mongol ruler was impressed by al-Urmawi and doubled his income relative to the Abbasid era. His musical career, however, seems to have been supported mainly by the Juvayni family, especially by Shams al-Din Juvayni and his son Sharaf al-Din Harun Juvayni who was put to death in 685 AH (1285). After the demise of his patrons, he fell into oblivion and poverty. He was placed under arrest on account of a debt of 300 dinars. He died in the Shafi'i Madrasat al-Khalil in Baghdad.

The list of the modes and āwaz (singing) modes are taken from (E. Neubaer, "Music in the Islamic Environment" in Clifford Edmund Bosworth, M.S.Asimov, "History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume 4, Part 2", ilal Banarsidass Publ., 2003 - 745 pages. pg 597.). The majority of the modes have Iranian/Persian names and the rest have Arabic names (some with Persian suffix 'i').

• 'Ushshāq (Arabic name) • nawā (Iranian name) • busalik (also called AbuSalik) • rāst (Iranian name) • 'irāq (Arabic name) • isfahān (Iranian name) • zirāfkand (Iranian name) • buzurk (buzurg) (Iranian name) • zankulā (zangulā) (Iranian name) • rāhawi (rāhavi) (Iranian name) • husayni (Arabic name with Iranian suffix i) • hejazi (Arabic name with Iranian suffix i)

• kardāniye (gardāniye) (Iranian name) • kawāsht (gawāsht) (Iranian name) • nawruz (Iranian name) • māya (Iranian name) • shahnāz (Iranian name) • salmak (Iranian name)