Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah

"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" ("In the Name of Allah" or "Saying the Name of Allah") is a song recorded, composed and arranged by Indonesian musician, songwriter and record producer Dwiki Dharmawan. Taken from his first special album of the same name, released in 1993, the song is written and co-produced by Ags. Arya Dipayana, and features vocals performed by singer and actress Novia Kolopaking. It is primarily an Islamic-influenced pop song with keyboards and choir-like vocals, while the lyrics hint towards themselves do many ways to feel good.

Considered as Kolopaking's signature song, "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" boosted Dharmawan's popularity and has been covered by many artists, in their different renditions, including singer-songwriter Ita Purnamasari and the band Gigi. It was also used as the theme song for the film Regret (1995) and the television series Kabulkan Doaku (2000). An accompanying Islamic-themed music video for the song, which later uploaded onto Musica Studios' YouTube channel in 2013, 20 years after the album's release. The song debuted on Aneka Top 13 Hits Indonesia at number seven, marking Kolopaking's only Islamic song to chart.

Background and composition
The song's composer, Dwiki Dharmawan, revealed that it was inspired by Ags. Arya Dipayana's poems that he read in 1989. Dharmawan and Arya Dipayana began writing "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", along with "Kepada Kesangsian" shortly after. Then twenty-year-old singer and actress Novia Kolopaking recorded the former in 1993.

Musically, it is an Islamic song incorporates an emphasis on keyboards, "catchy" choir-like vocals during the chorus and "aesthetic" key modulation, with lyrics vividly unravel themselves to do better things in many ways. In terms of musical notation, the song is recorded in the key of A-flat major, with a tempo of 76 beats per minute.

Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah.
 * Studio
 * Recorded at Mixmasters Studios, Jakarta
 * Recorded at Musica Studios, Jakarta


 * Personnel
 * Novia Kolopaking — lead vocals
 * Dwiki Dharmawan — composition, production, arrangement, piano, keyboards
 * Ags. Arya Dipayana — lyrics, production
 * Herry Ramdhiana — operation
 * Donny Lissapoly — operation

Critical reception
"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" was met with generally positive reviews. Hera Diani of The Jakarta Post describing it the "most famous" song written by Dharmawan. Susi Ivvaty, writing for Kompas, states that "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" has still received airplays and subsequently been covered extensively by many artists in a variety of styles on most occasions. Asti Prativi of IDN Times described this song has "meaningfully simplified" lyrics. Joanna Purba of Rappler describes "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" as "a song that always played at many shopping malls every Ramadan".

Commercial performance
"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" first appeared on Top 13 Hits Indonesia chart on the 18 May 1993 issue of Aneka at number seven, boosting Dharmawan and Arya Dipayana's popularity.

Live performances
Kolopaking sang the song on several occasions. She and Dewi Gita both performed "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" for performances in Semarak Takbir and TPI's Idul Fitri Concert on 8 and 10 February 1997, respectively. Gita's performance included Addie MS' Twilite Orchestra as the accompaniment. The song was also part of Kolopaking's solo concert Hati Matahari in 2011, accompanied by Matarantai orchestra.

Ita Purnamasari versions
"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" was covered in 1997 by Indonesian singer-songwriter Ita Purnamasari, whose husband Dwiki Dharmawan wrote and arranged the original version in 1992. Before marrying to Dharmawan in 1995, Purnamasari liked and covered it when she performed previously on Ramadan events.

She released it again, in a modern pop sensibility done by Dharmawan, on her second special album Spiritual Journey, released on 18 June 2015.

Gigi version
In 2004, Indonesian band Gigi covered the song in an acoustic rock version, taken from the album Raihlah Kemenangan. While the original version recorded in the key of A-flat major with a tempo of 76 beats per minute, their version set in a time signature of and recorded in the key of E major with a tempo of 174 beats per minute.

Live performances and promotion
Gigi promoted the album with a series of live performances on Indonesian concert tours. It became the set list of the band's Ngabuburit Tour. In September 2008, the band sang the song at Pintu Surgamu, a collaborative concert of Gigi and Ungu.

Personnel
Personnel adapted from album's liner notes.
 * Studio
 * Recorded at Temple Island Studio
 * Mixed and mastered at Slingshot Studio


 * Personnel
 * Armand Maulana — vocals
 * Dewa Budjana — guitar
 * Thomas Ramdhan — bass
 * Gusti Hendy — drum


 * Production
 * Stephan Santoso — mixing, mastering

Other versions
Since its original release, "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" has spawned numerous other versions and been performed by numerous other singers. A duet version recorded by Elfa's Singers members Rita Effendy and Agus Wisman, taken from Effendy's special album Semesta Tuhan, released in 1996. The same year, Dwiki Dharmawan and his orchestra included an instrumental version of the song, taken from Ita Purnamasari's special album KepadaMu Ya Allah. Lana Nitibaskara covered the song with arrangements by Tito P. Soenardi, taken from Dharmawan's thirtieth anniversary tribute album Collaborating Harmony: Dwiki Dharmawan and the compilation album 12 Lagu Islami Terbaik, both released in 2014. Nagita Slavina covered this song with arrangements by Tohpati, released on 3 May 2019. Her own version received generally positive reviews by critics, including her vocals. A music video for her own rendition uploaded by Rans Entertainment's YouTube channel eleven days after.

In popular culture
Following the release of "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah", the song has been used in many Indonesian films and television series, such as the film Regret (1995) directed and co-written by Sophan Sophiaan, and the television drama Kabulkan Doaku (2000), produced by Rapi Films. On 13 June 2017, Indonesian singer-songwriter Vicky Prasetyo covered "Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah" in a version with presenter Vega Darwanti, which posted on his Instagram account. Prasetyo stated that his voice was "sounded like Doraemon, rather than Armand Maulana".