Abstract
Although it could be considered an insignificant part of society, Islamic calligraphy is crucial to its culture because of its role in religion and architecture, and its help in creating unity among Muslims. Calligraphy's function in religion is mainly due to the Muslim forbiddance of the "representation of living beings" (Schimmel, Islamic 11) in art. In architecture calligraphy is used to decorate the interior and exterior of buildings to help remind citizens of the purpose of the architecture: to glorify God. Lastly, calligraphy helps to unite Muslims because everyone must learn the Arabic language to participate in prayers and recitations.
Introduction
Islamic calligraphy is considered to have developed into an art during the time of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph and the son-in-law of Muhammad (Schimmel, Islamic 3). Not only a religious leader, Ali ibn Abi Talib was a great calligrapher and artist. The use and importance of Islamic calligraphy grew rapidly after his extensive development of the art. Muslims are cautioned against producing illustrations of living beings, therefore much of Islamic art is calligraphic. Although it is not seriously considered a real art form by many western societies, Islamic calligraphy is essential to its own culture because of its crucial role in religion, architecture, and creating unity among Muslims.
Background
Islamic calligraphy is unique in several distinct traditions. The letters of the alphabet can be written in different forms, making the writings difficult to read (Piotrosky 27). It is considered a noble art form, and has its own rhythm and harmony (Khan 7). It is written from right to left and lacks capitalization and punctuation marks (11). Each o...
... middle of paper ...
...ans. Rosanna Giammanco Frongia. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 2001.
Khatibi, Abdelkebir, and Mohammed Sijelmassi. The Splendor of Islamic Calligraphy. Paris: Thames and Hudson, 1994.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islamic Art and Spirituality. New York: State University of New York Press, 1987.
Parry, James. "Calligraphy as a Contemporary Art Form." Arts & the Islamic World 31 (1997): 54-55.
---. "First International Calligraphy Festival in Tehran." Arts & the Islamic World 31 (1997): 50-53.
Piotrovsky, Mikhail B. Earthly Beauty, Heavenly Art: Art of Islam. Ed. John Vrieze. Amsterdam: De Nieuwe Kerk, 1999.
Rosenthal, F. Four Essays on Art and Literature in Islam. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1971.
Schimmel, Annemarie. Calligraphy and Islamic Culture. New York: New York University Press, 1984.
---. Islamic Calligraphy. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1970.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publishers, 2009. Print. Necipoglu, Gulru. Muqarnas, Vol 25: Frontiers of Islamic Art and Architecture.
Flood, Finbarr B. "Between Cult and Culture: Bamiyan, Islamic Iconoclasm, and the Museum." The Art Bulletin (2002):
Fakhry, M. 1997. Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introdu ction. Oxford: One World Publications.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
"The Noble Qur'an - القرآن الكريم." The Noble Qur'an - القرآن الكريم. The Noble Qur'an, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .
Islamic art and architecture is a blend from three or more different cultural traditions from the east. The Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions are three such traditions that were adopted into the Islamic art and architecture design. The best expressions of Islamic art and architecture are found in Muslim mosques. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer of Islam. Mosques are also a center for information, education, and dispute settlement. One of the most famous mosques of the Islamic art is the Great Mosque of Samarra in preset day Iraq. The Great Mosque of Samarra also has a spiral staircase on the outside of it.
The subject of censorship is a very controversial one, especially the banning of books. Many people believe they must protect themselves and others from the "evils" of many classic books and works of art because they can be deemed "indecent" in one way or another. Many believe that this is absurd and censorship in its current form is a violation of our First Amendment right to free speech. Personally, I align myself with the latter, however I do feel there are occasions where censorship is justifiable.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
While the medium of calligraphy has commonly been ink on paper, contemporary artists continuously stretch and challenge the boundaries this traditional art. Two artists in particular represent such efforts to provide new shape and life to calligraphy: Hassan Massoudy and Mattar bin Lahej. Transforming calligraphy from a static art, Iraqi artist Hassan Massoudy introduces theatrically-inspired form and movement to his letters, while Emirati artist Mattar bin Lahej transitions calligraphy to the third dimension by his sculptures. Despite the visual differences between these two artists’ works, both reflect to re-explore the expressive capacities of the word.
Murata, Sachiko. "Sufi Teachings in Neo-Confucian Islam." Indiana University. N.p., 25 Apr. 2005. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. .
Popham, W. James. “Standardized Achievement Tests: Misnamed and Misleading.” Education Week. September 2001. Web. 28 June 2015.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
The United States Constitution says in the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech” (qtd. in Murphy) which means that any material in any medium; art, music, literature, spoken, cannot be altered by the government in any way. The people of the United States of America are free to express their opinion in any way, shape, or form without fear of repercussions from the government or others. Therefore, censorship is a violation of an American’s First Amendment rights.
Ibrahim, I. A.. A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam . 2nd ed. Houston: Darussalam, 1997.