Chapter V
The Role of Islamic Arts in Reflecting Muslim Values, History and Civilisation

A/ Are Islamic Arts Religious ?

A/1- Islamic art, be it architecture or painting, had not been established on religious foundations laid down by Islamic law. Nor was it a planned style of religious education. Rather, it was a spontaneous behaviour. Painters depicted religious events found in the Holy Qur’an, biographies of prophet, history books or biographies of kings and sultans either to please the powers that be or for a special reason. Their goal was not to honour or sanctify a person per se as was the case in Christian art where icon images have reached a great degree of sanctification. The Byzantines even worshipped icons and this practice only came to a halt after the war of icons (Iconoclasm) which was launched in Constantinople. In the eras preceding the advent of Christianity, arts in ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian and even Greek and Roman civilisations sought to express doctrines in a pictorial and explanatory style.

A/2- The great number of drawings in Islamic arts, some of which are still hung on  the walls of palaces or on pages of manuscripts in the form of illustrative ornaments, raises the question of to what extent could these arts benefit Muslim values, history and civilisation, in spite of the fact that Islam encouraged asceticism in architecture, clothes and all kinds of arts. The civilisational objective that such creativity hides, makes us admit that Islamic arts gave Muslims great opportunities to hoist the level of their religious, temporal, historical as well social cultures. Equally important, Islamic arts provided the world with insight to Islamic religion as a civilisational message. This message was possible through interaction with the cultures of peoples that embraced Islam. These peoples developed this message according to the human aspirations which Muslims have always sought to fulfil.

B/ The Role of Architecture in Serving Islamic Values

B/1- Islamic architecture provided the ideal and adequate condition for the reflection of Islamic values. The Blessed Ka’ba was the first edifice that served monotheistic thought “The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that of Bakka: full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings” [Ali-Imran: 96]. This simple edifice which the Arabs of the pre-Islamic era used to go around since Abraham (“And remember Abraham and Isma’il raised the foundations of the House ‘with this prayer’”) [Baqara : 127], has become the Qiblah for Muslims. Muslims came from around the globe to circumambulate the Qiblah in their pilgrimage and ‘Umra rituals and they turn towards it in prayer upon the order of Allah: “We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall we turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee, turn then thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque” [baqara: 142].

B/2- The Ka’aba was a simple square edifice symbolising the four parts of the globe. It contains the first stone laid down by Isma’il, son of Abraham, grandfather of the Arabs. This ancient house located in Mecca fulfils a sublime function. The gathering of one million or more pilgrims around it during the days of pilgrimage is proof of the function of this first house in Islam in serving human values: (Behold! We gave the site, to Abraham, of the (sacred) House, (saying): “Associate not anything (in worship) with Me; And sanctify My House for those who compass it around, or stand up, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer” [Hajj: 26].

B/3- The sacred Mecca which hosts all of these millions of believers, has become after its many extensions, an architectural monument standing for the Mosque of Islam and the unity of Muslims who come from around the globe seeking a joint invocation of Allah in a sacred place honoured by Allah and Muslims throughout history. (“Then let them complete the rites prescribed for them, perform their vows, and (again) circumambulate the ancient House) [hajj: 29]. Allah also said in the same Surat: “In them ye have benefits for a term appointed: in the end their place of sacrifice is near the ancient House” [Hajj: 33].

B/4- The Mosque built by the Prophet with the assistance of the first believers was the first of its kind in Medina. It was the first venue where the Islamic call settled, and a rostrum for the Prophet which he used to hold meetings with believers and to ponder the issues of the call and the organisation of governance. The mosque was likewise a place where Muslims performed their regular prayers. Visiting and maintaining mosques is evidence of faith in Allah. “The Mosques of Allah shall be maintained by such as believe in Allah and the last Day” [Tawba: 18]. It is also proof of piety. “There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of thy standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make  themselves pure” [Tawba: 108].

B/5- Allah authorised that mosques be raised. They are Allah’s Houses and a place where Muslims worship and perform religious rites and duties. Allah said in the Nur Surat: “Lit is such a light) in Houses, which Allah hath permitted to be raised to honour; for the celebration, in them, of His name; In them is He glorified In the mornings and evenings, (again and again)”[Nur: 36-37].

B/6- Mosques are not a place for prayer only, but for knowledge, justice, announcement of marriages, and politics, where the Imam prays for and declares Muslims’ allegiance to the Caliph and prince, or denounces political or administrative mistakes and deviations. The mosque is also an adequate place where men’s relations are reinforced, their word and heart unified in love and virtuous work. Furthermore, learning circles are held and justice is administered between people in mosques.

B/7- Given these huge religious and civil functions that mosques fulfil, it is essential to give special care to architecture, furniture and add all that can help them fulfil their missions. Care must also be given to minarets which dominate the city and which stand as a great sign conveying the power of  religion and symbolising sublimation and supplication. The minaret is a high tower looking towards the sky from the earth, expressing the believer’s aspiration to get near to Allah. The minaret with its square form symbolises the firmness of the believer’s faith. The propagation of the call is represented by the minaret and the attachment to Heaven is typified by the peak of the minaret and the“jamour” constituted from balls representing the stars and the moon.

B/8- The domes had always stood for the heaven’s dome which protects Muslims. Architect excelled in reflecting this role of the dome through the combination of various forms such as the bulbous, the globular and the flat. Windows were fitted out at the lower part of domes to add more light to the sacredness of the mosque. The Mihrab (prayer niche) was a Qibla, a direction to which Muslims turn in prayer so that their Qibla should meet the point determined by this ancient House in Mecca.

The architect and the decorator took great care of Mihrabs and Minbars as a sign of respect for praying believers and out of respect for the greatness of the religious role these architectural elements play.

C/ The City in the Service of Islamic Values

C/1- Architectural organisation has made great progress in serving the Islamic community and achieving religious as well as temporal objectives. Religious objectives are clear through establishing the mosque at the centre of the city and establishing other edifices that serve religious culture such as schools, Qur’anic and Hadith schools. Muslims visit these buildings not only during Friday prayers or religious holidays but daily and officially. It was for this reason that the architect set up these buildings at the centre of the city so that the inhabitants coming from different parts of the city could have easy access to them. Streets and alleys extend towards the centre and are crossed by roads in the form of circles surrounding the city centre.

C/2- As for worldly objectives, they are achieved by setting up government and court edifices in the centre of the city and establishing edifices, hospitals, Khanqa clinics and schools around them. Next are markets of books and dealers, herbs and drug vendors, clothes markets, and food shops. The fortress is set next to the walls and is surrounded by horse fodder and hide markets. The city is crossed by a great number of alleys and districts which make people’s access to the mosque, to markets or to their work easy. “Work (righteousness) soon will Allah observe your work and His Apostle and the Believers” [Tawba : 105]. But without the duty of worship. “By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the remembrance of Allah, nor from regular prayer, nor from the practice of regular charity: their (only) fear is for the day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new” [Nur: 37]. Allah also says: “That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace: For Allah doth provide for those whom He Will, without measure” [Nur: 38].

C/3- The planning of cities was based on the principle of achieving peace and security. This is exemplified by the system of districts and their gates, the wide walls and the impregnable city doors. But this planning is also based on the principle of stabilising tribal and professional bonds via the repartition of populated districts according to ethnic pluralism (“We made of you nations and tribes so that ye get to know each other”) in order to achieve a cohesive social unity without any strife or sensitiveness.

D/ The House as a Container of Islamic Values

D/1- The House is its owner’s paradise to which one returns after performing a successful deed and practising pure piety during one’s daily activity. Allah says: “It is Allah who made your habitations homes for rest and quiet for you; and made for you, out of the skins of animals, (tents for) dwellings, which ye find so light and (handy) when ye travel and when ye stop (in your travels)” [Annahl: 80-81]. The house is set up so as to ensure stability and tranquillity to its residents who engage in a continuous intimate discourse with the sky which dominates the whole house via a courtyard open to the sky, the sun and pure air.

D/2- A Muslim is educated on Islamic values laid down by religion and formed by tradition. The most important of these values is the respect of the other’s rights to a peaceful and secure existence, protecting the community and its sense of morality, and ensuring stability and independence to neighbours. They also avoided violating the rights of the owners. They used every opportunity to achieve the quietude of the inhabitants, the protection of women’s privacy, the security, pleasure and piety of all those living inside. Architects have put up regulations for the dimensions of openings (such as doors and external windows). Architecture was also used to ensure social relations among people i.e. co-operation between men for the well-being of the community and co-operation between women for the education of children and for taking care of their homes. For this reason, Islamic architecture observed raised walls, stores, openings and dimensions of streets separating houses.

D/3- The interior architecture made of stony, wooden, plaster and pottery ornamentation was an opportunity for depicting wondrous Qur’anic verses beautifully engraved on walls. It was also an opportunity for portraying Allah, the Absolute, God of the universe, through engravings which were abstract and non-representational. Wooden engraving has been used to glorify the Uniqueness of Allah and to express worship and belief in Him.

E/ The Religious Role of Plastic Arts

E/1- If we move from architecture to plastic arts, especially painting and sculpture, we would find that this art fills the walls of such first edifices as Al-Hayr Palace, Al-Mfajr Palace, Qusayr Amra Palace, Abbassid Palaces in Samerra (like the Jawsaq palace). The aim was ornamental expressing joy and entertainment, a common thing in plastic arts. The second aim is religious and scientific as displayed through wall drawings, manuscripts sketches, and drawings on household utensils. These drawings depict aspects of Islamic practices such as worship, jihad, knowledge and politics. They also represent Hajj, Tawaf and the stories of the first wars waged by the Prophet for the sake of the call as well as the stories of the wars launched by Sultans in Persia and Turkey to achieve conquests and defend borders and border cities. Artists depicted the history of kings and sultans as well their victories and glories.

E/2- All kinds of manuscripts contained illustrative coloured pictures, the oldest of which illustrated scientific books translated into Arabic. These books were mainly medical or related to animals. Other drawings were used for decorating and explaining poetry, or illustrating  Maqamat and explaining travel stories (as was the case with Al Hariri’s Maqamat).

The book of Galinus (1119) contained pictures relating to drugs and the way they were prepared, to methods of growing plants, as well as to scenes of agricultural workers. A copy of this book is in Paris and another in Vienna. Six copies remained of Al Asphahani’s book Kitab Al Aghani (Book of Songs) (1217). One of these is in Cairo and another in Istanbul. This book depicts social life at the time. Descorides’ medical book found in Istanbul (1222) contains scenes of clothes and social life as well as spice dealers’ shops, drug laboratories and different types of medical herbs.

Kalila Wa Dimna books, especially the Paris manuscripts (1222), contain 92 depictions showing animals ‘communicating’ through the philosopher Baidaba. Perhaps the Maqamat of Al-Hariri, especially the copy of Paris which clearly portrays social conditions, traditions, architecture and clothing in 100 pages, contains the masterpieces of Islamic illustration. Under the Mogul era appeared manuscripts written by Ibnu Yakhtachou (1294) that showed the usefulness of animals. There are also the historical manuscripts of Bayruni, such as The History of the Ancient Peoples (1307) which contains a historical presentation of the rise of Man. Rachid Eddine’s book, Jami’u Tawarikh (an all inclusive Book of Histories) (1306),  contains texts drawn from religious books.

The most famous book depicting the history of kings is the Shahnamah written by Al Firdawsi (1010). This book, which was repeatedly reproduced, contained iconic subjects narrated in a satirical style at times. In Baghdad, there appeared a book called, Science Wonders, in 1389. In Egypt and Syria, Al Jazri’s book, Mechanisms of Dynamics, was a reference for educational and scientific drawings related to mechanics.

F/ The Images of Messengers and the History of the Prophet (PBUH)

F/1- A special care should be given to the pictures found in Mi’raj Nameh which depicts the Prophet Mohamed’s life. This was an audacious work which was severely criticised by some but accepted by others as an educational operation meant to honour the person of the Prophet. Tharwat Oukasha said: “Those who permitted themselves to describe the Prophet orally stood against describing him in drawings. To my mind, there is no difference between the two”⁽²³⁾.

F/2- Tradition books conveyed the image of the Prophet as follows: “ He is well-built, white faced, imbued with redness, with long and beautifully arched eyebrows, not of perfect beauty, and not round-faced. But was the person who depicted the Prophet faithful in his description, faithful to the pictures of the messengers, Prophet companions and historians? The view of the drawer seems to be different. It seems that he focused on revealing prophetic magnanimity, vibrant with a divine light, making the viewer experience a fear overwhelming his being. The Prophet’s beard expresses gentleness and tenderness, suggesting reverence, his face lineaments denote a brightness flowing to the depths of the soul ⁽²⁴⁾. The portrayal of persons was simple then and deformed by artistic and aesthetic standards.

F/3- The aim of such depictions was to serve the religious culture starting from the Call undertaken by the Prophet, all the way to the nocturnal journey to the seven heavens, to the Hijra (Prophet’s emigration to the Medina) and the wars. This is an educational aim encouraged by Islam. Allah taught men reading and speech and all the names [“He has created man: He has taught him speech (and intelligence)”] (Rahman). Speech was the first attribute of Man. Speech is not written or oral only. It manifests itself through signs, symbols or  images as well. Hence Islamic art served the objectives and the history of Islamic faith and honoured figures of Islam via the depiction of their monuments, their behaviour and traditions. Islamic art did not aim to emulate Allah so long as it kept away from representation and realism and opted for symbolisation  and metonymy.

F/4- Towards the end of the Mogul dynasty, Shah Rakh Ibnu Tamerlane had ordered the publication of the most famous book depicting the story of the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) entitled Mi’raj Nameh (1436), now in Paris. Despite all what has been said about this manuscript, namely that the drawings it contains were at variance with the principle of prohibition of drawing, especially with relation to the Prophet, this book has got its educational value and guides through the stories and the history of the Prophet with vivid dramatic illustrations.

F/5- During that era, there appeared illustrative poetry such as Nizami’s five poems, and “Al Bustan” by Saadi, and the story of Youssef and Zuleikha, which were all decorated with illustrative pictures. The drawings of the famous painter Behzad (1514) depict the Islamic community in an enjoyable and attractive style. Behzad portrayed Islamic daily life in Iran. The drawings of Dafranamah and the History of Tamerlane were ascribed to Bahazad. He was also in charge of many independent drawings showing individuals and animals. The pictorial school that Shah Ismai’l founded in Tabriz owed its development and output to the founding principles laid down by Behzad.

Under the Ottoman era, drawings depicting jihad, the victory of Muslims, and the accounts about Sultans’ lives flourished; among these we cite the book Album Al Fatih (the Album of the Conqueror) by Ahmed Mussa which depicts Qur’anic scenes useful for describing the Prophet, all according to the descriptions of Imam Ali. Another painter was Mohamed Sabah Kalim who drew sketches showing men, animals and daily life events. He depicted all this in the book of Sultans’ lives, Hurnama and the book of festivals Surnama. Daily scenes were portrayed in these books in a naive but very impressive style. Other books depicted Jihad battles and figures of warriors.

F/6- Illustrative drawings wonderfully reflected Islamic civilisation as well as Muslims’ glories, architecture and discoveries. Such drawings were found not only on pages of manuscripts but also on walls and utensils.

The mosque with its Qur’anic writings, inscriptions, mosaic, pottery and wooden ornaments remains an artistic masterpiece reflecting the degree of Muslim civilisation.

G/ Mosque Through Art

G/1- In general, the erection of high mosques such as the Dome of the Rock, the Cordoba Mosque, the Shah Mosque in Asphahan, the Sulaymania Mosque in Istanbul and the building of luxurious palaces such as the Umayyad palaces, the Alhambra palaces and their orchards are bright examples of an Islamic architecture which has reached to a level far above universal architecture. The architect Sinan was nicknamed the Muslim da Vinci because of his creative genius. Undoubtedly, Sinan excelled over all the architects of the Italian renaissance with his theories and wonderfully domed architecture.

G/2- All kinds of Islamic arts, including architecture, paintings, prayer rugs, woven carpets and other items expressed a cultural, creative, social and scientific civilisation, represented in astrological, scientific, and geometric drawings, beautiful renderings of animals’ figures, as well as representations of medical, scientific, and dynamic principles. The invention of the art of illustration enhanced publications by improving writing, calligraphy, gilded, and binding, etc. with the addition of embellished and coloured pictures to them.

In general, creativity, calligraphy, drawing, colouring, architecture, engravings, interior design, the invention of glass, metal or pottery household items, tiles, clothes and jewellery—all of these are features of Islamic civilisation moulded by geniuses of art for the sake  of the geniuses of politics, history, science and Jurisprudence.