Foreword

One of the major cultural interests of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, within the framework of its comprehensive perception of the Islamic civilization’s mission, is to Take care of the arts pertaining to this ancient civilization. Such interest led the Organization to allocate, in its Action Plan, a programme for supporting artistic institutions.

The publication of this booklet on "Sculpture and the Making of Statues from an Islamic Point of View" is a new step in this direction which promotes civilizational studies in this important aspect of Islamic civilization. The author, Dr. Omar El-Kadi, Expert at ISESCO's Culture Directorate, presents the position of Islam on this kind of art in the light of the inclinations of artists, the tendencies of modern scientists and technologists and the rules of Islamic Sharia and its underlying objectives. The booklet, though small in size, provides advice and guidance to all those interested in these arts and the related techniques so that their practice be compatible with the religious concepts, acceptable to human conscience and responsive to sound natural disposition.

Throughout history, Muslims have taken interest in all aspects of life in the light of the Islamic guidance. Today, as the Muslim Ummah is proceeding along the path of renaissance and modernity, guided by the authentic concepts of its religion and civilization, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization makes it a priority to develop working methods in all aspects of civilization and walks of life. It views the subject of this booklet on arts as a fairly useful contribution towards the promotion of social life.