The Spirit of Islam
Blitz Magazine
Handwriting is the tongue of the hand. Style is the tongue of the intellect.
The intellect is the tongue of good actions and qualities. And good actions and qualities are the perfection of man.
Abu Haiyon al-Tawhidi, on Penmanship
In all cultures, handwriting is a fundamental element of education, and of life. In the age of the keyboard, writing with the hand is often viewed as a quaint necessity. Taking care to write legibly is an afterthought; attempting to write with beauty is not even considered.
For centuries, however, handwriting at its highest artistic level, calligraphy, has been greatly valued. In the Islamic world, calligraphy is one of the most respected of art forms; calligraphers the most highly-revered of artists. The belief is that few artistic expressions can be interpreted on so many levels and that, through calligraphy, thoughts and ideas are given concrete form that enhance their meaning and charge their message with a special power.
Calligraphy is an artistic signature of Islamic art; it is also a transmitter of knowledge about Islam and Muslim culture. Some of the finest calligraphy can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. This identification of calligraphy script with Muslims during the first years of Islam led to its general association with the culture at large. Its capacity to be both decorative and a conveyor of knowledge—spiritual and secular, resulted in its use in a wide range of art forms.
The Spirit of Islam: Experiencing Islam Through Calligraphy is an exhibit which aims to introduce, through an understanding of calligraphy, the aesthetics, spirituality and principles of education related to the world of Islam. This unique project features a selection of outstanding examples of Islamic art and calligraphy from different periods, plus two galleries housing a prayer space and madrasa (educational space).
The exhibit houses several pieces of note. There is a 19th-century North African textile on which the word ‘Allah’ is repeated 1,397 times—a visual representation of the ritual of dhikr (remembrance) as practiced by Sufi orders, whose members try to release themselves from worldliness by repeating the name of God.
There is a 14th-century brass astrolabe, an instrument modeling the universe in two dimensions—with it, one can simulate the rotation of the celestial sphere and solve problems of mathematical astronomy and astrology. The Muslims made an object of beauty out of the astrolabe, preserving its scientific integrity by engraving astronomical markings with astounding mathematical accuracy and decorating it as befits what they saw as a mirror of God’s universe.
A must-see is the Blue Qur’an, on loan from London’s Institute of Ismaili Studies. The Qur’an is the source of inspiration for everything Muslims do and feel and contains the ideas and principles from which Islamic society has developed its laws, rules of conduct and values. For centuries, Islamic masters have spared neither time nor effort in producing beautiful copies of the Qur’an, and the Blue Qur’an, a 9th-century North African masterpiece of gold Kufic script on blue vellum, is considered to be one of the most exquisite creations of medieval Islam.
Also of interest is a blackwood and mother-of-pearl Snakes & Ladders game from India. In many cultures, games teach and affirm traditions that are fundamental to sustaining cultural life. North American kids don’t attach much meaning to games but, in this case, each square is filled with a Persian inscription describing one of the hundred states of man; as the player rises through the ranks, he is reminded of the dangers that can send him down again. Would that everyone remembered that lesson.