Preface:
Muslims believe that God (Allah) created the heavens, the earth, and humanity. He created a single soul and from it a mate. The rest of humanity was created from this pair, spread across the Earth and blessed with guidance.
In Islam, Adam is the first human and the first Prophet of God. This line of prophecy continues through the ages, and includes Abraham, David, Moses, Joseph, and Jesus. These Prophets brought with them clear guidance from the Creator, at times in the form of scriptures including the Torah, the Psalms and the Bible. The line of prophecy ends with the Last Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon Him), and the scripture that was revealed to him - the Qur'an.
570 C.E. - The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him)
Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) was chosen by God to be the last in the line of Prophets. At the time of his birth in Makkah (Mecca), monotheism had declined and idol worship and social injustice was prevalent.
Troubled by this, the Prophet retired to the mountains in contemplation and solitude, searching for truth.
In 610, the Angel Gabriel came to Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) with the first revelation from God. Thus began Muhammad's (Peace be upon Him) life-long journey as Prophet of God.
Life of the Prophet
Muslims believe that the Prophet shared revelations as they came to him, proclaiming that there is only one God and Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is His Messenger. He guided his people away from polytheism and injustice and toward a new way of being in which all people, regardless of colour, tribe, class, or gender, could live in a just and equitable society.
These believers -- the Muslims -- included the wealthy and powerful as well as the poor and vulnerable. Among the first to accept Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) as Prophet were his wife Khadija, his cousin Ali, and his companion Abu Bakr.
Their beliefs were a threat to the dominant Makkan society. In 622 God instructed the Prophet to leave Makkah and migrate with his followers to the city of Medina. The goal of this migration, called the Hijra, was to establish a society based on the belief that only God was worthy of worship and that all people were equal before God. This moment marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, the Hijri. After 23 years, the Prophet's task of relaying the revelations from God ended with his death.
632 C.E. 10 Hijri* - The Prophet's (Peace be upon Him) Successors
Though Muslims of the time differed over the question of leadership, a majority accepted the four Rightly Guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in -law and cousin of the Prophet. These were followed by a number of dynasties: the Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, Seljuks, Mughals, and Ottomans. Each accepted the beliefs and practices of Islam while retaining its own distinct culture and contributing new features to the evolving Muslim World.
Shia Muslims recognize Ali ibn Abi Talib [d. 661], the Prophet Muhammad's (Peace be upon Him) cousin and son-in-law, as their first Imam. But all Muslims recognize him as the first master of calligraphy.
Ali is known for developing the technical and creative method of teaching calligraphy through mentorship, and for his additions to the Kufic script used primarily for Quranic manuscripts.
100-1000 C.E. 80-943 Hijri* - The Spread of Islam
The Muslim world expanded from the 7th and the 8th centuries in all directions to include much of the Byzantine and Persian empires, the Indian sub-continent, China, Central Asia, north and west Africa, and Spain. Via trade routes and the Hajj (Muslims' annual pilgrimage to Makkah), spiritual and scientific knowledge flowed freely and quickly among peoples.
700 C.E. - Development of Calligraphy
As other cultural and language groups accepted Islam, Arabic needed to become easier to learn in order for the sacred texts to be read. The founder of Arabic grammar, Aswad al-Du'ali, invented a system using large coloured dots to indicate sounds not represented by letters. Al-Hajjaj and Al-Khalil added the use of small black dots to differentiate consonants.
Kufic calligraphy continued to change. Al-Khalil adopted Hajjaj's system of dots and vowel signs, adding eight (diacritical) marks which became cursive calligraphic writing.
800-1100
The written Qur'an now took on an artistic form, adorning illuminated pages with floral designs.
Craftsmen throughout the Muslim world dedicated themselves to rendering the Qur'an with beauty. Each city had renowned Qur'an recitors and scholars, book-binders, illuminators and, most of all, respected and valued calligraphers. By the late 9th century more than twenty cursive calligraphic styles were in use.
800 - The Collection of Hadith
Muslims believe that the Hadith record the Prophet Muhammad's (Peace be upon Him) words and deeds. The importance of Hadith collections rose as collectors travelled the Muslim world to verify and meticulously record each Hadith. These collections of Hadith are an integral source of Islamic knowledge.
Scholars emerged to dedicate themselves to the study, authentification, and analysis of Hadith. Two of the most famous are Bukhari [d. 870] and Muslim [d. 875], each collecting thousands of Hadith. After a rigorous process of verification, only a few thousand Hadith were accepted, and these continue to guide Muslims.
Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or
keep silent, and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be
generous to his neighbor, and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest.
900-1100
The Holy Qur'an & Hadith 900-1100 C.E. 286-493 Hijri*
Cities emerged that were great centres of learning, with schools, universities, libraries, and hospitals. Here ideas, people, and merchandise moved freely. Scientists and mathematicians gathered in scholarly circles to develop what is known today as the 'scientific method'. One outstanding example is Al-Azhar University in Cairo which continues today the tradition of scholarship. Jabir ibn Hayyan [d. 813], was a forerunner in this field by his development of laboratory equipment and experimental methodology.
Ibn Muqlah [d. 940], an accomplished calligrapher, is acknowledged as making the most important innovation in Arabic calligraphy, that of developing beauty and proportion through precise geometric measurements. He established line widths and lengths with precision and defined the shapes and sizes of letters.
Accomplished scientists were also philosophers and poets. Ibn Rushd [d. 1198], or Avveroes, a physician, scientist, and linguist was a great Muslim philosopher and was reputed to be the ultimate authority on Aristotle and Plato. Ibn Sina [d. 1037] or Avicenna, was the most famous Muslim scholar of his era. He was a master of Greek philosophy, and a pioneering physician and psychologist. His 'Canon of Medicine' remained the standard text in medical schools throughout the Muslim World and Europe until the 16th century.
This culture of knowledge and exploration laid the groundwork for such future scholars and scientists as the astronomer al-Tusi [d. 1274] who directed the famous observatories at Maraga and wrote manuscripts on planetary motion.
1000-1300 C.E. 390-699 Hijri* - The Tradition of Learning
Literature and poetry in the Muslim world covered a wide range of themes, from religious stories and moral poetry to romantic narratives, and devotional poems celebrating the love of God and the Prophet.
One Sufi poet, Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya [d. 801], wrote poems about her deep love for God. Following in the tradition of scientists, Umar Khayyam [d. 1123], an accomplished mathematician who mastered the highest levels of algebra, also wrote evocative poetry. His most remembered work is the Rubaiyat, still widely read throughout the world. Contributions to literature also include Jalal al-Din Rumi [d 1273] famous mystic and poet.
Quote from Rabia:
If I adore You out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell!
If I adore you out of desire for Paradise,
Lock me out of Paradise.
But if I adore you for Yourself alone,
Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty,
1400-2001 C.E. 802-1422 Hijri* - The Ambitious Expeditions
Travel and exploration in search of knowledge, trade, scholarly exchange, or study at a particular library were pursuits of many Muslims in this period.
Ibn Battuta [d.1369] was perhaps the most famous of these travelers, leaving a detailed account of his journey and social commentary on the people and cultures he encountered. Ibn Battuta claims he ³visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of [his] time and traveled to China, Sri Lanka, Byzantium, and South Russia.²
1500-present
The last five centuries have seen many developments in Muslim thought. Later thinkers built on the work of earlier scholars including theologian Al-Ghazali [d. 1111], philosopher Ibn Sina and many others who clarified the approaches to the sciences, the role of the intellect, the balance between religion and reason, and the importance of Sufism. Recent thinkers have revived this work in response to the challenges of modernity, colonization, migration, and minority status confronting Muslims around the world.
Jamaluddin al-Afghani [d. 1897] traveled widely throughout the Muslim world, calling for a new pan-Islamic unity to resist European colonization
This period marks the establishment of Muslim communities in North America and Europe. It gives rise to refreshing new exchanges, which in turn influence thought all over the Muslim World. Today there are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world.
Epilogue
The Spirit of Islam: Experiencing Islam Through Calligraphy exhibition presents a selection of calligraphic arts that have flourished in Muslim cultures over the past several hundred years. The tradition of Islam and its cultural expression does not end with what we have briefly summarized. You are encouraged to explore how Islam contributes to global culture through its scholars, artists, architects, thinkers, writers, poets and scientists. It is a living, breathing tradition that flourishes around the world, crossing all boundaries of language, ethnicity, culture, and geography and uniting people in peace and harmony.
On the day of judgement, no step of a servant of God shall slip,
until he has answered concerning four things:
his body and how he used it,
his life and how he spent it,
his wealth and how he earned it,
his knowledge and what he did with it.
* The time periods on time line are given in both Hijri dates (the Islamic Calendar) and Common Era dates.
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