Take-Home Assignment 2 (10%)SS 101 Islamic StudiesSpring 2013-14

Name

Usaid Mandvia

Roll Number

16110086

Section

2

Instance:

The instance when the guest lecturer, Madiha Shaukat explained inner beauty in various Islamic art forms

For Instructors use only:

GradingMaxMarksMarksObtained

Instance1

Understanding of this instance1

Its importance for you1

Reflection4

Conclusion1

Clarity/coherence/structure1

Sub Total9

Extra marks for choosing a unique instance* 1

Total10

*To encourage choosing an instance that is not chosen by other students.

I still remember the days when I would daydream at Moti Masjid, where I would go the madarssa. I would start from the pinnacle of the arch and see how the design boiled down to form a vegetal pattern; covering the whole pillar with intricately drawn plant shoots.My connection to Moti Masjid has been very strong, partly because I have been offering my prayers there for the better half of life and I have also been enrolled in the madarssa over there. I have observed many such patterns like the one mentioned above, but never had I seen a depiction of human or animals. Even on the janamaz, there are intricate patterns but never a depiction of human or animal forms. I was always told by my parents that drawing human figure is condemned in Islam thats why one should not indulge oneself in such artistic pleasures. They said, if we draw human figure, then God on the Day of Judgment will tell the said person to make those drawing come alive. I thought these ideas were absurd and that was one reason why I was looking forward to this lecture.Although this lecture was an eye opener for me in many aspects of Islamic Art and Spirituality, but there were two facets that truly caught me off guard during Madiha Shaukats explanation. The first was when she started the lecture, where she introduced the differences between Islamic Art and Islamicate Art. Islamic Art, as she put it reflects theological; art that has to agree with religious principles whereas Islamicate Art is made by Muslims and it does not specifically have to agree with religious principles. This concept cleared a lot of aspects for me as to why Mosques never had human figures drawn on its wall.The second and the more important part of the lecture that Aha-ed I was Madiha Shaukat explanations of deeper meanings of Islamic art, specifically the one that we see in masjids. This part of the lecture gave a metaphysical essence about Islamic Art. I could see how the shoots of vegetal pattern and sophisticated geometric configurations stretched to ultimate infinity, giving the idea of perpetual supremacy.All aspects of Islamic Art such as the designs, the structure and the foundation have no obvious meaning, rather they are all a manifestation of abstraction, modular art, repetition, multifariousness, divine energy, and successive combination all of which point towards the direction of one final entity; they reflect the major principle of Islam. The importance of Nuktah because of the first letter in Bismillah, the alif as a man standing in front of his God, and noon showing centrality of act of writing, all prove that Islamic Art is mature enough to go deeper than just going at the face value. Now that I ponder over the arabesque that is found in the LUMS masjid, I can feel that it is constructed on the concept of unity and infinity. The vegetal pattern, trying to mimic heaven and light, all perfectly fit on the walls of the place where Muslims gather for prayers. The unbounded pattern of geometrical circle from a single dot at the top and reverberating though out the pillars correctly symbolizes the religious principle of Tauheed of Allah. Understanding the deeper meaning of Islamic Art has allowed me to appreciate the integrity and nobility. One thing that I have noticed, even when Islamic Art is demonstrated, the person who made it remains unidentified. This now made sense that in a religion where submission to Allah is of utmost importance, it was expected to submit creative individuality to a perceived higher notion of beauty (Background note #4). Indeed God is beautiful and He loves beauty.Madiha Shaukat also explained the concept of the design of Masjid. It was interesting to note that a lot of thought is put in the symbolism. The dome itself is representative of loftiness. It demonstrates the feeling of power and a pinnacle source of energy. The explanation of fountain and streams following out, with elaborate gardens made me realize that mosques are imitating Jannat-ul-Firdous. No doubt all this was at first overwhelming for me, perhaps because of the fact that it seemed too out there but later when I researched about Islamic art, specifically this one bowl, and its collection, it made me realize the symbolism is simple; it is humble; it is modest. That bowl reminded me of the caesarean moon while the gold exterior and water inside juxtaposed a blend of molten sunlight. Such complex art showed more than the religious creativity of the hands behind it; it reminded of the places where these people exist and how Islam is an essential part of their life.Islamic Art is a fruit of Islamic spirituality from the point of view of its genesis and as an aid, complement and support for the spiritual life from the vantage point of realization of return to the Origin. (Nasr 3)Work cited"Background note #4 : The Evolution of Style." The Evolution of Style. 2007 Pattern in Islamic Art, 27 Apr. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014. .Nasr, Syed Hossein, Islamic Art and Islamic Spirituality, The Relation between Islamic Art and Islamic Spirituality, 3-13

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