Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of the Sciences (Part 55)
The Art of Arabic Calligraphy
One of the most exquisite and visually appealing arts invented and developed by Muslims is the art of calligraphy—an art that combines elegance with precision and requires an extraordinary level of finesse and detail. It was a craft that Muslims, endowed with remarkable and abundant talent, eagerly took up.
Arabic calligraphy is considered a purely Islamic art, as it is among the achievements of the Islamic faith and is deeply intertwined with its sacred book, the Qur’an. Before the revelation of the Qur’an, words were never regarded as a visual art form among any nation. While every people had their own languages and scripts, these writings were merely functional used as logical symbols to convey meaning. However, these symbols never attained the level of aesthetic art, as Arabic words did after the Qur’an’s revelation, when they were endowed with sanctity and beauty. [1]
Dr. Isma‘il al-Faruqi writes: “Among all cultures—Mesopotamian, Hebrew, Indian, Greek, Roman, and even among the Arabs themselves—no one attempted to explore the aesthetic value of the visible word. In these civilizations, and even to this day, writing has remained crude and lacking in refinement, receiving no particular artistic attention. In India, Byzantium, and the Christian West, writing served only as a logical and expressive tool, supplementing visual and representational arts. But the emergence of Islam opened new horizons for the word to become a means of artistic expression. Truly, in this field, Islamic creativity is unparalleled. Arabic script became one of the branches of the Islamic ornamental art known as ‘Arabesque,’ to the extent that it can be considered an independent and fully Islamic artistic work, regardless of its intellectual content.” [2]
Dr. Mustafa ‘Abd al-Rahim also emphasizes that Arabic calligraphy is the only art form that arose completely independently, purely Arab and Islamic, unaffected by external influences. Some Orientalists have even stated: “If you wish to understand Islamic art, you must begin with Arabic calligraphy.” [3]
Renowned Arabic sources such as Al-‘Iqd al-Farid, Khilāṣat al-Athar, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, Al-Kāmil, Al-Fihrist, Ṣubḥ al-A‘shā, and others also agree that no other civilization has honored and refined script as much as the Muslims have. [4]
In a relatively short period, the Muslim artist managed to give the written word not only an auditory but also a visual role. As soon as the word entered the realm of aesthetics, a rapid transformation began—parallel to and even ahead of the progress in ornamental arts. A close synergy developed between the two.
Nothing better expresses the Muslim dedication to this noble art than the sheer variety and precision found in Arabic calligraphy. Some major styles include:
Kufic
Naskh
Thuluth
Andalusian
Ruqa‘ah
Diwani
Ta‘liq (Persian)
Ijazah (Permission script)
Numerous sub-branches developed from these scripts, making Arabic calligraphy a rich, adaptable, and dynamic art form capable of fulfilling diverse roles in different contexts. For example, sub-styles of Kufic include Muwarraq (foliated Kufic), Muzahhar (floral Kufic), Munhasir (compressed Kufic), Mu‘ashshaq or Muzaffar, and Mushaqq Mansha‘ib. From Diwani came Jali Diwani, and from Thuluth emerged Jali Thuluth. [5]
Sometimes, a Muslim calligrapher would use multiple scripts in a single panel, increasing its beauty and magnificence and propelling innovation in the art. Competition in calligraphy aimed at achieving greater perfection and refinement, all driven by the desire to attain ultimate beauty.
Yet Muslim artists did not stop at refining letter shapes. They went further transforming the letters themselves into decorative elements. In this way, calligraphy panels became ornamental masterpieces. It is astonishing how Muslim artists assigned a dual role to letters: they served both as conveyors of meaning and as decorative forms. In many cases, the decorative aspect became the very garment through which the intended meaning was delivered.
But even this level of creativity did not satisfy the Muslim artist. He opened new horizons for the letters, making them tools of visual representation. The letters gained such expressive power that at first glance, a viewer might think they were looking at the image of a bird, animal, fruit, or lantern—only to realize, upon closer inspection, that the image consisted solely of beautifully arranged Arabic words. Remarkably, the meanings of these words often matched the forms they took—revealing the pinnacle of artistic genius and creativity. [6]
Continues…
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References:
[1] Al-Fann al-Islāmi: Iltizām wa Ibtidā‘, p. 196
[2] Mādhā Qaddama al-Muslimūn li-l-‘Ālam?, p. 609 — Dr. Isma‘il al-Faruqi was a renowned scholar of Islamic studies, originally from Palestine. He held a PhD in philosophy and studied in both the U.S. and Pakistan. He served as the head of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in the United States.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Mādhā Qaddama al-Muslimūn li-l-‘Ālam?, p. 610, quoting Muṣawwar al-Khaṭṭ al-‘Arabī by Nāji Zayn al-Dīn, p. 315
[5] Al-Fann al-Islāmi: Iltizām wa Ibtidā‘, pp. 198–199
[6] Mādhā Qaddama al-Muslimūn li-l-‘Ālam?, p. 611
