Art

Islam is the second largest religion in the world. In the near future, it is going to be the second largest religion in America (Esposito 1). It is the main religion in 56 countries in the world like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, and Nigeria. There are also significant numbers of Muslims in India, as well as in China, Russia, and America (2).

Muslims are monotheistic. They believe in only one god. Like the Jews, they also believe in prophets who are also in the Hebrew Bible such as Abraham and Moses in the Old Testament, and Jesus and John the Baptist in the New Testament. Their main prophet is Mohammad (4).

The Muslim people use art and architecture as their expression of faith.  Oftentimes, Islamic art is vibrant and distinctive. However, it is not restricted to religious work, but reflects all the traditions and cultures of the Muslim people (Hussain 1). In the traditional art of the Muslims, their art and architecture are a combination of beauty and use. These are considered as the components of perfection. According to the prophets, perfection is prescribed by god in all things. The basis of this is found in the Hadith of Gabriel which defines religion as a combination of three fundamental principles. The first principle is Islam or the divine will. The second is Iman, which stands for faith. Ihsan stands for spiritual virtue including the idea of beauty and perfection ( Islamic Art  1).

Islamic art has four main concepts which are calligraphy, vegetal patterns, geometric patterns, and figurative representations ( The Nature of Islam Art  1). For the Muslim people, reality is centered on Allah. He is the heart of worship among the people. Thus, Islamic art is focused on spiritual representations of objects and beings and not their physical appearances (Hussain 1). This form of art is therefore restrictive of icons and idols. This aniconism is seen an all art and architecture of the Muslim people.

Strong evidence to the aniconism among the Muslims is their mosques. The most important of these mosques is the Ka ba in Mecca. It is the holiest place for the Muslims. It is believed that it was Abraham that paved the open space around it ( The Ka ba, Mecca  1). The place is decorated by vegetal and geometric patterns. This is a reflection of the Muslims  belief in one god and the consideration that any iconic representation is regarded as blasphemy.

In the Grand Mosque of Kuwait, the interior is also decorated with geometric patterns. Geometry reflects the language of the universe which helps the Muslims perceive life and the greatness of creation. Also, geometry is sacred. Circles are believed to symbolize the immortality and the infinity of Allah. It is also repetitive. It suggests that the simpliest or smallest element can be implied to the whole (Hussain 1).

In India, the most significant Muslim architectural site is the Taj Mahal. It is a great example of the integration of architectural elements in Islamic Asia. The building has complied with Islamic requirements since it also consists of decorative arts such as calligraphy, geometry, and floral forms that are present on its walls. This structure however is greatly opposed by Islamic orthodoxy because of its excessive regard for the dead ( Taj Mahal The Architecture of Love  1).

The Alhambra is a walled city and fortress in Granada, Spain, which was built during the last Islamic sultanate on the Iberian Dynasty.  The place conformed to Islamic requirements because of the use of stone and wood carvings of geometric features that tend to be repetitive ( Islamic Art  1). This repetitive aspect of the architecture is one of the components for Islamic art.