All languages in this universe have a rich history behind them and culture among the people who speak them. Arabic calligraphy is a timeless craft that has resounding relationship with the Arabic culture and Islamic heritage. The word calligraphy originated from Greek words, namely kallos and graphos, which mean beauty and writing, respectively. Many calligraphic works may seem effortless at a glance, but that is not the case as calligraphy requires keenness and the final piece is as a result of accurate and measure brushstrokes. This chapter is going to look at and analyze the different artwork and calligraphy works related to the Arabic language that have significance to the Arabic world and Muslim culture.
TopBackground
All languages in this universe have history and cultural background. Arabic language belongs to the Southern-Central Semitic group. The Arabic language is associated with Quran and Islam as well as the rich multidimensional calligraphy. Arabic language has a rich history and is connected deeply to calligraphy as it has made the Arabic letters be twisted in to elegant calligraphy artwork. Arabic language history dates back to ninth century BC but its development began about the second BC. The Arabic tribes formed a uniformed code which was used in the Middle EAST, Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Today, Arabic language is very vital as a language in this world.
Anesthetic Arab Calligraphy (Jazm)
The anesthetic Arab calligraphy represents the Arab and Islamic culture and heritage. It started as a tool of science but later became a manifestation of beauty. Calligraphy is used as a method of writing Koran, the hadith or any other writings that is in tandem with the teachings of Koran or Islamic culture. Many scholars such as al-Qalqashandi, Ibn Hayyan al-Tawhidi, and others disagreed as to where this Arabic calligraphy originated. As history has it, Arabic calligraphy was seen even before Islam began, for example; the inscription (Harran Lajja) of 568 AD, and the inscription (Zabad) of 511 AD. They named this ancient calligraphy Jazm and they composed it of arabic letters organized in a special way to come up with the calligraphy. The special arrangenment of arabic letters was called the weighted lines. This formed the basis of arabic calligraphy with the aim of preserving the Islamic and Arabic culture using the weighted lines and some incentives which were tactical additions.
Horses And Islam
The calligraphy below is an Islam artwork that represents a horse (Figure 2). In the Muslim culture and the Arabic nations horses have a very high status and they are deemed very important. Their prominence and importance prompted Allah to make an oath and made them decorations for Arabs and Muslims. Allah said “And horses, mules, donkeys to ride and as a decoration.” He urged the Muslim community to view these decorations as a protective shield, protecting them from their enemies Figure 1). Al-jawad and Al-Hisan are some of the names that Muslims have named the horses. The names denote generosity since horses are generous in that they run very fast towards the enemy to save the rider from and imminent danger.
Figure 2. Arabic calligraphy – a horse
TopElephant And Islam
The diagram below represents an Arabic calligraphy of an elephant (Figure 3). Elephants in the Muslim culture hold a very high status. According to the Muslim faith history, they believe that Prophet Muhammad was born in the Year of Elephant. The name ‘Year of Elephant’ was derived from a battle that was fought in the year 570 CE and they used Elephants as arsenal. According to the Islamic culture, the battle was as a result of a Christian leader from Yemen who had planned to destroy Ka’ba a holy town in Mecca so as to divert the Christian pilgrims to a new cathedral in a town called Sa’naa.
Figure 3. Arabic calligraphy – an elephant