The Nature of Belief Essay Example for Free

The Nature of Belief Essay Describe the part which art plays in the worship and spiritual life of Islam In Islam, there is a very strong belief of never drawing any type of picture of Allah, Muhammad or animals. This is due to the worry of people worshiping the image rather than what it actually represents. Pictures similar to this are considered as blasphemous as they are misleading and unreliable. The quotation below describes the belief of Allah. No vision can grasp Him but His grasp is over all vision; He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things. (Surah 6:103) Giving a false impression of Muhammad would be wrong, however in the past if a picture were to be drawn, the face on the figure would be smudged. Allah has no form as he is beyond all images; he is transcendent. Pictures of Allah would limit his actions. As Muhammad is the last prophet he is never drawn nor worshipped. The concept of Tawhid is the most basic Muslim belief. Allah is one and not begotten. He is Allah, the One, Allah is Eternal and Absolute. None is born of Him, He is unborn. There is none like unto Him. (Surah 112) Originally the Quran was hand written and it is common to see Muslims copy this. However when copying out the Quran, Muslims take pride in the presentation and often use calligraphy (beautiful writing). Calligraphy is very important in Islam, as it is used for religious expression to decorate the mosques as pictures and statues are not allowed. It is the art of writing. It is the words written which are regarded as important not the art form. Commonly the shape of the writing is used to represent the words written, especially when writing any of the ninety-nine names of Allah. This is thought to be the best way to learn important aspects of the religion. Not only are the walls in the mosque decorated with calligraphy, but also prayer mats and also around the Islam homes. Their religion is important to Muslims at all times and in all places, and the common use of calligraphy art helps them to consistently stand by their faith. In September 1988, Salman Rushdie wrote the book Satanic Verse, covering the topic of Islam. He is now greatly hated by Muslims due to the way he chose to decorate his book cover. The book cover was decorated with calligraphy taken from the Quran and the words used were those of Allah, which is not acceptable. On Valentines Day 1989 the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomenei declared a fatwa, a religious ruling informing Muslims to carry out a death sentence on Salman Rushdie for committing blasphemy. Many artistic features in Islam, not only calligraphy, form geometric patterns and shapes, which follow mathematical principles. They are created in many different colours and can be found in both Muslim homes and mosques. Their geometric form replicate Allahs constant perfection. All of these artistic features are used to remind Muslims about their religion and help them focus on Allah. The perfection of their art is thought to be greatly important as it represents the magnitude of their faith.