The Aesthetics of Art in Islamic Culture

The Aesthetics of Art in Islamic Culture

Artistic works in Islam are always accompanied by the aesthetic expression 'Masha'Allah!' (What Allah has willed!), which conveys the sense of wonder that captivates the mind, astonishes the senses, and delights the taste. We find that Islamic art rises above mere natural imitation, and instead moves toward purposeful imitation — that is, attempting to emulate the act of Allah, not as it truly is, since that is impossible, but rather emulating it in terms of reaching its purpose: discovering the Creator, Allah, within our own works.

Islamic art freed its practitioners from constraints, and the Islamic artist found no hesitation in employing anything that could serve this purpose — choosing for it many fields, including calligraphy, ornamentation, architecture, miniature painting, representation, painting on water, as well as poetry, rhetorical arts, and more.

We have published this book as an observatory of the arts within Islamic culture, seeking to establish a deeper awareness of the arts in general.