Soraya Syed, Video - ‘ Islamic Calligraphy: The Development of the Art Through the Practice of its Masters with Soraya Syed’. These verses sanctified the use of the pen from the birth of Islam and are deemed miraculous, because the Prophet himself was illiterate. Recite in the name of thy lord who created, Created man from a clot Recite in the name of thy lord, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not. The first words that God revealed to Muhammad were the opening five verses from Chapter 96, Surat al-Alaq (The Clot) which read as follows: Islam an Illustrated Journey (London, 2018), pp.

In turn, his audiences also recited and memorized the revelation. Thus, the Prophet was commanded to proclaim and recite the revelation to the people. According to Muslim tradition, the Archangel Gabriel recited the revelation to the Prophet, and the first command to Muhammad was ‘ Iqra’ meaning ‘read’ or ‘recite’. The Arabic word qur’an is derived from the Arabic root q-r-‘ (recitation). Blair Islamic Inscriptions (Edinburgh, 1998), p. This revelation was later written down as the Qur’an. 610 AD), God sent down a revelation to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel, in Arabic language. The central miracle of the faith is that in the early seventh century (c. If we want to understand why writing is a ubiquitous feature in Islamic art (and architecture), we must recognize that ‘the word’ ( al-kalima) plays a pivotal role in the religion of Islam. One can imagine the diffusion of perfumed smoke from the body of our censer serving as a sensorial reminder of this fundamental creed in the practice of Islam. The shahada and praises to God are the most typical additions to incense burners which might otherwise have ended up on Taoist or Confucian altars. The calligraphic ornaments around the body of our incense burner read as follows: Translation, transliteration and voice recording by Dr Mahbod Ghaffari The shahada upholds the central theme of the Qur’an: the unity or oneness of God ( Allāh in Arabic). Muhammad is the prophet of God’ (lā elāha ellā allāh, Muhammad rasul allāh).

In addition to excluding the other messengers of God, the second part of the shahada is viewed by Quranists as unnecessary shirk, and they may instead substitute the following: وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ ( waḥdahu lā šarīka lahu ).Most inscriptions, like most actions carried out by devout Muslims, begin with the invocation of God’s name ( basmala), ‘In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate’ ( bism allāh al-rahmān, al-rahīm), or the Muslim profession of faith ( shahada), ‘There is only one God.

By sincerely stating the shahada aloud before two witnesses, one is considered to have converted to Islam. Recitation of the shahada is considered one of the five pillars of Islam by Sunni Muslims.

This phrase, called the shahada, شَهَادَة‎ ( šahāda ), or shahadatayn, شَهَادَتَيْنِ‎ ( šahādatayni ), or Muslim creed, is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God and in Muhammad as His messenger.

( Islam ) There is no deity but God Muhammad is the messenger of God.

( lā ʔilāha ʔillā llāhu muḥammadun rasūlu llāhi).

Shahada transliteration