The Palace

Palace of Bless
Blessing
ing and Grace
Grace
Discovering Spiritual Symbolism in the
Discovering
Court of Lions at
at the Alhambra
Alhambra in Spain
Spain

Robert Abdul Hayy Darr

 A 
d e l i g h t f u l f r a g r a n c e rides the spray scattered by the great 
fountain. The courtyard’s visitors are cooled and refreshed by the
zephyr laced with roses, jasmine, and herbs. Defying the day’s relentless
heat, the chilly water flows unimpeded to the fountain through channels
and reaches the melting snows of the distant Sierra Nevada. The flowing
  water nurtures this courtyard and the other royal palaces built atop a
promontory looking out over a wide, fertile valley. From the ancient city 
below, the formidable walls of the royal enclave appear majestic and for-
bidding. Few from the town have seen the luxurious beauty hidden within
the palaces above, but the palaces’ renown reaches far beyond the snows
of these mountains. Across the reaches of Europe and through the various
lands of North Africa and the Near East, stories are told of the Alhambra’s
unmatched splendor and elegance.

Robert Abdul Hayy Darr was raised in Tahiti and California. After 
graduating from high school, he studied north Indian music. He later be- 
gan studying Persian poetry with Ali Zulanvar and continued studying 
with the late renowned Afghan poet, Ustad Khalilullah Khalili, whose 
quatrains Darr translated into English and published in 1988. He later 
studied poetry and Islamic mysticism with Raz Mohammad Zaray, whose 
 poetry he also translated into English. In addition, Darr studied Persian   s 
 e
miniature painting with Ustad Homayon Etemadi, the court painter and royal librarian for   a
 s 
 o
the last king of Afghanistan, Zaher Shah.  n
 s 
 Darr frequently speaks about Muslim culture and spirituality. He also serves as the found-  |  
ing director of the Afghan Cultural Assistance Foundation. His recent publications include a   s 
 p
 r
new translation of the Garden of Mystery by Mahmud Shabistari (1998). The Spy of the  i 
 n
Heart , a book describing his travels and spiritual journey in Afghanistan during the 1980s,  g
 2
will soon be published, God willing. His work in progress, The Islamic Science of Letters  0
 0
and Numbers, will include a number of essays, including a complete version of this paper.  6 
|  
OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPH BY DAINIS DERICS

37
   r The fountain is at the center of a rect- ish horseshoe arches are substantial but 
  r
  a
   D angular garden-courtyard quartered by  do not seem massive. The fine geometrical
  y  water channels, forming a large cross. The perforations covering their surfaces suggest 
  y
  a
   H channels drain small fountains whispering a lattice of cascading water and light. Grace-
  l
  u nearby in the royal halls at the north and ful patterns of light and shadow invade the
  d
  b south sides of the courtyard, and smaller obscurity of the chambers at each side of 
   A
  t pools to the east and west of it, under two the courtyard.
  r
  e
  b stunning pavilions. The delicate pavilions   All of the surfaces are covered with
  o
   R startle the senses. There is a felicitous intricate designs and several styles of callig-
harmony in the overall impression of the raphy. The carved plaster arches and wall
courtyard. It is an austerity celebrating designs were originally painted and, here
an abundance of life and joy. Water flows and there, dressed in gold. Other colors
gently from the smaller pools through the could be found in what was then a thriv-
marble channels toward the central foun- ing garden, fragrant and full of birdsong,

P 
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THE COURT OF LIONS

  s
  n tain. Here the main jet’s silver spray falls around the fountain in this courtyard. This
  o
  s
  a into a massive basin that nurtures twelve palace, now called the Court of Lions, rep-
  e
  s
   |  water-spewing lion statues. The courtyard is resents the epitome of Nasrid architecture
   6 bordered by covered walkways that connect  and craftsmanship in Andalusia during the
  0
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  2 the royal chambers. These and the cupolas fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It is
  g
  n of the delicate pavilions are supported by  perhaps the grandest artifact from an age
  i
  r fine marble pillars that appear suspended of splendor that manifested at many levels
  p
  s
   | from the arches they support. Their Moor- of culture; the finest music, literature, sci-
38
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“THERE IS NO VICTOR BUT GOD,” THE FAMOUS SLOGAN

OF THE NASRIDS, CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE PALACES
IN THE SAME CURSIVE CALLIGRAPHY VISIBLE AT THE
TOP AND SIDE BORDERS OF THESE ARCHES.

ence, medicine, and many other arts and
crafts came together in Islamic Spain.
It is helpful to reflect on this full range
of cultural expression when visiting the
  Alhambra palaces today. The poems on
the walls express not only the sensibilities  
of that time, but remind us of the rich life
beyond the responsibilities of government  their existence for a time. Perhaps it was
  which took place at the royal court: the  
appreciation of poetry and music, conver-
sations about metaphysics and astronomy,
presentations on religion and mysticism.
The Nasrid rulers were well aware
both of the splendid refinement of their
court and the precariousness of this last  the word barakah  found in hundreds of  |
foothold of Islamic power in Spain. Their
own ancestors had been vassals of the
Christian powers that had, with their help,
conquered the Muslim domains of Seville
and its surrounding territories. The Nas-
rids had somehow survived the endless
threats as well as the frequent strife occur-
ring within their own dynasty. They had
also survived an outbreak of plague in the
early fourteenth century. Careful alliances
with their Christian neighbors and the sup-
port of the Marinids in Morocco secured
with this sense of the ephemeral nature of 
things that the dynasty adopted the slogan,
“There is no victor but God” (L¥ gh¥lib ill¥ 
All¥h ). This phrase is repeated throughout   s 
 e
the walls of the palace.  a
 s 
 o
Even more striking is the invocation of   n
 s 
  
 s 
places throughout the palaces. There are,  p
 r
 i 
in fact, whole walls covered with this word  n
 g
and its naturalistic emblems: the pinecone,  2
 0
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acorn, leaf sprout, and seashell. Barakah   6 
means “blessing” or “divine grace.” Scholars |  

39
   r and art historians have noted this word in   who covered whole surfaces of walls and
  r
  a
   D the Sala de la Barca, the entry chamber to arches with calligraphic representations of 
  y the Ambassador’s Hall. Yet the word bara-  the word barakah  along with the pinecone
  y
  a
   H kah  is, in fact, far more ubiquitous in the and other seed and sprout forms emblem-
  l
  u Court of Lions, where it ornaments arches, atic of it. The word seems not only meant to
  d
  b capitals, and some of the walls. The word be an invocation of blessing upon the royal
   A
  t has been carved in many striking forms of  inhabitants, but also was and still remains
  r
  e
  b Kufic and cursive calligraphy. These are a constant reminder of the beauty and joy 
  o
   R invariably accompanied by carvings of the found in God’s manifestations of mercy.
pinecone and acorn, leaves and sprouts, The pinecone, which is the most common
flower buds and seashells. These are all emblem of  barakah  at the Alhambra, is an
ancient symbols of bounty and fertility as apt symbol of this aspect of God’s merci-
 well as good fortune. ful nature and creativity. It is the singular
This word barakah  has an interesting bearer of many seeds of life, each of which
range of meaning. It has been used to contains all the potentials of each stage in
indicate the spirituality of certain saints as the growth of a new life. The pinecone rep-
 well as of sacred places. This spirituality is resents the principle of multiplicity within
thought to be enlightening, protective, and unity, as well as unity which comprehends
nurturing. Barakah  also refers to manifes- multiplicity.
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T H E W O R D B A R A K A H  I N M I R R O R E D K U F I C C A L L I G R A P H Y  

tations of spirit, such as the abundance, Many of the inscriptions1 on the walls of 
bounty, and blessings of the good life. We the Alhambra palaces celebrate the rule of 
often see this use of the word on Andalu-  various sultans of the Nasrid dynasty. But as
sian coins and other artifacts from the peri-  James Dickie notes,
od. The Court of Lions was a retreat from
  s   A proper Muslim ruler never styled
  n the tiresome responsibilities of governing,
  o
  s himself “king,” which would be an
  a a place for the intimacy of family and social
  e encroachment on God’s sovereignty,
  s
   | life. What greater earthly blessing could
but only “sultan” (the [Arabic word]
   6 there be than this reflection of paradise,
  0 root s-l-t conveys the notion of del-
  0
  2 this home of the sultan?
  g egated authority); he recognized that 
  n Consider, for a moment, the importance
  i his power derived from the SharÏ¢ah , the
  r that this concept of divine grace must have
  p
  s divinely revealed law; indeed it was the
   | had in the minds of the palace designers,
40
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T H E W O R D B A R A K A H  I N C U R S I V E C A L L I G R A P H Y  

often members of Sufi fraternities whose

application of this law that legitimized
spiritual journeys were recorded in the
his rule.2
artistic media of the time, borrowing fre-
Islam is staunchly unitarian in its con- quently from the allegorical references of 
ception of God as unique and transcen- the Qur’an.
dent. Yet God is also thought to display  For the Sufi, the walled garden repre-
His3 beauty and complexity in this world. sents the sanctuary of the heart, the center
In the Qur’an, Allah frequently speaks of  of existential awareness in a human being.
nature and its forces as symbols of spiritual This heart is thought to be a mirror, or
realities. The Qur’anic description of para- showplace, of divine manifestation. It is the
dise tells of a garden watered by fountains, refuge from man’s amnesia about his origin
rivers, and pools. This is God’s manifesta- and high purpose. In the heart of the mys-
tion of mercy and peace upon those whose tic, God might manifest His transcendental
hearts are free from strife and opposition unity or His diversity of expression in sym-  s 
 e
to the truth of their origination by Him bols. The fountain represents God’s one-  a
 s 
 o
and their return to Him. The ordinary  ness, His essential, unique determination  n
 s 
Muslim believer tends to understand the and divine identity that has no partner. The |  
 s 
garden as a symbol of the afterlife, while   word for “essence” in Arabic is ¢ayn . This  p
 r
 i 
the mystic sees the garden as a reflection  word ¢ayn  also means “spring,” “fountain,”  n
 g
of the spiritual relationship—while yet  the water source that sustains all life. There  2
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alive—with God. The great poets, artists, is, in many cultures, an ancient tradition  6 
and calligraphers of that golden age were about the fountain of eternal life, the fons  |  

41
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T H E W O R D B A R A K A H 
IN MIRRORED KUFIC
CALLIGRAPHY 

vitae . It is also described as a fountain of  ism in the structures that survive. Some of 
eternal freshness or youth. For the Muslim, this symbolism was shared by Jewish and
springs and fountains immediately invoke Christian mystics, whose religious stories
Qur’anic descriptions of paradise where reappear in the Qur’an. It should be noted
underground rivers nourish a fountain that there was a strong connection between
called salsabÏl , which is one of the delights  Jewish and Muslim mystical expression dur-
of the dwellers of paradise. ing this period. In fact, it is thought that 
The courtyard fountain drains into a  Joseph b. Nagrila (d. 425/1034), son of the
basin that provides water to twelve water-  Jewish vizier of the Muslim Granadan lords
spewing lion statues that support it. The of the eleventh-century, laid out the origi-
lion statues are thought by some scholars to nal gardens of the Alhambra palaces two
have been brought to the Alhambra from centuries before the creation of the Court 
the nearby residence of an eleventh-centu- of Lions.4
ry Jewish vizier. It is certainly true that this  As mentioned, the word ¢ayn  also means
 was not the first fountain with lions. There “essence” in Arabic. The word immediately 
is even a poem by Ibn Gabirol (d. 450 evokes the idea of the unlimited Source
 AH/1058 CE) extolling a majestic fountain of Existence. It may surprise the reader to
  with lions in eleventh-century Cordoba. learn that the word has yet another mean-
  s
  n  Whatever the truth of their provenance, in ing, that of “eye.” Arabic is a remarkable
  o
  s
  a this mystical exegesis, the lions represent  language that is given to multiple entendre.
  e
  s
   | divine power manifesting in the world of    We now see combined in this one word
   6 multiplicity and diversity. The Court of  the concepts of essence, the life-source of 
  0
  0
  2 Lions, as we now call this place, is evocative being, and perception or awareness. This
  g
  n of the divine manifestation of the human is the Essence/Fount of Being/Witnessing
  i
  r heart. It should, therefore, not be surpris- in the nature of God percieved to some
  p
  s
   | ing to find special language and symbol- degree by the mystic’s heart. Poets and
42
   r mystics have a long tradition of making
  r
  a
   D full use of the poly-suggestive nature of this
  y language. Although the Arabs borrowed THE TREASURE TROVE OF MYSTICAL
  y
  a
   H fountain and garden designs from Persian, SYMBOLISM AND ALLUSION HIDDEN
  l
  u Near Eastern, and Mediterranean ante-
  d THROUGHOUT THESE PALACES
  b cedents, these took on special meaning in
   A
  t imperial Arabian culture, both because of  HAS SCARCELY BEEN TAPPED.
  r
  e
  b the well-known Qur’anic descriptions of 
  o
   R paradise as a garden with fountains and stalactite (muqarnas ) construction in the
rivers, and because of the word associations   world. James Dickie writes, “Upward of 
already mentioned. five thousand cells cascading downward
The pre-Islamic Arabs were, compared produce in their disciplined descent domes
  with their Persian and Roman neighbors,  within a dome the most complex ceiling in
scientifically and technologically unsophis- the Muslim world and the apogee of Islamic
ticated. The Andalusian Arabs, like the art on the peninsula.”5 On the walls of this
imperial Abbasids of Baghdad, became the hall are some lovely verses by Ibn Zamrak
synthesizers of the scientific, technological, (d. 796/1393), the dynasty’s finest poet. A 
philosophical, and aesthetic cultures of  poem there opens with the verse,
the ancient world. By Nasrid times, Islamic I am a garden adorned by Beauty.
palace and garden design had reached its Truly, a glance at my loveliness reveals
apogee at the Alhambra, even if these were my soul!
not built on the expansive scale of classical   What appears on the surface as worldly 
imperial residences, such as the Medinat  literature was often equally meant as praise
al-Zahra near Cordoba. The Nasrids culti- of God and could even have been meant 
 vated a refinement of the earlier forms and as an allusion to mystical experience. Poets
specialized in the evocation of intimacy in often played on the multiple meanings of 
the smaller spaces they created. “Intimacy,” the word ¢ayn . An example by Ibn Zamrak
here, means an immediate sense of connec- in the Court of Lions complex can be found
tion and even a feeling of being absorbed in the Mirador de Lindaraja. It reads,
into the existence of the surroundings. This In this garden I am an eye filled with
psychological effect can be contrasted with delight 
the inspiring sense of awe and the uplifting  And the pupil of this eye is none other
awareness of one’s insignificance evoked than our lord.6
  within many huge palaces and religious “Lord,” here, is usually taken to mean the
buildings all over the world. sultan, Mu^ammad V (r. 755–760/1354–
The aesthetic of intimacy reaches its 1359 and 763–793/1362–1391), who was
height of achievement at the Court of Lions thought to have viewed the gardens from
  s
  n in the stunning Hall of the Two Sisters and the Mirador. According to a Sufi doctrine
  o
  s
  a the Hall of Abencerrajes at the north and quite current at that time, it is actually God
  e
  s
   | south side of the fountain respectively. It   who is the ultimate Seer in all seeing. With
   6 is thought that these spaces were primar- that in mind, it is possible to understand
  0
  0
  2 ily used for musical performances and the the stanza in a different light and to take
  g
  n recitation of poetry. The ceiling in the the meaning of “lord” quite differently.
  i
  r Hall of the Two Sisters is the most complex The words used in the line, “ ins¥n al-¢ayn ”
  p
  s
   | expression of the Persian architectural the “person in the eye,” meaning the pupil,
44
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MORE ARCHWAYS INSCRIBED “THERE IS NO VI CTOR BUT GOD.”

are precisely the words used by the Sufi and the mind becomes clothed in the enti-
gnostics when alluding to seeing through ties of the cosmos, and is revealed in the
the eyes of the “true human,” the vicege- experience of the senses and the mind.
rent of God.7 Throughout Islamic history, mysticism
Ineffable mystical experience cannot  has often been opposed by conventional
directly be described, and must be referred religionists, who could neither conceive
to through metaphor and analogy. Much of nor accept the existence of a direct per-
of the literature and art of this period was sonal confirmation of scriptural revelation.
dedicated to this endeavor. This art seeks The Almohad, Marinid, and Nasrid clerics
to communicate, through the senses and   were generally opposed to the Sufis and
through the mind, that which is beyond the philosophers. Enigmatic reference to
the senses and the mind. It further commu- mystical experience has a long tradition in
nicates how that which is beyond the senses Islam where mystics were not infrequently 
put to death for claiming a direct experien-
tial knowledge of God. It is not surprising
WHAT APPEARS ON THE SURFACE
that special languages would have evolved  s 
 e
to veil the realities of mystical experience.  a
AS WORLDLY LITERATURE WAS  s 
 o
Mystical and cosmological symbolism,  n
OFTEN EQUALLY MEANT AS PRAISE  s 
  whether found in literature, art, or archi- |  
OF GOD AND COULD EVEN HAVE  s 
tecture, created a context for understand-  p
 r
 i 
BEEN MEANT AS AN ALLUSION ing and attuning oneself to the spiritual  n
 g
 world. Art historians often cite the Alham-  2
TO MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE.  0
 0
bra as an example of Islamic architectural  6 
symbolism because of the cosmological |  

45
   r references evident in the ceiling of the Hall used in chronograms, talismans, and even
  r
  a
   D of the Ambassadors. It has been quite cred- magic, numerology was also used by mystics
  y ibly demonstrated that this ceiling depicts and metaphysicians to communicate the
  y
  a
   H the cosmological hierarchy of the Throne fundamental realities of existence and cos-
  l
  u of Allah set above the seven heavens of the mology. We should remember that, at the
  d
  b created world.8 The impact of the room’s time of the building of the Court of Lions
   A
  t proportions, lighting, and surface detail during the reign of Mu^ammad V, there
  r
  e
  b allow one to viscerally experience the mes- existed an unparalleled body of mystical
  o
   R sage illustrated in the vaulted ceiling. One and cosmological literature replete with
feels at once dwarfed, awed, and protected number symbolism. The impact of Andalu-
under this walled heavenly dome. It is easy  sian writers like Ibn al-¢ArabÏ (d. 638/1240)
to imagine some may have felt a sense of  and Ibn Rushd (d. 595/1198) in educated
divine authority acting through the sultan circles cannot be overemphasized. In
 whose throne once sat under this represen- fact, the impact of the Sufi Ibn al-¢ArabÏ
tation of the cosmic hierarchy. on mysticism was without precedence in
  A good deal of debate has taken place the whole of the Islamic world where he
concerning the sym- is still called the
P 

bolism of this and “Greatest Teacher”

H
 O
T 
 O

other structures at  (al-shaykh al-akbar ).

 G
R
A
P 

the Alhambra. Yet  In his major work,

H
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the treasure trove of  al-Futu^¥t al-mak- 

E 
A
N
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mystical symbolism L 
A
 U
kiyyah (The Meccan 
D

and allusion hidden Revelations), he

E 
 G
A
L 

throughout these describes and makes

L 
A
R
D

palaces has scarcely  use of numerology 

been tapped. The and other forms of 
symbolic language number symbol-
must be known ism. Ibn al-Kha~Ïb
before the com- (d. 774/1374),
munication can be Mu^ammad V’s bril-
understood. One of the symbolic languages liant minister who was also a lover of poetry,
of the Sufis is a form of numerology gener- philosophy, and mysticism, was eventually 
ally called abjad  in the Islamic world. Each put to death in Fes; he was accused of her-
letter of the alphabet is assigned a number, esy and of being a supporter of philosophy 
allowing words to have specific numerical and Sufism.10 He was the statesman who
assignations through the addition of their tutored Mu^ammad V in his youth and
letter-numbers. In this manner, words and  who would have had a strong influence on
  s
  n concepts with the same number totals can all of the activities at the court. One of his
  o
  s
  a be identified with each other. The funda- famous books was the Raw\ah al-ta¢rÏf bi 
  e
  s
   | mentals of this system, far from being eso- al-^ubb al-sharÏf (The Garden of Knowing the 
   6 teric, are found in Arabic dictionaries and Noble Love) . These men had in common
  0
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  2 grammar books.9 a love of evocative symbolism that has the
  g
  n The use of  abjad  has a long history in power to keep the mind attuned to its fun-
  i
  r Islamic Spain where it was employed in damental relationship with True Reality. It 
  p
  s
   | literature and art. Although commonly  should not then come as a surprise to find
46
  T
that even numerology was employed in the  h
MYSTICAL AND COSMOLOGICAL  e
 Alhambra palaces where there is already so  P 
 a
SYMBOLISM, WHETHER FOUND IN  l
much symbolic language in evidence.  a
 c
One out of many outstanding exam-  e
LITERATURE, ART, OR ARCHITECTURE,
 o
ples of the architectural usage of  abjad   f 
CREATED A CONTEXT FOR  B 
employed at the Alhambra palaces is the  l
 e
 s 
geometric designs on the underside of the UNDERSTANDING AND ATTUNING  s 
 i 
 n
 g
cupolas within the pavilions at the east and ONESELF TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
 a
 n
 west sides of the Court of Lions. These are  d
  wooden arabesques that have survived the of the number one. The aesthetic appeal  G
 r
 a
centuries with little decay, thanks to the dry  of monoformal symmetry, in which a mir-  c
 e
climate of the region. These semispheri- rored singularity creates multiplicity, is
cal arabesques were designed with a very  expressed in many Islamic arts, such as
interesting geometry. Each cupola shelters book cover designs, medallion carpets, and
twelve eleven-pointed stars connected to architecture. In the Court of Lions, we see
each other by minor star polygons. Muslim this symmetry highlighted by the protru-
artists made wide use of star geometry but  sion of the mirrored pavilions at the east 
rarely of the more difficult eleven-pointed and west ends of the courtyard. These, of 
star arabesques. One must wonder why  course, contain virtually identical domes
they went to such trouble, especially under  with the same unitarian symbolism.
cupolas sheltering fountains and generally  The stars are arranged in three levels
out of view. of four stars each. Forty-four, invoked at 
Mystically important truths are alluded each level of four eleven-pointed stars, is
to in this geometry. First, there is the most  numerically synonymous with the divine
obvious symbolism of each eleven-pointed unity, al-A^ad .13 This divine Oneness of 
star. The number eleven, through numeri- Being does not Itself become multiple
cal equivalence, is synonymous with the through the appearance of the particu-
Divine Self or Identity, called Huwa 11 in larities of created existence any more than
 Arabic. Huwa , or H‰ , is the Absolute Exis- light becomes plural in the various colors
tence, whether conceived of as beyond and shadings in which it is manifested. The
the particularities of the created world or unity of God is, of course, a fundamental
as the source and very existence of those belief of Islam and a fundamental experi-
particularities. This double aspect of True ence of the mystics. There also happen to
Reality may be conceived of as the “Unity  be forty-four floral shapes decorating each
of the Essence,” and its other aspect may  eleven-pointed star, 14 numerologically 
be called the “Unity of the Names.”12 The forming the sentence in each of the stars,
Names of God and the multiplicity arising “He is the One” ( Huwa al-A^ad )!  s 
 e
from them in the cosmos are only experi-   An important aspect to the overall  a
 s 
 o
enced as multiplicity in a consciousness that  message of the cupolas is the fact that the  n
 s 
cannot apprehend their fundamental unity  totality of the twelve stars (each with eleven |  
 s 
mirrored in the cosmos and only perceives points giving an aggregate of 132 points)  p
 r
 i 
their diversity of meaning as manifested indicates the word qalb ,15 an Arabic word  n
 g
in the forms. A subtlety in the symbolism that has the double meaning of “heart” and  2
 0
 0
of the divine Identity, Huwa , is that the “transformation.” Heart, as earlier pointed  6 
number eleven results from the mirroring out, might well be translated into contem- |  

47
   r porary English as “mind” or “conscious-  verse repeated on the walls throughout the
  r
  a
   D ness.” The particularities of existence, palace reminds us. This meaning of Islam
  y  whether experienced in the world or in the is the origin of the faith’s earthly shadow,
  y
  a
   H mind, are thought of as divine self-manifes- the Islam of submission to God’s word and
  l
  u tations conforming to noumenal potentials ordinances, as Islam is more commonly 
  d
  b called “essences,” a¢y¥n . The potentials understood. The abjadist  sees clear linkage
   A
  t remain in a state of non-manifestation while in these concepts in the striking coinci-
  r
  e
  b Being is thought to manifest according to dence that the word “Islam” itself also has
  o
   R   various characteristics of their latencies. a numerology of 132.18 And if I may strain
These potentials, a¢y¥n ,16 also have an abjad  the reader’s credulity, 132 is also the abjad 
of 132. We can derive from the symbolism equivalent for Mu^ammad,19 the Prophet of 
of the cupolas that the mystery of Divine Islam s. In this last instance, it is common-
Unity and the appearance of multiplicity at  place among abjadists to count the doubled
their most fundamental level can be expe- “m” in his name, an anomaly that aids in
rienced in the properly attuned heart, or  joining all of these concepts together. It is
consciousness, of the mystic. the “Mu^ammadan heart” that embraces
Islamic mysticism is firmly grounded in the double aspects of Unity—God’s tran-
the scripture of the Qur’an as well as in scendental unity—beyond the multiplicity 
the divinely inspired sayings (hadith) of  of creation, and God’s unity of being within
the Prophet Mu^ammad s. The cupolas the ever-changing diversity occurring at all
artistically express the meaning of one levels of existence.
famous saying where God announces, “My  The foregoing is only a partial exegesis
earth and My sky do not contain Me, but  of the symbolism of these domes. The
the heart of My faithful servant contains attuned reader could find many more spiri-
Me.” In other words, it is as though God tually evocative and metaphysically useful
says that He is not known—not as the Sin- representations in their geometry, as well
gular and transcendental Divinity nor as as in other areas of the palaces. These over-
the self-manifesting Divinity bestowing exis- lays of numerological and other symbol-
tence upon the limitless potentials of the isms are meant to broaden the impact we
noumena—except in the purified human already receive directly from the aesthetics
heart-mind which is vast enough to com-
P 

prise His vastness.

H
 O
T 
 O

It is in this citation that one can under-

 G
R
A
P 

stand the Sufi conception of true Islam.

H
E 
R
: 
R

This is an Islam, which according to the  O

B
E 
R

root meaning of the word, 17 leads to a

T 
A
B
D

surrender—a surrender of the person-

 U
L 

  s H

  n
A

ally constructed worldview of the instinct-

Y 

  o
Y 

  s
D
A

  a dominated person to the unlimited and

R

  e
R

  s
   | infinite source of existence. Experiential-
   6 ly, this means the opening of a luminous,
  0
  0
  2 existential vastness in the consciousness
  g PILLARS WITH THE
  n of the individual who has let go the
  i
  r defenses of the strife-ridden kingdom of  W O R D B A R A K A H  A T T H E
  p
  s
   | the self. “There is no victor but Allah,”  as the COURT OF LIONS

48
  T
of this place. Why are we so moved by these the meaning of life. In art and literature,  h
 e
palaces? What do we experience from the they have left behind their thoughts and  P 
 a
 l
proportions and symmetries of this special  visions concerning the true meaning of the  a
 c
courtyard? human being. There has been extensive  e
 o
The majestic fountain and the patterns study of the literature from both regions,  f 
 B 
of light in the shadows continue to delight  giving us a fairly clear sense of their ideas  l
 e
 s 
us. The Court of Lions provides a glimpse on cosmology and spirituality. People today   s 
 i 
 n
 g
into the rich life of the Nasrid monarchs are less familiar though with the possibility 
 a
 n
  who built and adorned the Alhambra pal- of expressing these insights in the realms  d
aces with the best of Islamic architectural of the visual and musical arts. Yet it is  G
 r
 a
and artistic expression. In the same period precisely in these presentations that meta-  c
 e
in faraway Khorasan, Muslim rulers of the physical concepts can be absorbed by the
Timurid era also brought together the non-linear, meta-analytical capacities of the
best artists and poets of the day. Both have mind and spirit. The survival of the Court 
left us with artifacts that still bear witness of Lions gives us the opportunity to better
to the beauty and complexity of Islamic understand this form of subtle communica-
culture. Both cultures especially treasured tion.

THE COURT OF LIONS PROVIDES A GLIMPSE INTO THE

RICH LIFE OF THE NASRID MONARCHS WHO BUILT AND

ADORNED THE ALHAMBRA PALACES WITH THE BEST OF

ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURAL AND ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

metaphysical and mystical writings and  Additional Notes on Numerology 

  works of art that were esteemed by the Sacred alphabetical numerology, the
rulers and the great thinkers of their day. communication of mathematical rela-
  Art and literature were then dominated tionships between philosophical and
by members of Sufi organizations in both metaphysical concepts through the use of 
regions. Part of the genius of this time was letter/number identity systems, is far older
a result of the sharing and borrowing of  than Islamic Arabic culture. The origins of 
ideas and symbols across time and culture. numerology are a bit unclear, but systems
Hence, the most sophisticated example for its use were extant in ancient Phoenicia
of the Persian stalactite dome is found in and Greece. It is important to distinguish  s 
 e
Spain at the Alhambra. Mystics and think- sacred numerology from the widespread  a
 s 
 o
ers of the Timurid courts of Central Asia use of numerology in the talismanic and  n
 s 
  were, in the same period, busy preparing magical arts, as well as in administrative |  
 s 
long commentaries on the writings of the documentation. Sacred numerology has  p
 r
 i 
  Andalusian mystic, Shaykh Ibn al-¢ArabÏ. been reserved primarily for the expression,  n
 g
These individuals, thousands of miles from instruction, and codification of metaphysi-  2
 0
 0
each other, applied themselves to discover- cal concepts; and for their verification by   6 
ing the capacities of the human spirit and mystics of the great spiritual traditions. |  

49
   r In the West, what are now called Arabic inherent danger of obsessive thinking and
  r
  a
   D numerals were imported from India into inappropriate systematization taking over
  y   Arabia, where alphabetical letters had the minds of aspirants who struggle with
  y
  a
   H also served as numbers (as was the case in the uncertainties of mystical experience.
  l
  u other Near Eastern and Mediterranean Many mystics find themselves with an
  d
  b cultures). Prior to the introduction of  enhanced capacity for using puns and
   A
  t Indian numbers, Arabs automatically made apprehending the connections between
  r
  e
  b numerological associations between letters concepts and events that had not been
  o
   R and numbers, and it was inevitable that  evident prior to their spiritual transforma-
important concepts and ideas came to have tions. Some of these mystics of the Islamic
number identities. Islamic culture has,   world have found the language of abjad 
from its inception, made use of numerol- useful for such associative exploration and
ogy. Most educated readers of the great  communication. Anyone without such an
poetry in Arabic and Farsi are still aware associative capacity may be unable to sup-
of this, at least to some extent. As a clear port or acknowledge the benefit, or even
and simple example, for many poems the existence, of such communication.
containing numerological expression are The example of numerology employed
deliberately quite obscure, here is a cou- in the cupolas that I have explicated in
plet from one of Hafiz of Shiraz’s ghazals20 this paper is quite straightforward, and I
(d. 791/1389): propose to give a bit more detail to help
There is naught on my heart’s tablet  guide anyone interested in pursuing this
but the Friend’s letter “A.” topic. I have pointed out that through the
 What can I do, as the Master has use of a set of eleven-pointed stars, one
taught me no other letter. could communicate certain metaphysically 
The letter A (alif  in Arabic/Farsi) is, fundamental concepts about the nature of 
in abjad , equivalent to the number one. unity and multiplicity. I used the simplest 
Hafiz indicates that God alone is present  abjad  form—that of counting just the num-
in his heart, and that he experiences mys- ber of points of the star arabesques and
tical oneness with God because his heart  the number of floral forms contained by 
(consciousness) has been wiped clean of  them. There is often a secondary form of 
duality. counting used in geometrical abjad  that 
Numerology is widely used in the mysti- can be applied to these arabesques, which
cal literature of Islam, as is allegorical and  would yield additional metaphysical mean-
metaphorical language. All of these expres- ing. I will introduce just one example of 
sions, including the calligraphy itself, this in order not to deny the earnest reader
have a double intention of revealing and a deeper appreciation for this subtle lan-
hiding the communication. This accords guage.
  s
  n perfectly with the paradoxical reality of  The reader will notice that in forming
  o
  s
  a mystical experience which has been vari- the eleven-pointed stars, hexagons make
  e
  s
   | ously described as “a bright midnight,” an up the largest polygons of each star. There
   6 “open secret,” an “obscurity hidden by its are other important polygon shapes within
  0
  0
  2  very obviousness,” among others. each star, but let’s just examine the larger
  g
  n Not all mystics make use of numerology. hexagons that form the actual points of the
  i
  r Moreover, some of the mystical orders of  stars. Each star has eleven of these. Each
  p
  s
   | Sufism actually barred its use because of the hexagon could be described as having six
50
  T
4 Maria Rosa Menocal, The Ornament of   h
1
2 2  e
1 the World  (New York: Little, Brown and  P 
6
3
 a
 l
Company, 2002), 105.  a
 c
11
3
5 Dickie, “The Palaces,” 146.  e
5  o
   R
   R 4 4 6 Ibid.  f 
   A
   D  B 
   Y  l
   Y
   A 7 See the chapter entitled “Adam” in the Fu|‰|   e
   H  s 
   L
10
al-^ikam  by Ibn al-¢ArabÏ for this doctrine  s 
   U
 i 
   D
   B  n
   A
5  g
   T and its language.
   R
   E  a
   B
 n
   O
   R 8 The ceiling depicts the Qur’anic verses  d
  :
9
   R
   E
“Blessed is He in whose hands is the sovereignty”   G
   H
   P 6  r
   A
   R  a
   G (67:3) and “He created the seven heavens layered   c
   O
   T 8
7
 e
   O
   H
   P
upon each other” (67:5).
DIAGRAM OF THE 9 See, for example, W. M. Thackston, An 
ELEVEN-POINTED STAR  Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic 
SHOWING TWO WAYS OF (Bethesda, MD: Iranbooks, 1994), 245.
C O U N T I N G F O R    A B J A D  10 See Medieval Iberia: An Encyclopedia , E.
Michael Gerli, ed. (New York: Routledge,
connected lines or six points of line inter- 2003), 416–417.
section, either way giving the number six. 11 h =5 + w =6 gives a total of 11.
Six times the eleven hexagons gives six- 12 For an explication of this doctrine, see the
ty-six, the abjad  for Allah, God. This word chapter entitled “Joseph” in Ibn al-¢ArabÏ’s
not only means God in the general sense  Fu|‰| al-^ikam .
but has a particular significance in Islamic 13 a =1 + l =30 + a =1 + ^ =8 + d =4; this gives a total
mysticism, representing the Divine as both of 44.
the formless Essence and the totality of  14 See the close-up of the eleven-pointed star
the cosmos-engendering Divine Names on this page.
explored in the essay. So the metaphysi- 15 q =100 + l =30 + b =2, gives a total of 132.
cal communication about divine Unicity  16 a =1 + ¢=70 + y =10 + a =1 + n =50, gives 132.
and multiplicity is further unveiled in yet  17 From s-l-m  come the meanings of surrender
another layer of abjad communication. and wholeness.
18 a =1 + s =60 + l =30 + a =1 + m =40, gives 132.
“We will guide them in Our ways. ”21 19 m =40 + ^ =8 + m =40 + m =40 + d =4, gives 132.
Doubled letters are not normally counted
NOTES twice.
1 See Jose Miguel Puerta Vilchez, “La 20 Editor’s note: A ghazal is “a lyric poem with
 Alhambra de Granada: Poder, Arte y Utopia,” a fixed number of verses and a repeated
Cuadernos de la Alhambra 23, 1987 rhyme, typically on the theme of love, and  s 
 e
2 James Dickie, “The Palaces of the normally set to music.” ( The New Oxford   a
 s 
 o
 Alhambra,” in Al-Andalus, The Art of Islamic  American Dictionary , 2nd ed. New York:  n
 s 
Spain , Jerrilynn D. Dodds, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.) |  
 s 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992), 139. 21 Qur’an 29:69.  p
 r
 i 
3 Although divinity, in itself, is beyond such  n
 g
concepts of gender, the active aspect of   2
  0
 0
God is identified in masculine terms in the  6 
Qur’an. |  

51