VCS155

ISLAMIC ART IN THE MALAY WORLD

COURSE CODE : VCS 155
COURSE NAME : ISLAMIC ART IN THE MALAY WORLD
LEVEL : DIPLOMA
CREDIT UNIT : 02
CREDIT HOUR : 02
PART : 02
COURSE STATUS : CORE
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Comprehend the concept and theories underlying the
Islamic Art
2. Able to appreciate works of Islamic Art of the Malay World
3. Able to apply the knowledge in their studio works

COURSE OUTCOME
This is an introduction course to the Islamic Art of the Malay
World. It covers the definition and fundamental concepts and basic
theory in Islamic art. The discussion will be on various aspects of
Islamic art from formalistic and contextual approach

COURSE DESCRIPTION
1. Introduction to the course

2. Definition of Islamic Art

3. The concept and principle

4. The creative process

5. The concept of the Malay World

6. Quran and Manuscripts

7. Mosques

8. Textiles and Costumes

9. Woodwork

10. Metalwork

11. Ceramics

SYLLABUS CONTENT
• Lecture
• Discussions
• Blended Learning

TEACHING METHODOLOGY
1. Test : 20%
2. Assignment : 20%
3. Final Examination : 60%

Total : 100%

ASSESSMENT
Abbas Alias dan Norwani Md. Nawawi. 2006. Pakaian
Melayu Sepanjang Zaman. Kuala Lumpur: DBP.

Dzul Haimi bin Md. Zain et. Al.,2006. Ragam Hias Al-
Qur’an di Alam Malayu. Kuala Lumpur: Utusan
Publication.

________2007. Seni Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Univision.

REFERENCES
________1999. Bibliografi Seni Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Univison.
Islamic Art Museum, 2005. The Message & Monsoon. Islamic Art of South East Asia.
Kuala Lumpur: IAMM
Islamic Art Museum, 2006. Al-Qur’an. The Sacred Art of Revelation. Kuala Lumpur:
IAMM.
Jabatan Muzium Malaysia, 2006. Manifestasi Tulisan Jawi. Kuala Lumpur: JMM Malaysia.
Othman Yatim, Batu Aceh, Johore: Muzium Negeri Johore.
_______1990. Epigrafi Islam Terawal di Nusantara. Kuala Lumpur: DBP
Syed Ahmad Jamal. 1992. Rupa dan Jiwa. Kuala Lumpur: DBP.
Zakaria Ali, 1994. Islamic Art in South East Asia. Kuala Lumpur: DBP.
DEFINITION OF ISLAMIC ART
Islam
Islamic World View

The most outstanding and far reaching feature of the Islamic world view is:

embodied in the proclamation, La ilahailla Allah

(“There is no god but God.”), and in the monotheistic principle of tawhid
which it proclaim.
Tawhid
derived from the word for “one”, “unique,” or “peerless” (wahid), it is a
concept implying oneness and utter transcendence of God.

Tawhid
precludes any confusion or absorption of the divine in the non-divine.
Islam is complete and perfect and is not to abrogation or any additions. Allah swt
says:
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor
upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”. (Surat Al-
Maa’idah, 5:3)

being the final religion which had abrogated religions before it, Islam is the only
religion that Allah swt will accept:
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted
from him, and in the life to come he will be among the losers”. (Surat al-
Imraan, 3:85)
• Once who willing to accept God as his Lord; Islam as his
religion and Muhammad as God’s Messenger has savored the
taste of faith.

(Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Al-’Abbas Ibn ‘Abdul

Muthalib)
• Islam has been built on five pillars: testifying that
there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His
Messenger; Performance of prayers; alms-giving
(Zakat); Pilgrimage to the Ka’bah; Fasting during
Ramadhan.

(Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of

‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar)
 MUHAMMAD (PBUH)
• The heart of every Muslim is filled with love for the last prophet
Muhammad saw (pbuh) and this love of the Messenger of Allah is
an asset for him. Love and respect of a person depends on the
benefits we get from him.

• As the Prophet saw is the greatest benefactor of humanity, every

Muslim has the deepest love for him. Every deed of his life is to be
followed by every individual of the Muslim Ummah.
• Love of Allah messenger saw is a part of our Faith. There is a
Hadith (tradition) of the Prophet saw who said:
“None of you has Faith unless I am dearer to him than
his father and his son and all mankind”.

- Someone asked ‘Aishah rha about the noble character and

manners of the Prophet saw, She answered;
“have you not read the Qur’an?. His character is a
complete explanation of the Qur’an.”
 SIRAH AN-NABAWIYAH

THE STORY OF
PROPHET MUHAMMAD SAW
CONTINUED BY 4 CALIPHS;

ABU BAKR
‘UMAR
‘UTHMAN
‘ALIY
Islam arose in the west of the Arabian peninsula in
7th century AD when, Muslim believe, the
Prophet Muhammad received a series of
revelations from God transmitted by the Jibra’il. By
the 8th century the Arab armies had carried Islam
westwards as far as Spain, and eastwards to
Samarqand and the Indus Valley. Under later rulers
there was further expansion into present day
Turkey and deeper into the Indian subcontinent.
Art
The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines art as ‘human creative skill or its application’.

Art is ‘creative activity…resulting in visual representation’.

Art is “the production or expression of that which is beautiful.”

“Art is some creation of man that appeals to his emotions and his intellect by means of his senses.”

“All inner feelings, aspirations and spiritual states must be given some external manifestation in order
to be perceived through the senses by others. This manifestation is art.”
Art expresses the soul of a people to a degree beyond the reach
of other cultural aspects and achievements of a society.

Art is the aesthetic dimension of the life of a society or civilization,

and, in its larger meaning, co-extensive with the culture of the
society. It includes all the spiritual, intellectual, emotional and
personal facets of man’s existence: his religion, beliefs, faith,
poetry, historiography, manners traditions, ideals and ambitions.
•Islamic Art
The imagination behind art is human, but the
afflatus, the original impulse, is divine.

Man’s effort is almost without limit, and his skill is

a thing of wonder, yet “no work of art inspired by
man alone will ever be a real work of art”, and
religion, “ that some otherworldly inspiration”, is
essential to art. inspiration”, is essential to art.
 The view of nature
“In Islam, nature is creation and gift. As creation it is teleological, perfect and orderly; as
gift it is innocent good placed at the disposal of man. Its purpose is to enable man to do the
good and achieved felicity. This treble judgment orderliness, of purposiveness and goodness
characterizes and sums up the Islamic view of nature.”

Islam rejects:
1. The representation of the Divine with figures from nature
2. The creation of any form of religious image

The beautiful and the significant in art:

is not in the aesthetic portrayal of humanity or human attributes, or of the truths of nature.
Islamic Aesthetics
The Islamic message of Tawhid permeated
both
the content
and
the form of Islamic art.
Content
It can be demonstrated that Islamic art is
primarily abstract art.

Since Allah (SWT) is so completely other-

than natural world, no creature from
nature could stand as symbol for Him.
The artist concentrates on:

1. Geometric and other abstract designs

2. Elaborate calligraphy
3. Heavily stylized and denaturalized figures from
the plant world
4. Animal form became fantastic creature divorced
from nature
 Beauty for Muslim artist is not the
idealization of nature.

Beauty is consisted in a portrayal which

expressed something other than nature,
something meant to generate an intuition of the
real essence of the Transcendent.
Form
The Islamic view of God and reality has
influenced the artists choice as well as the
organization of those non natural or
denaturalized motifs.
Two formal characteristics of Islamic artistic
creations reveal their conformance with
Islamic message :
1. Their non-developmental nature

Example of a non-developmental form in Islamic

painting : has no one focal point to which all
minor elements of the picture point and
subordinate themselves.
2. Their conjunct and disjunct arabesque structure.
The definition of arabesque is primarily a matter of the
structure of art.
Arabesque can be separated into two types: the conjunct
(muttasil from wasala, “to connect”) and the munfasil (from
fasala, “ to divide in sections”). A conjunct arabesque
resembles a continuum.
• A disjunct or munfasil arabesque comprises a
combination of motifs in such a manner as to present a
series of self-contained units, each complete in itself.
Each component is also loosely interwoven with those
other units around it in such a way as to produce a larger
pattern of which small unit is but a single pattern.
 “…art also becomes an essential means
for gaining knowledge, and, in its fuller
development, for attaining the final
awareness. Knowledge and beauty become
one, single experience.”
 “Art and contemplation:
the object of art is beauty of form,
whereas the object of contemplation is
beauty beyond form,
which unfolds the formal order qualitatively
whilst infinitely surpassing it.”
 “To extent that art is akin to contemplation
it is knowledge, since Beauty is an aspect of
Reality in the absolute meaning of the world.
Nor is it the least of its aspects, for it reveals the
unity and infinity that are immanent in things”.
“…Islamic art, regardless in which century or
continent it was produced, reveals a remarkable
consistency in content and form”.

“…the power of the aesthetic values of Islam are

such that, even without the consciousness and
pursuance of those value, the artist and the
spectator alike have been guided to an artistic
unity…”.
“…Islamic artist, whether consciously or
unconsciously, had his own criteria for
the beautiful and for the artistic
expression of his world and God view”.
•Why “Islamic Art”?

“This mean that Islam represents a total order

which involves all the planes of human
existence, the body as well as the soul, and
which decides naturally the place which each
art occupies and the role it will play in the
spiritual and physical equilibrium of the Dar al
Islam-literally the house of Islam.”
It is by conforming to a certain hierarchy
of values that arts are integrated in
Islam, and that they become Islamic art,
whatever the source of their diverse
elements may be”
Islamic art is the fruit of the marriage between
technique (al-fann) and wisdom (al-hikma)”.

In is purest and most perfect form it is attribute

of God who is called al-hakim. One of the
several dimensions of God’s hikma is beauty,
the paramount concern of art.
KA’ABAH : MAKKAH
YATHRIB ; MADINAT AN-NABI
 ISLAMIC ART
• Islamic Art has been defined with various definitions….is due to the
enormous scope of Islam that covers the entire part of Muslim life, society
and culture. In addition, the level of knowledge (‘ilm) of Islam, such as the
level of the
• - worldly (syari’ah)
• - path (tarikat)
• - truth (hakikat)
• - knowing (makrifat)
• Along with the differences of opinions according to the sects or schisms,
Hanafi, Hambali, Maliki and Shafie, Islamic Art is perceived from different a
scope and that lead to different perceptions and definitions.
 OTHMAN YATIM (WARISAN KESENIAN DALAM
TAMADUN ISLAM:1989:2)

• Stated that there is no collective agreement among the Muslim

artists, writers and researchers pertaining to definition of
Islamic art. This situation was acknowledged and accepted
among them as a very subjective matter and this had therefore
lead to various definitions of Islamic Art.
 ISMAIL R. AL-FARUQI AND LOIS LAMYA AL-
FARUQI
(THE CULTURAL ATLAS OF ISLAM:1992:63)
• Islamic Art as a manifestation of aesthetic values which is suitable as its is tied to the revealed
knowledge of Islam based on the Qur’an.
• Islamic Art is the art of Qur’an. What should be stressed in a wok of Islamic art is the concept, its
message and the teachings of Islam. Islamic work of art should have the intention of bringing the
audience to feel the Omni-presence of Allah (zikrullah). In other words, messages of any Islamic art
works should be based on the revealed knowledge and the messages as contained in the Qur’an
(1992:172).
• Lois Lamya al-Faruqi (1992:61) stressed that Islamic art is a development of artistic skills and aesthetic
considerations, whether it is for religious functions or otherwise, and it conveys Islamic messages or
content. By religious functions he means that the artwork consists of symbolic items such as mosques,
prayer rugs (sajdah), mimbars, books (kitab), rahl and as such. Islamic art should not only refer to such
items but it should go beyond that by encompassing every aspect of creativity. Basically to define a
work of art as Islamic will require the examining of the manifestation of its contents and messages.
 ROBERT IRWIN (ISLAMIC ART:1982:8-16)

• Islamic art as the art of Islamic cultures and not just to the arts
related to the religion of Islam. He mentioned that Islamic art is
neither art of a specific era nor of a particular place or people
and believed and Islamic art is neither a style nor a movement.
 SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR
(ISLAMIC ART AND SPIRITUALITY:1997:7)
• Islamic Art is the process of the crystallization of spiritual treasures. According to
him Islamic art is the manifestation of the truth (haqiqah), which is abstract in
nature and can transform into a holistic presentation. What are being manifested in
the artworks are the thoughts, ideas and understanding about Islam.
• The ultimate thought (haqiqah) and knowledge of being united with the One
(Ahadiah) through unity (Tawhid) and this is the most valuable treasure to the
Muslims.
• Islamic art, is the manifestation of this abstract (jarada) treasure that is the
knowledge (‘ilm) and doctrine of being united with the One (tawhid) or the
submission of the self to God. The knowledge (‘ilm) comprise the Divine Rule
(syari’ah) and the Spiritual Truth (haqiqah).
• “Islamic art is based upon knowledge (‘ilm) which is itself of a
spiritual nature, a knowledge referred to by traditional masters of
Islamic art as a hikmah or wisdom” (Syed Hossein Nasr:1997)
• “……in the Islamic tradition, artists and craftsmen are controlled by
certain principles in producing any artworks, the principle of the
awareness of Tauhid or unity; the faith (iman) on Allah. A true
Muslim artist would do anything with the awareness of this truth”
(Syed Ahmad Jamal:1986)
• “When we talk about Islamic art actually we are referring to the
manifestation of Islam in art and when we talk about the
manifestation of Islam in art we are actually referring to Islamic
art” (Osman Bakar:1995)
RUZAIKA OMAR BASAREE (KESENIAN ISLAM SATU
PERSPEKTIF:1995:13)

• Islamic art is a manifestation and expression of the knowledge

of unity (tawhid). Artist need to understand the philosophy and
the knowledge of the unity before any principles and
fundamentals of Islam could be manifested and expressed in
Islamic artwork. Islamic art is an art that considers spiritual
knowledge termed as wisdom.
 BEAUTY

Islamic art is considered one of the most beautiful art forms. In addition, it
has its own unique philosophy that distinguishes it from the art of other
cultures. Islamic ornamentation is regarded as the most important element
contributing to Islamic art. Without this significant and essential
ornamentation, Islamic art would be like other arts based on a complete
imitation of nature and not on the Creator of creation.

According to Burckhardt (1987), the European and Islamic of art are so

different that one may wonder whether their common use of such words as
‘art’ and ‘artistic’ does not create more confusion than understanding.
 BEAUTY
The term beautiful can be referred to many elements of beauty. Art as
aprocess of beautifying could also be referred to as beauty and there is no
prohibition in beautifying.

Allah is Beauty and loves beauty

‘ ’ is taught by Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) to his companions when they fear that beauty would
annihilate their faith and confined them in selfishness.
In Islam, art is an expression of beauty. It is beauty of Allah Himself and not the
beauty that is defined by the will (nafs) of man. When one is blessed with the
idea of beauty, he should express the beauty for others to share.

Beauty in this sense means are form and content.

 ART MAKING PROCESS

Islam as ad-din, a total way of life, encompasses all

human actions and thoughts. The concept of enjoin the
good and condemm the evil (amar ma’ruf nahi munkar)
is applicable to all Muslims, artists included. To a true
Muslim, practice becomes a form of duty the artist had
to consider the underlying Islamic principles in every
step of practicing art.
 THE ‘CONTENT’ AND ‘FORM’ IN ISLAMIC
ART
Muslim artist is aware of the importance of ‘content’ in
their artwork.
It has to be addressed prior to the creation of ‘form’.
It is the ‘content’ that determine the ‘form’.
The message of Islam (tawhid) is being transmitted
through ‘form’.
 In Islamic art,
the concept of tawhid formed the
content of the art work.

Based on the:
a. Al-Qur’an and Al-Hadith
b. Nature
THE PROBLEM SOLVING
PROCESS

Define

Analyze

Ideate

Select

Implement

Evaluate
FOUR (4) STAGES OF WORKING
CREATIVE PROCESS
D’zul Haimi Md Zain (2008:7) explained the process, suggested by
Al-Faruqi, of deficient or imperfection representational at the
same time instituting the element of art in transforming a realistic
imitation into a an exotic product in the form of art.
1) IMITATION
2) DENATURALIZATION
3) STYLIZATION
4) ABSTRACTION
 IMITATION
The first step to produce a work of art is by possessing a basic motif. Basic forms of
nature have to be imitated with the intention to acquires ideas and inspiration of making
pictures.
Apart of Qur’an, the universe is proof of the greatness of Allah. The universe is the first
reference for artist in producing creative work. Whereas artists gather information from
what they see, comprehend and appreciate on the universe. Hence, through these
observation, any parts of the universe are selected to produce works of art filled with the
messages. Based on observations during the production of artworks, self-consciousness
arises in inner artists which is a man cannot compete the greatness of God in creation.
Artists themselves are aware as that there are limitations in inventive and they cannot
compete with the creation of God. Aware on the fact, a Muslim artist are humbly tries to
produce the illusion which is the representation of the universe to reveal beautiful
meaning they experienced.
 DENATURALIZATION
Denaturalize is the process of making the picture appear a typical, extraordinary
or unreal. This process will go through a process of recomposing, rearranging or
improvising the picture until it disaffiliated from the natural appearance of the
motifs.
Further as the skills of replicating universe has been mastered, next the artists
trying to produce an invention that is not solely a mimesis of the universe. This
means that the Muslim artist is no longer pretend in making a piece of artwork.
Awareness on his limitations in producing a work of art he realized the universe
cannot be imitated completely. The universe becomes a mere reference source.
In fact, the artist can only produce a conceptual representation of the universe
that is not natural.
 STYLIZATION
Stylization is the process to beautify the motifs. The idea is to make the picture
appeared artistic and this where the incorporation of artistic element or design
element established. The result of this process is an artistic design of a motif
which no longer represented the picture of the source of the idea.
Stylization process is extension from the process of denaturalization of the
universe to a new form of accordance with human capabilities. Representation of
the universe which already not natural is stylized in accordance to the tastes of
the artist, so that an image is no longer referred to universe. Stylization is made
by Muslim artists as they have awareness that he as a human is unable create
something as perfect as God’s creation.
 ABSTRACTION
Abstraction process is a discussion on the concept which may be far from the
original form of the universe. The representations of the beauty of the universe
no longer express in the explicit appreciation but rather on the appreciation
implicit meaning. This does not mean to produce or form a symbol of divinity, but
rather as an appreciation of the greatness of God and its properties. An abstract
depiction originally from the universe is a manifestation of the appreciation of
the Shahadah pronounced by the Muslim artists. Thus Islamic pattern was
depicted in various form, shapes, colors, and structures within the meaning and
universality which expressed the universality of meaning and appreciation
towards God the Absolute Creator.
Thank you