Islamic Art

By Abid Hussain

Is music permissible? What are the Islamic rulings on drawing the human form? Is dance Haram? These and so many other questions are constantly on the minds of Muslims, young and old and from all cultural backgrounds.

The Islamic faith has a long established tradition of artistic practice dating back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and stretching from the tip of Morocco to the furthest reaches of the Far East.

Traditional Islamic art forms include calligraphy, mosaics, geometric design and illumination. Textiles, metal work, craft and pottery have provided avenues to bring artistic expression into the home of every Muslim through ornately designed prayer rugs to beautifully decorated glass and tableware.

A visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts or the Louvre in Paris will uncover the rich traditions of Islamic art spanning different continents and Islamic dynasties, charting an arts tradition developed over hundreds of years.

Walking through the streets of Istanbul, Tehran, Cairo or Damascus one is surrounded by traders selling Islamic artefacts and works of art. Mosques throughout the Muslim world are adorned with beautiful tapestries of calligraphy, geometric designs and grand mosaics.

Spoken word, literature and poetry are also long established traditions within the Muslim world; many of the great scholars of Islamic thought were poets and orators. Rumi remains the best selling poet in the United States of America hundreds of years after his death.

Islam has never discouraged arts practice as a general rule, however it does provide guidance and a framework within which artistic expression can develop. Over the years many different interpretations have developed in terms of defining the guidance and frameworks that exist, resulting in a diversity of viewpoints and art forms emerging that have often split opinion within the Muslim community.

Music is a case in point, within different Islamic traditions and schools of thought there are different viewpoints, some permit the use of music and musical instruments while others remain steadfast in their belief that the majority of musical instruments with the exception of the Duff, a one sided drum, are prohibited from use.

The drawing of the human form has also created rifts within the Muslim community. The art of Persia and the Moghul Empire is rich in the depiction of the human form, yet for many Muslims the drawing of the human form other than for the purposes of education, healthcare and identification remains off limits.

Fast-forward to today and we see a new generation of Muslim artists developing contemporary work both within the performing and visual arts sector.

Within the visual arts we have contemporary artists who continue to practice the traditional Islamic art forms; Ali Omer Ermes is one of the UK’s leading calligraphy artists, Unaiza Karim also from the UK, is an emerging illuminations artist, a graduate of the VITA institute in London. Mohammed Ali of Aerosol Arabic and Ruh Ul Alam of Visual Dhikr both from the UK are breaking new ground in contemporary visual art.

Increasingly, Muslims are engaging with spoken word and poetry; Poetic Pilgrimage (UK), Amir Suliman (US), Brother Dash (US) are just some of the names touring their work across spoken word circuits.

Khayaal Theatre (UK) is the only Muslim led Theatre Company in the country, based in Luton and led by their Artistic Director Luqman Ali, the company has tackled contemporary challenges facing Muslims to recreating on stage some of the most famous tales and stories from different Muslim lands.

Nasheeds have become a popular alternative to western Music; contemporary Nasheed artists include Zain Bhikha (South Africa), Ahmed BuKhatir (UAE), Abu Ratib (US), Imad Rami (Syria) and Shaam (UK).

Muslim performers are also expanding into mainstream music including Yusuf Islam (UK), Outlandish (Denmark), Dawud Wharnsby Ali (Canada), and Sami Yusuf (UK).
Ulfah Arts is a pioneering organisation that was established to support Muslim women in the arts. The organisation has staged performances and plays across the UK providing a platform for Muslim women to engage in the arts.

Whilst arts practice is beginning to thrive in the Muslim community in the UK there still remain challenges. Many artists are struggling to financially support a full time career in the arts, often having to take on full time or part time work to support their families.

Muslim arts practice is often sidelined to community events and spaces, however more Muslim artists need to make the leap into mainstream performance venues and art galleries - this is slowly beginning to happen but is still within its infancy.

Most importantly, more Muslims need to engage with the arts sector, both as audiences and advocates, to ensure there is visibility, voice and presence within the sector. This engagement needs to begin with our Muslim youth but also extend to our elders, as the arts should be accessible to everyone.