 There's a theory that the structures and proportions of Islamic calligraphy are based on the human form. Each letter characterized and labeled with a head, a body, an eye, a chest, and a spine. A creative and subtle way for Muslims of antiquity to draw and express beings of the natural world even when such representations were considered taboo, allowing for a visual and spiritual expression that would reshape a language and its system of writing. Before we get into the details on Islamic calligraphy, allow me some time to contextualize its origins. The spread of Islam meant the spread of the Word of God. For the first decades of Islam's expansions, the recitation of the Qur'an was purely based on the oral tradition of the time. But thereafter, with the vanquishing of more territories, the wisdoms of Allah had to not only be preserved and introduced, they had to remain. To be able to inform and convert the societies encountered. The ideas and knowledge embedded in the verses revealed by the Angel Jibril to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had to be retained with full clarity and in abundance. The Qur'an had to be set in stone to remain unchanged and to inspire by becoming a tangible element for those across the Muslim world. And so during the reign of the first Khalifa Abu Bakr in 623 CE, the first comprehensive Qur'an came into existence. And this task of compiling and writing the first Qur'an was granted to Zaid ibn Thabit, who was the personal scribe of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The main reason for ibn Thabit's selection was the fact that he was used to writing such divine words and was renowned for his beautiful and clear writing form, making ibn Thabit in practice the first Islamic calligraphy. What was clear to the Muslims in the 7th century, an urgent need for codifying a writing system that was worthy of conveying the Word of God had yet to be invented. And so old Arabic that had been spoken and written for many centuries prior to the common era, a system that was fairly primitive in its form, had to quickly develop from a grammatical and complexity perspective. And at this moment in time is when the Oral Tradition, relative to the recitation of the Qur'an, gave way to a new written tradition. There was no room for the misrepresentation or misidentification of any Word of God. And so came about the introduction of strictly structured Word compositions that reflected the terminologies of the Qur'an. Tenween or as it's called in English diacritics, the methodology for clear Arabic accentuations were invented and introduced to make sure that all words were pronounced and understood in exactly the same way. And all these advancements in the Arabic writing system led to what we refer to today as Islamic calligraphy. And with the establishment of the school of an Islamic writing system came the evolution of many script styles over the next millennium. Kufi, in reference to its creation in the city of Kufa-Iraq, was used as the first script style for the Qur'an from the 8th century to the 10th century, and is characterized by a rigid and angular stroke. As time progressed, the kufiq form branched off into variations including floral, foliated, interlaced, bordered, and square kufiq. Naskhan's free-flowing cursive form also appeared very early in Islamic history, meaning the act of copying Naskh was also initially used for the transcribing of large quantities of the Qur'an, but in time became more widespread and utilized beyond Muslim writings, ultimately functioning as the basis for modern Arabic print. The Thuluth script, meaning one-third and in reference to the size of the pen used, dates back to the Abbasid caliphate in the early 11th century. The Thuluth script is marked by its long vertical lines and wide sweeping curves giving it a clear structure and readability. Thuluth would go on to become a favorite of Ottoman written expression. R'q'a, another script appearing in the 11th century, had short strokes and small flourishes, making it ideal for smaller books and formats. The name R'q'a means small piece of something. Its limited use continued till the 18th century, when its simple form saw an explosion of use in the early modern era. Muhakkuk, a variation of Thuluth, is considered one of the most beautiful scripts as well as the most difficult to master. Its majestic style was introduced during the Mamluk era in the 13th century. Meaning consummate, the name reflected the qualities necessary for calligraphers to be able to achieve the high levels of artistic expertise and competence. Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Muqla was born in Iraq in the 9th century during the Abbasid caliphate and even though he was a man of high political and social standing, he is most known for his invaluable work in structuring the world of Arabic calligraphy. Beyond the invention of the Thuluth script and the major redevelopment of the Nasqh method, Ibn Muqla brought about the concept of Al-Aqlam As-Sitt, meaning the six pens, referring to the codifications of the six proportional scripts, Nasqh, Thuluth, Muhakkuk, Rayhani, Tawqia, and R'q'a. Ibn Muqla's invention in standardizing the structure, proportion and method for each style called Al-Khatt Al-Mansub, meaning the relativity between lines, became the foundation for how calligraphy would be practiced and applied up to modernity. His introduction of the three elemental types that shape and control the aesthetic of any letter in calligraphy became the basis for all future scripts. The size of the Naqta, the dot, the height of the elif, the vertical first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and the circle with a diameter equal to the height of the elif, became the proportional elements that would command each sweeping motion or sudden stop of any stroke. Ibn Muqla also brought about a shift in the theoretic and poetic mindset of calligraphers when you refer to the Khatt, the stroke of the calligraphy pen, as the marking out of lines, which suggests that calligraphy is a demarcation of space, where space is contained or border. Continuing on with the theoretical when dealing with Islamic calligraphy, as with the five pillars of Islam, there is something known as the five pillars of Islamic calligraphy. The must-have credos for achieving handwritten mastery. The sharpness of the pen. Traditional calligraphy qalams, or pens, are made of river-read, bamboo stems, or wood. These pens are treated in a lengthy curing process to allow for easy sharpening and smooth application of the inks onto the paper surface. The quality of the paper. Calligraphy paper is usually handmade from either cotton, hemp, or flax, but then is coated with starch and a mixture of alum and egg whites. This method of paper preparation prevents the ink from being absorbed into the paper. The concentration of the mind and body. The process of achieving mastery in Islamic calligraphy is a long and drawn-out process. It takes approximately ten years to arrive at master calligraphist's status. Such is the foundation of this expertise that is based on uninterrupted patience and on an almost meditative state of practice. The steadiness of the hand. With a necessity for patience comes the long passage of time and a major challenge of manual strength and fitness. With calligraphic pieces, at times taking hours to complete, calligraphers must often contend with perseverance of stability and battling fatigue. And finally, the effervescence of the ink. The ink used in Islamic calligraphy is called Arabic ink and it's a mixture of honey, black soot, and Arabic gum. One of its main qualities is its durability in maintaining its green color and shine for many decades and even in some cases centuries. Another important contextual element that one must be aware of when speaking about Islamic calligraphy is the fact that it is one of the very few opportunities for Muslims to express themselves from an artistic point of view. Only geometry and abstractions of natural patterns accompany calligraphy on this extremely short list. Islamic calligraphy was an art that gave license to those who wanted to express and this expression saw a gradual shift in focus over the next millennium and a half. Originally, calligraphy's function was strictly in recording and relaying the word of God. Thereafter, it became a method to relay the words of men to other men in the form of official documentation, letters, and records. Hence broke off from becoming exclusively Islamic and in that moment is when Arabic calligraphy as a distinct writing form was born. When we finally arrived to the 20th century, calligraphy became an art form for man or woman to express themselves in ways beyond the representation or meaning of words but in expressions of shapes, spaces, movement, and composition. Whether modern calligraphy follows the historic and stringent systems of classical Islamic or Arabic calligraphy is quite a significant issue. Is it still the same calligraphy if it doesn't follow these said rules? And if these works of graphical textual elements don't relay anything particular, is it still considered a writing system? The richness and value of Islamic calligraphy is in its tradition, history, and commitment to a natural play between space and its edges and as contained by the flowing strokes. Yes, I am a traditionalist when it comes to such artistic practices that are founded on discipline, patience, and devotion. I believe we all need rules in everything we do. Rules that don't necessarily limit us but challenge us to excel and innovate. Rules that imply that one needs constant effort to improve a skill to then be able to express masterfully with that said skill. Rules that allow for resonance with others because we all fundamentally buy into the same set of rules. They say rules are made to be broken. Yes indeed, that might apply to a small sampling in life. But when it comes to the representation of the divine in writing, rules are made to be honoured. Thank you. Thank you for watching. It would be absolutely amazing if you joined the Kennedy Chronicles. 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