Tenets of Faith: Islamic Art and Culture

Written by: Kelly L. Hunter



It has been stated by Benton and DiYanni (2005) that, “Islamic art is not the art of one particular group of people, nor that of one country” (p. 259). Islamic art is focused around the life and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and the Quran (Benton and DiYanni, 2005). Islamic art was heavily influenced by many diverse cultures like that of the Arabic, Persian, and Turkish cultures (Benton and DiYanni, 2005).
Benton and DiYanni (2005) also state that “There is little evidence of art in Arabia before Islam, and, at first, Islam did not encourage art” (p. 259). It was believed that people of the Islamic faith did not have the need for any form of religious architecture because they were able to pray to Allah from anywhere. It was not until the later part of the seventh century that mosques were built by Muslim rulers for the purpose of prayer and worship. These mosques were designed and built to rival that of the Christian churches that were already in existence (Benton and DiYanni, 2005).
“Minarets are towers beside mosques from which the faithful are called to prayer by the muezzin, the person who ascends a spiral staircase to a platform at the top” (Benton and DiYanni, 2005, p. 259). All mosques are designed with Allah in mind and bare a small marking known as a niche that allows Muslim people to know that they are facing Mecca, the birth place of Muhammad. In the Islamic faith, facing Mecca during prayer is a must and is done so by all Muslim people.
Literature, particularly poetry, originated in the Arab region sometime around 700 C.E.; when it appeared in written form for the first time. These poems represented different oral presentations of various tribal traditions that have taken place over the centuries. It has been said that the qasidah , one of Arab’s oldest forms of poetry, consisted of three parts that represent a man searching for his beloved, a detailed description of his search for her, and a tribute to his ancestry (Benton and DiYanni, 2005).
Persia was said to be invaded by the Arabs around 637 C.E. and during that time, the Persians adopted the Arabic script and the Islamic faith as their own. Benton and DiYanni discuss in Chapter 7 of the Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the Humanities Volume 1 (2005) that “Many Arabic words passed into Persian and some literary forms underwent modification. With the adoption of the Arabic script came an explosion of Persian poetry…” (p. 266).
It has also been said that Persian poetry was a lyrical expression of the author’s experience with love, heartache, and in many cases confusion on the part of the person being sought after. These types of poems have been tied to one’s love and devotion of God and the worship of his word as well. Another form of Persian poetry discusses the beauty, love, and celebration of spring. Spring represents the idea of renewal and hope to the Persian and Arabic culture and is celebrated lavishly during the month of March.
The art of music and dance was not always commonly acknowledged and celebrated within these two cultures dating back centuries to the time of Muhammad’s death. Music was considered to be something that was a sin or forbidden pleasure (Benton and DiYanni, 2005). Music was something that did not fit into the Islamic idea of a life filled with God. However,
music was later introduced during the Umayyad dynasty said to have taken place during the years of 661-750 C.E.
Benton and DiYanni (2005) state that “Persian music had an influence on Arabic music, and vise versa” (p. 268). They go on to say that “Arabic music, flourished most, however, during the Abbasid dynasty (750-1258), the period immediately following the reign of the Umayyads” (p.268). Although music had finally become part of the Islamic culture, there was a later era that was described as stagnant in the areas of culture and intellect.
The Islamic religious faith and culture are one that has been said to be pure and solely centered on the worship of Allah, the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, and the search for religious freedom and awareness. The many diverse works of art in their various forms represent and depict the Islamic way of life as well as the history of their great ancestry. Each piece of art, lyric of music, or written word of wisdom, represent this beautiful and unique culture to the fullest.