Spirit & Life

From ArchNet.org

The Middle East Garden Tradition

The Gardens of the Mughal Empire

Two new web sites focusing on gardens of the Middle East are now online. The Middle East Garden Tradition includes an ongoing catalog of Ottoman, Al-Andalus, Mughal, Syrian, and Persian gardens, as well as a catalog of plants of Al-Andalus, a glossary, a historical dictionary of Ottoman Turkish terms for gardens and gardening, and a bibliography. The Gardens of the Mughal Empire is an interactive web site that provides information about 11 gardens and sites, which center on Lahore in modern Pakistan.

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“The Quran very often refers to nature as a reflection of Allah’s power of creation and says: Look at the mountains, look at the rivers, look at the trees, look at the flowers all as evidence of Allah’s love for the people whom He has created. Today I look at this environment and I say that I beleive that Allah is smiling upon you, may His smile always be upon you” — Aga Khan IV, Khorog, Tajikistan, May 27th 1995

“Islamic doctrine goes further than the other great religions, for it proclaims the presence of the soul, perhaps minute but nevertheless existing in an embryonic state, in all existence in matter, in animals, trees, and space itself. Every individual, every molecule, every atom has its own spiritual relationship with the All-Powerful Soul of God” — Memoirs of Aga Khan III, 1954.

This is a core principle of my own faith – Islam – that learning is ennobling, regardless of the geographic or cultural origin of the knowledge we acquire. Such teachings spurred a spiritually liberated people to new waves of adventure in the realms of the spirit and the intellect, amongst whose visible symbols were the University of al-Azhar and Dar al-Ilm established by my Fatimid ancestors in Cairo, and the illustrious counterpart institutions in Baghdad, Cordova, Bukhara, Samarkand and other Muslim centres.

– Mawlana Hazar Imam at American University of Beirut Lebanon, Beirut, June 25, 2005

Right after the passing away of Prophet Muhammad, there were processes of determination of what governance would be after his lifetime. And there were two interpretations. One was a hereditary interpretation which is essentially the essence of Shia Islam. There was a consultational process amongst leaders of the community of the time to select what was believed to be the most appropriate, most competent leader. And, therefore, two principles, or three principles were established at the time: heredity; secondly, consultation; thirdly, competence. If you look at modern states they are all there in one form or the other. So I think it is important to see how these forces which were logical, proper forces that existed just after the time of Prophet Muhammad’s death, they are still in the Islamic Ummah today, and indeed outside.

– Interview of H.H. The Aga Khan by Rajiv Mehrotra of DD TV New Delhi, India “In Conversation” November 27, 2004

In its 56 years of existence, McGill’s Institute of Islamic Studies has grown from a gesture of interfaith camaraderie to a vital site of wide-ranging study.

BY MARK ABLEY

On a high shelf in Robert Wisnovsky’s spacious office stands a bust of a bearded man in a turban. It gazes down on a hive of intellectual activity—apart from directing McGill’s Institute of Islamic Studies, Wisnovsky is the recent recipient of a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant to develop a searchable database for Islamic philosophy and theology.

“I inherited the sculpture from my predecessor,” Wisnovsky says, “and I like to think it’s Avicenna”— the great Persian scientist and philosopher. “But I’ve been told it could also be the medieval poet Sa’di. Or perhaps Ayatollah Khomeini.”

That implicit range of disciplines—science, philosophy, literature, theology, politics—suggests a lot about the work of the institute.

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“But I think the more over-riding issue is the issue of theocracy versus secular state, and I think that at this point in time, the vast majority of countries within the Muslim world have recognized the difficulty of a theocratic state, and these difficulties are due to many different forces in these countries. But also, the pluralism within Islam. Because if you create a theocratic state, automatically you are saying there must be an interpretation which is the state interpretation of the faith…..What we are talking about are states that want to have modern forms of government but where the ethics of Islam remain the premises on which civil society is built. And I think that’s where we see this — to me very exciting — effort to maintain the ethics of Islam, but in a modern state. And I think when we’re talking about the ethics of Islam, it’s easier to have civil society institutions built on the ethics of the faith, than a theocratic state in the full form.”

His Highness the Aga Khan, interview with The Globe and Mail, January 30, 2002

“Peace in the decades ahead can only be achieved when the pluralist nature of human society is understood, valued, and built upon, to construct a better future. In Islam, the pluralism of human society is well recognized, and the ethics of its multiple interpretations require that this diversity be accorded respect.”

Extract from the remarks made by Mawlana Hazar Imam at Al Khwabi, Syria, November 9, 2001

This series of short videos was created for visitors to the Islamic Middle East gallery at the V&A. The videos show some of the great historical buildings of the Islamic period. This is the architectural setting for which many of the objects on display in the gallery were made.

The Islamic period began with the rapid rise of Islam in the 7th century AD. The religion’s founder, the Prophet Muhammad, was a political leader as well as a religious guide, and after his death in 632, his successors established a vast empire. By 750 it stretched from Spain and Morocco in the west to Central Asia and Afghanistan in the east. Two hundred years later this single Islamic empire had been replaced by a number of competing states. Despite their rivalries, the Muslim rulers of the time shared many ideas on culture and politics, as well as religion. This common Islamic heritage was maintained until the 1920s.

The videos show both secular and religious architecture from this long period. The first sequence, Three Palaces, shows surviving residences of Islamic rulers in Spain, Turkey and Iran. The subject of the second sequence, Mosques of the Middle East, is places of worship in Syria, Iran, Turkey and Egypt. The last of these short films, recorded in the mosque of Sultan Hasan in Cairo, shows worshippers gathering for the midday prayer on Friday, the main service of the week. It reminds us that Islamic art and architecture are still part of everyday life for an important part of the world’s population.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/asia/islamic_gall/videos/index.html

“Since succeeding to this office as the forty-ninth Imam in 1957, I have been concerned with the development of the Ismailis and the broader societies in which they live. The engagement of the Imamat in development is guided by Islamic ethics, which bridge faith and society. It is on this premise that I established the Aga Khan Development Network. This network of agencies, known as the AKDN, has long been active in many areas of Asia and Africa to improve the quality of life of all who live there. These areas are home to some of the poorest and most diverse populations in the world.”

His Highness the Aga Khan - Leadership and Diversity Conference, Gatineau, Quebec, May 19, 2004

Many different styles developed during the long history of Islamic art.
Select a period below to explore some of them.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1342_islamic_middle_east/

His Highness the Aga Khan “has emphasised the view of Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith, one that teaches compassion and tolerance and that upholds the dignity of man, Allah’s noblest creation.  In the Shia tradition of Islam, it is the mandate of the Imam of the time to safeguard the individual’s right to personal intellectual search and to give practical expression to the ethical vision of society that the Islamic message inspires.  Addressing the International Conference on the Example (Seerat) of the Prophet Muhammad in Karachi in 1976, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that the wisdom of Allah’s final Prophet in seeking new solutions for problems which could not be solved by traditional methods, provides the inspiration for Muslims to conceive a truly modern and dynamic society, without affecting the fundamental concepts of Islam.”

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=103467

As Islam spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula into the neighbouring regions of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and beyond to North Africa and Central Asia, it became enriched by the intellectual contributions of a multitude of individuals, communities and cultures in regions that eventually comprised the Muslim world. Indeed, within three centuries, the Islamic world had already become one of the dominant civilisations of the world, characterised by a diversity of literary and intellectual traditions in various fields of learning, while Islam as a religion became elaborated in a plurality of expressions and interpretations.

http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=100631

“Ours is a time when knowledge and information are expanding at an accelerating and, perhaps, unsettling pace. There exists, therefore, an unprecedented capacity for improving the human condition. And yet, ills such as abject poverty and ignorance, and the conflicts these breed, continue to afflict the world. The Qur’an addresses this challenge eloquently. The power of its message is reflected in its gracious disposition to differences of interpretation; its respect for other faiths and societies; its affirmation of the primacy of the intellect; its insistence that knowledge is worthy when it is used to serve Allah’s creation; and, above all, its emphasis on our common humanity.”

His Highness the Aga Khan - An International Colloquium organized by The Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Ismaili Centre, London
October 19, 2003

“To the Imamat, the meaning of ‘quality of life’ extends to the entire ethical and social context in which people live, and not only to their material well-being measured over generation after generation. Consequently, the Imamat’s is a holistic vision of development, as is prescribed by the faith of Islam. It is about investing in people, in their pluralism, in their intellectual pursuit, and search for new and useful knowledge, just as much as in material resources. But it is also about investing with a social conscience inspired by the ethics of Islam.”

Extract from Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the opening of Alltex EPZ Limited at Athi River, Kenya, December 19, 2003

Gardens have been an integral feature of Islamic architectural design.

In the Muslim world, gardens are seen as places of peace, an escape from the noise outside, and perhaps the best place on earth to feel close to God. Indeed, the Holy Qur’an offers several references to the idea of jannat al-firdaus or gardens of paradise, ranging from blissful retreat to secure refuge. These images have fed centuries of Muslim art, narrative, and design. Along with being an integral feature of Islamic architectural design, particularly for palaces, gardens have also served as final resting places for the dead. Gardens are also rich with esoteric symbolism not just because of the Qur’anic references but also because of the way a garden organizes space to appeal to both the outer and inner dimensions of a person.

Gardens were incorporated in several of the Umayyad (first major ruling Muslim dynasty [661–750]) palaces, as well as the palatial designs in Muslim Spain. The development of formal gardens became an art form in Iran from at least the fourteenth century as can be seen from their frequent depiction in miniature paintings of the period. Under the Timurids (Muslim dynasty which ruled Persia and Transoxiana [1370–1507]), gardens became a priority for royal residences. The Mughals of India acquired their interest in gardens from the Timurids and developed the concept of a memorial garden surrounding a tomb. An example of a memorial garden is Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, India, that was restored in 2003 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Sources:

Marianne Barrucand. “The Garden as a Reflection of Paradise.” Islam: Art and Architecture Edited by Markus Hattstein and Peter Delius (Konemann, 2000)

Archnet: http://archnet.org/library/dictionary/entry.tcl?entry_id=DIA0116&mode=full

AKDN: http://www.akdn.org/aktc/Humayun%20Brief%2004-2003.pdf

“Philanthropy and charitable giving hold a very central place in the teachings of the Holy Quran, the writings of Islamic thinkers, and the history of Muslims in all parts and cultures of the Islamic World, including here on the sub-continent. Islam’s clear and explicit injunction is to share resources beyond one’s reasonable commitments, and to care for those in need.”

His Highness the Aga Khan, Plenary Session: Conference on Indigenous Philanthropy Islamabad, Pakistan - October 21, 2000

“I don’t see any conflict in the way I interpret Islam between the intellect and faith. And insofar as people’s knowledge today is significantly different from what it was thirteen hundred years ago, we have to live in our time. And indeed I would vigorously oppose anybody who would claim that the faith of Islam cannot be of the twentieth or the twenty-first or the twenty-third, twenty-fifth century.”

His Highness the Aga Khan in Interview by Rajiv Melhotra of DD TV Delhi, India “In Conversation” November 27, 2004

Calligraphy has developed into an important art form in Islam.

Calligraphy, from the Greek “kallos” (beauty) and “graphein” (to write) is the art of beautiful writing. It is believed that the practice of calligraphy originated in China during the second millennium BC, eventually spreading to the Middle East.

The art of transcribing the Holy Qur’an in beautiful hand was considered a form of devotion and an act of piety. Through its medium, verses from the Holy Qur’an and other revered writings became modes of refined decoration. In the Muslim world, calligraphy can be found everywhere – on the exteriors as well as interiors of the buildings.

Decorative words transferred knowledge and religious teachings from one generation to another. Hence, the skilled calligraphers and copyists were highly esteemed since printing was not available in the Islamic world until the eighteenth century. In contrast to painters, potters, and other artists, who generally remained anonymous, the calligraphers frequently signed their works and were thus well-known.

Many volumes were written about famous calligraphers, discussing their stylistic innovations and recording their works. In the Muslim world, calligraphy is considered amongst the highest forms of art and devotional activity.

Source: The Institute of Ismaili Studies: http://www.iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=105223

“….I have been involved in the field of development for nearly four decades. This engagement has been grounded in my responsibilities as Imam of the Shia Ismaili Community, and Islam’s message of the fundamental unity of “din and dunia”, of spirit and of life. Throughout its long history, the Ismaili Imamat has emphasised the importance of activities that reflect the social conscience of Islam, that contribute to the well being of Allah’s greatest creation - mankind, and the responsibility which Islam places on the fortunate and the strong to assist those less fortunate.”

– Mawlana Hazar Imam - Annual Meeting of The European Bank for Reconstruction and development, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, May 5, 2003

By Mr Farid Panjwani

This is an edited version of an article which was originally published in Current Issues in Comparative Education, Teacher College, Columbia University, Vol. 7(1), online at: columbia.edu/cice/Archives.

Abstract
The paper assesses the dominant discourse on Islam and education that argues for an education derived from an exclusively ‘Islamic’ vision. In addition to exploring the historical roots of this discourse, the paper analyses it with respect to its (i) arguments for an Islamic vision of education, (ii) conception of Islam, and (iii) proposals for the implementation of such a vision. The paper argues that, at all three levels, the discourse suffers from serious conceptual, empirical and pragmatic weaknesses. It proposes that in seeking to overcome these weaknesses, the discourse will have to reconceptualise several elements, including its conception of Islam and its approach to the history of Muslims.

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“This Imam, who is also the inheritor of Muhammad’s secret knowledge, is endowed by God with special ilm, and has perfect understanding of the outward or exoteric (zahir) and the inward or esoteric (batin) aspects and meanings of the Quran and the sacred law of Islam. Indeed the world cannot exist for a moment without an Imam, the proof (hujjah) of God on earth. Even if only two men were left upon the face of the earth, one of them would be the Imam. And there can only be one Imam at one and the same time, though there may be a silent one (samit), his successor, beside him.”

- Farhad Daftary, The Ismailies: Their History and Doctrines, pp. 86

“In Shii thought, the Imam’s all-important spiritual function of interpreting the inner meaning of the revelations announced by the Prophet is known as tawil. The term walayah, meaning devotion to the Imams, is sometimes also used in this sense. No adequate equivalent exists in any of the Western languages for sense of the term walayah, adopted in modern times especially by (Henry) Corbin, but it may roughly be translated as ‘initiation’. According to the Shiis, the cycle of prophecy (dairat al-nubuwwah), representing the deliverance of new sacred laws by different prophets came to its end with the Prophet Muhammad; but then, there arose the permanent need for the initiatic function connected with explaining the secret meaning of the Islamic message. And the person whose duty it is in every age to fulfill the function of tawil (or walayah), inseparable from the Imamate, is the rightful Imam. It is through this function that the Imams become the awilya Allah, or the friends of Allah.”

- Farhad Daftary, The Ismailies: Their History and Doctrines, pp. 87

“For each nabi (prophet), the walayah is the presupposition of his prophetic charisma, since without it there would be no grounds for seeing in him a manifestation of the Perfect Man. It is by virtue of this walayah that his heir and successor, the Imam, may be regarded in his turn as a manifestation of the Perfect Man, and it is equally the intervention of the walayah which marks the difference between the Shiite and the Sunnite conception of the Imam.”

- Henry Corbin, Temple and Contemplation, pp. 62

The Qur’an-i Sharif is the foundational text for Muslims. It has shaped Muslim consciousness over the course of centuries. For Muslims, the Qur’an is the word of God, which entered human time and history. The Noble Qur’an has guided the thought and conduct of Muslims belonging to different communities of interpretation and spiritual affiliation, from century to century, in diverse cultural environments, lending itself to a wide spectrum of interpretations. Muslims regard the Qur’an as being a unique phenomenon in religious history that considers itself the culmination of a series of revelations. It participates in human history in that it is an eternal book of guidance that must be understood and pondered if it is to serve as the moral and spiritual guide for human conduct. It also reflects the socio-economic, religious and political situation of seventh century Arabia. Accordingly, it is reflective of the historical circumstances of the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the experience of his community. In the library of world scriptures, the Qur’an is one of the most widely read, studied, revered and influential works of human history.

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