For the Love of God and His Prophet: Rediscovering Islam Through the Arts

The importance of sound in Muslim culture, which traces back to the oral recitation of the Quran to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel, is well manifested in many of the practices and traditions of Islam. Although the issue is controversial, many Muslims believe that music is an instrument through which one can transcend and commune with the divine. The purpose of this calligraphic art piece is to communicate the role of sound and music in the Islamic tradition. The word “Allah” is written using musical notes on two double bars in the form that resembles a music sheet. The four staffs may also be seen as a ladder leading from the ground to the sky, allowing the person reading, playing, or reciting the notes to use it as an enabler of a spiritual journey. Beyond the defined lines of the black and blue markers one can observe the different faded drafts that were made for the many different versions of the symphony. These drafts represent the many interpretations of sound and music as well as the controversy around the question of “what is music?” Some may view certain sounds as sacred and others will chose to categories them as “haram.” Some will preach to very particular types of music/sound and some will allow a more broad interpretation. This piece carries the massage that “Allah” is what we make of it. Just as music and sounds influence different people in different ways, so do the perceptions of Allah and faith are interpreted differently by different people.