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97-701: Jundallah (Arabic: جندالله , meaning Soldiers of God ) may refer to: Army of angels in Islamic tradition Jundallah (Iran) , a militant organization based in Balochistan, claiming to fight for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran. Jundallah (Pakistan) , a banned Islamist group in Pakistan, closely tied to Al Qaeda and the Taliban Topics referred to by
194-547: A curtain covering Aisha’s store-room was raised by the blowing wind, uncovering her dolls. Among them, the Prophet saw a horse with two wings made of rags and asked his wife what was on the horse. Aisha responded that it was two wings. He asked: A horse with two wings? Aisha then asked if the Prophet had not heard that Solomon had horses with wings. The Hadith reports that the Prophet laughed heartily where his molar teeth were seen. A'isha reported: The Prophet’s wife describes owning
291-422: A curtain with bird portraits. The Prophet asked for the curtain to be changed, for when he entered the room it brought to him pleasures of worldly life. Aisha describes also having worn sheets with silk badges, which the Prophet did not command to be torn. Narrated Aisha : The wife of the Prophet purchased a cushion with pictures of animals on it for the Prophet to sit on and recline on. The Prophet disapproved of
388-458: A derivative reality created out of love and mercy by God's command, " ..."Be," and it is." and that the purpose of existence is to worship or to know God. The Qur'an states that God is transcendent over his creation. It is believed that God created everything for a divine purpose; the universe governed by fixed laws that ensure the harmonious working of all things. Everything within the universe, including inanimate objects, praises God, and
485-399: A few exceptions, agree that God is the origin of the cosmos' existence. However, there is disagreement about how God creates the cosmos and what types of causalities exist. There are three competing models. Most philosophers adhered to a theory of emanation ( fayaḍān ). Most Theologians preferred occasionalism ( iḥdāth ). The third theory, often represented in Islamic mysticism, understands
582-501: A house with Masriuq which had portrayals of Mary. Masriuq had heard Abdullah b, Mas'ud stating that the Prophet had said the most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. After this message was read before Nasr b. 'Ali al-Jahdhami and other narrators, the last one being Ibn Sa'id b Abl at Hasan, one person asked for a religious verdict for one like himself who paints pictures. Ibn 'Abbas narrated to
679-529: A legend that arose in later times in the Byzantine empire. The Quran , the Islamic holy book , does not prohibit the depiction of human figures; it merely condemns idolatry . Interdictions of figurative representation are present in the hadith, among a dozen of the hadith recorded during the latter part of the period when they were being written down. Because these hadith are tied to particular events in
776-468: A measure against idolatry, particularly against the statues worshipped by pagans . In several hadith Muhammad encountered pictures of animate objects or dolls and expressed his disapproval, sometimes commenting on the punishment in hellfire awaiting those who created the objects. All hadith presented in this section are Sunni, not Shia. Narrated Aisha: Upon the Prophet’s arrival from a military expedition,
873-649: A perfect measure (and ordained its destiny in a precise manner)." And in another verse ( 25:59 ) it is emphasized: "It is He who created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them." The Qur'an states that God is the Rabb al-'Alamin . When referring to God, the Arabic term "Rabb" is usually translated as "Lord" and can include all of the following meanings: "owner, master, ruler, controller, creator, upbringer, trainer, sustainer, nourisher, cherisher, provider, protector, guardian and caretaker." The same term, Rabb ,
970-426: A physical body and human form, and being occupied in a place, direction or trajectory. According to the teachings of Islam , God is the creator of the worlds and all the creatures therein. He has created everything in the worlds in accordance with a definite plan and for a particular purpose. There is no shortcoming or defect of any sort in any of his creations. The Qur'an confirms this in the following verses: God
1067-484: A police shootout in August 1965 after he led an assault on one of the new television stations. Depending on which segment of Islamic societies are referred to, the application of aniconism is characterized by noteworthy differences. Factors are the epoch considered, the country, the religious orientation, the political intent, the popular beliefs, the private benefit or the dichotomy between reality and discourse. Today,
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#17327722736911164-527: A religious midlife crisis. The avoidance of idolatry is the main concern of the restrictions on images, and as a result, the traditional form for the religious cult image, the free-standing sculpture, is extremely rare, though examples of freestanding human sculpture do occur in Umayyad Syria and in Seljuk Iran. The Pisa Griffin , of a mythical beast and designed to spout water for a fountain,
1261-424: A thing x from another thing x'. Therefore, God would create the universe in eternity. To further support this argument, emanationists point out against Creation ex Nihilo, that, if God were to decide to create the universe at a certain point in time, God would have a change of mind, affected by something external. Since God is the source of everything, something external could not have affected God. Theologians found
1358-512: A variety of decorative figural designs. There were episodes of iconoclastic destruction of figurative art, such as the temporary decree by the Umayyad caliph Yazid II in 721 CE ordering the destruction of all representational images in his realm. A number of historians have seen an Islamic influence on the Byzantine iconoclastic movement of the 8th century, though others regard this is as
1455-582: Is 17:110 "Call upon Allah, or call upon The Merciful; whichsoever you call upon, to Allah belong the most beautiful Names," and also 59:22-24 , which includes a cluster of more than a dozen Divine epithets." Some Muslims may use different names as much as Allah , for instance "God" in English . Whether or not Allah can be considered as the personal name of God became disputed in contemporary scholarship. In earlier times, Jahm bin Safwan claimed that Allah
1552-522: Is a blessed linkage between the creator and his creation where the one creator will sustain the creation by looking after it. This relationship also signifies that since God is the sustainer, he is in need of nothing, and even as he gives, nothing is diminished from his treasury. Many Muslim communities emphasize the "transcendence of God" over local traditions and "allow...little room for mythological stories", although tales about jinn exist in all of them. Muslim theologians and philosophers, with only
1649-468: Is a name God created for himself and that names belong to the things God created. Islam's most fundamental concept is a strict monotheism called tawhid , affirming that God is one and Tanzih ( wāḥid ). The basic creed of Islam, the Shahada (recited under oath to enter the religion), involves لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ أَشْهَدُ أنَّ ( āšhadu ānnā lā ʾilāha ʾilla llāh ) , or "I testify there
1746-498: Is amply described, particularly in the traditions on his life and deeds recorded in the biographies known as Sirah Rasul Allah . Of no less interest is the validity of sightings of holy personages made during dreams. Titus Burckhardt sums up the role of aniconism in Islamic aesthetics as follows: The absence of icons in Islam has not merely a negative but a positive role. By excluding all anthropomorphic images, at least within
1843-616: Is beyond all human concepts of him. So he has no mates and nothing is like him, nor does he beget, nor is he begotten. Nothing – neither matter, nor space, nor time – can restrict or contain him. And this is why his Attributes – his hearing, seeing, knowledge, will, power, creating, and so on – are also beyond anything we can conceive. The same sentiment is expressed in the Qur'anic verse ( 6:103 ) which states: "Vision perceives/comprehends Him not, and He perceives/comprehends (evaluates) all vision." In some interpretations, this verse also asserts that
1940-433: Is common among fundamentalist Sunni sects such as Salafis and Wahhabis (which are also often iconoclastic ), and less prevalent among liberal movements within Islam . Shia and mystical orders also have less stringent views on aniconism. On the individual level, whether or not specific Muslims believe in aniconism will depend on how hadiths related to the topic are interpreted. Aniconism in Islam not only deals with
2037-410: Is conceived as a perfect, singular , immortal, omnipotent , and omniscient god, completely infinite in all of his attributes . Islam further emphasizes that God is most merciful. The Islamic concept of God is variously described as monotheistic , panentheistic , and monistic . In Islamic theology , anthropomorphism ( tashbīh ) and corporealism ( tajsīm ) refer to beliefs in
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#17327722736912134-565: Is constantly changing. Because of that, everything is in a constant process of growth and decay. The prophets and the angels were also integrated into this universalistic understanding of God. According to Heydar Amuli, who also builds on Ibn Arabi's metaphysics, the angels are the representatives of God's beautiful names (and devils of the imperious names of God). Aniconism in Islam In some forms of Islamic art , aniconism (the avoidance of images of sentient beings ) stems in part from
2231-494: Is dependent, contingent, temporal, and received from beyond itself, the existence or reality of God is eternal, independent, self-sufficient, and self-existent being who needs no other being for his existence, and consequently exists by and through himself alone. The divine name al-Samad (the supremely independent, self-sufficient being endowed with all the attributes of perfection to which all else turns in need for existence, life, guidance, help, forgiveness, etc.) implies that there
2328-604: Is described and referred to in the Quran and hadith by 99 names that reflect his attributes. The Quran refers to the attributes of God as "most beautiful names". According to Gerhard Böwering , They are traditionally enumerated as 99 in number to which is added as the highest Name (al-ism al-ʾaʿẓam), the Supreme Name of God. The locus classicus for listing the Divine Names in the literature of Qurʾānic commentary
2425-399: Is described as "knowing" and "perfect," God must know Himself perfectly and know that He is the cause of all existence. But in order to have perfect knowledge of a cause, one must also know the effect of the cause. Therefore, God knows every form of existence in past, future, and present. Based on the model of ibn Sina , God knows about the existence of x because of x, whereas humans know about
2522-470: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages God in Islam In Islam , God ( Arabic : ٱللَّٰه , romanized : Allāh , contraction of ٱلْإِلَٰه al - ’Ilāh , lit. ' the god ' ) is seen as the creator and sustainer of the universe, who lives eternally and will eventually resurrect all humans . God
2619-454: Is either doing good so he will do more of that, or he is doing wrong so he may repent." God's omniscience is the knowledge of all things, whether they are actual or possible or whether they are past, present, or future. It also includes his knowledge of people, places, events, circumstances, etc. God has full knowledge of everything, everywhere, always and from eternity past, and he is fully aware of whatever one thinks, intends, and does, and
2716-478: Is eternal and unchanging, it is likewise self‐existent and infinite. It is self‐existent in that it is not dependent on anything, not even time . According to the Qur'an , God ( Allah ) is omniscient; he eternally knows whatever comes into being, be it universal or particular in character. He has known all things from before the creation of the world. His knowledge of things before their coming into existence and afterwards
2813-503: Is even more variable and there are many examples of figural representation in secular art throughout history. Generally speaking, aniconism in Islamic societies is restricted in modern times to specific religious contexts. In the past, it was enforced only in some times and places. The representation of living beings in Islamic art is not just a modern phenomenon and examples are found from the earliest periods of Islamic history. Frescos and reliefs of humans and animals adorned palaces of
2910-419: Is exactly the same. Hence, there is no discovery or surprise with God. Muslim theologians therefore considered that "omniscience" is a necessary and "ignorance" is an impossible property for God. Various Qur'anic verses designate this basic intuition, such as: 3:5 , 6:59 , 65:12 , and 24:35 . Muslims believe that God is the sole source of all creation, and that everything, including its creatures, are just
3007-469: Is in absolute need of him; the one eternally and constantly required and sought, depended upon by all existence and to whom all matters will ultimately return); he begets not, nor is he begotten (He is Unborn and Uncreated, has no parents, wife or offspring); and comparable/equal to him, there is none. God's absolute transcendence over his creation, as well as his unlimited individuality were asserted and emphasized with support from appropriate quotations from
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3104-455: Is in this sense understood as a Muslim . Humans and jinn have to live voluntarily in accordance with these laws to find peace and reproduce God's benevolence in their own society to live in accordance with the nature of all things, known as surrender to God in the Islamic sense. As in the other Abrahamic religions , God is believed to be the creator of the universe. Unique to Islam , there are no intermediaries between God and people. God
3201-453: Is never portrayed in any image . The Quran specifically forbids ascribing partners to share his singular sovereignty, as he is considered to be the absolute one without a second, indivisible, and incomparable being, who is similar to nothing, and nothing is comparable to him. Thus, God is absolutely transcendent , unique and utterly other than anything in or of the world as to be beyond all forms of human thought and expression. The briefest and
3298-525: Is no deity other than God." Though Muslims believe Jesus to be a prophet, the Trinity and divinity doctrine of Christendom concerning Jesus is rejected and often compared to polytheism . Tawhid constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession. The deification or worship of anyone or anything other than God ( shirk ) is the greatest sin in Islam. The entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on
3395-429: Is not part of the universe (i.e. there is no incarnation of God, no "Son of God", etc.) but a power behind all aspects of the universe, only knowable through his creation, signs in nature, metaphorical stories of the prophets, and communicating with his creation via revelations given to prophets . The Qur'an in particular is believed by Muslims to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to Muhammad . Hadith are
3492-457: Is often seen with elaborate frames of Ottoman illumination . Examples of Islamic calligraphy using this technique include the name of Muhammad, the Hilya (a tablet that embodies the description of Muhammad’s physical appearance), multiple names of God in Islam, and the tughra (a calligraphic version of the name of an Ottoman sultan ). During its early days, aniconism in Islam was intended as
3589-499: Is realized, "the slave remains the slave, and the Lord remains the Lord". The Qur'an affirms that God does not stand in need of anything outside him, and nothing external to him can affect or influence him in any way. All his creatures are responsible to him and dependent on him. There is no other being to whom he can be responsible or on whom he can be dependent. He has the right to do whatever he wants with his possessions/creatures – it
3686-539: Is related to El and Elah , the Hebrew and Aramaic words for God. It is distinguished from ʾilāh ( Arabic : إِلَٰه ), the Arabic word meaning deity , which could refer to any of the gods worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia or to any other deity. Allah is God's most unique Name, grandly referred to as Lafẓ al-Jalālah (The Word of Majesty). It occurs in the Qur’an 2,697 times in 85 of its 114 suras . God
3783-582: Is shared by none other. To those who do not believe in the Hereafter applies the most evil of attributes, and to God applies the most sublime attribute, and He is the All-Glorious with irresistible might, the All-Wise. Such as that described in the previous three verses ( 16:57-59 ). For the disbelievers in the Hereafter, there is an evil description, or in other words, the most evil attribute (i.e.,
3880-404: Is sometimes shown with a fiery halo hiding his face, head, or whole body, and from about 1500 is often shown with a veiled face. Members of his immediate family and other prophets may be treated in the same way. At the material level, prophets in manuscripts can have their face covered by a veil or all humans have a stroke drawn over their neck, symbolizing the severing of the soul, and clarifying
3977-598: Is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian (with power of disposition) over all things. Surely, We have created each and every thing by (precise) measure. Do those who disbelieve ever consider that the heavens and the earth were at first one piece, and then We parted them as separate entities; and that We have made every living thing from water? Will they still not come to believe? The Qur'an also says in verse ( 25:2 ): "and He has created everything and designed it in
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4074-533: Is the largest example, at three feet tall in bronze, and probably only survives because it was taken as booty by the city of Pisa in the Middle Ages . Like the famous lions supporting a fountain in the Alhambra , it probably came from Al-Andalus . The griffin and lions cannot easily be regarded as potential idols, given their submissive position (and the lack of religions worshipping lions or griffins), and
4171-405: Is under God's own total sovereignty. Accordingly, he is not answerable for his actions, due to his wisdom and justice, greatness and uniqueness of Divinity , while all others (jinn, humans, or false deities) are accountable for what they do (and don't do), as God says in the Qur'an: "He shall not be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned." While the existence of the creation
4268-534: Is used in a limited sense for humans as in the "head" of the family, "master" of the house, or "owner" of the land or cattle. The Arabic word "al-'Alamin" can be translated as the "Worlds" or "Universes". There are many worlds, astronomical and physical worlds, worlds of thought, spiritual worlds, everything in existence including angels, jinn, devils, humans, animals, plants, and so on. The "Worlds" may also be taken to refer to different domains or kingdoms within this earthly world, or other worlds beyond this earth. Thus,
4365-465: Is utterly unlike human beings." Al-Tahawi also stated that: "He is exalted/transcendent beyond having limits, ends, organs, limbs and parts (literally: tools). The six directions do not encompass/contain Him like the rest of created things." The six directions are: above, below, right, left, front and back. The above statement of al-Tahawi refutes the anthropomorphist 's dogmas that imagine Allah has
4462-480: The Day of Judgment . Muslims have interpreted these prohibitions in different ways in different times and places. Religious Islamic art has been typically characterized by the absence of figures and extensive use of calligraphic , geometric and abstract floral patterns. However, representations of Muhammad (in some cases, with his face concealed) and other religious figures are found in some manuscripts from lands to
4559-690: The Egyptian countryside, it is fashionable to celebrate and advertise the returning of pilgrims from Mecca on the walls of their houses. The Taliban movement in Afghanistan banned photography and destroyed non-Muslim artifacts, especially carvings and statues such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan , generally tolerated by other Muslims, on the grounds that the artifacts are idolatrous or shirk . However, sometimes those who profess aniconism will practice figurative representation (cf. portraits of Talibans from
4656-616: The Kandahar photographic studios during their imposed ban on photography ). For Shia communities, portraits of the major figures of Shiite history are important elements of religious devotion. In Iran, portraits of Muhammad and of Ali , printed on pieces of cloth or woven into carpets, are called temsal ("likenesses") and can be bought around shrines and in the streets, to be hung in homes or carried with oneself. In Pakistan , India and Bangladesh portraits of Ali can be found on notoriously ornate trucks, buses and rickshaws. Contrary to
4753-567: The Mughal tradition began in the late 15th century, although in both Mughal India and Ottoman Turkey portraits of the ruler then became very popular in court circles. Islamic calligraphy has also displayed figurative themes. Examples of this are anthropomorphic and zoomorphic calligrams . Islamic calligraphy forms evolved, especially in the Ottoman period, to fulfill a function similar to figurative art. When on paper, Islamic calligraphy
4850-586: The Persian miniature and other traditions such as the Ottoman miniature and Mughal painting . The Persian miniature tradition began when Persian courts were dominated by Sunnis, but continued after the Shia Safavid dynasty took power. The Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp I of Persia began his reign as a keen patron and amateur artist himself, but turned against painting and other forbidden activities after
4947-526: The Umayyad era, as on the famous Mshatta Facade now in Berlin . The ‘Abbasid Palaces at Samarra also contained figurative imagery. Ceramics, metalware, and objects in ivory, rock crystal, and other media also bore figural imagery in the medieval era. Figurative miniatures in books occur later in most Islamic countries but somewhat less in Arabic-speaking areas. The human figure is central to
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#17327722736915044-503: The 17th century, but were always rare in the Arabic-speaking world. Such paintings are also mainly found in private palaces; examples in public buildings are rare though not unknown, in Iran there are even some in mosques. Eschewing figural representation, ornamentation in Islamic sacred architecture relies chiefly on arabesque and geometrical patterns. Early examples of non-figural representation in Islamic sacred architecture are found in
5141-458: The Kaaba with idols in it and ordered they be removed. Pictures of Abraham and Ishmael holding arrows of divination were carried out and the Prophet stated, “May Allah ruin the infidels for the false portrayal of the acts of Abraham and Ishmael. The Hadith reports that the Prophet said "Allahu Akbar" inside all directions of the Kaaba and left without prayer therein. Muslim b. Subaih reported being in
5238-531: The Last. He is not a formed body, nor a substance circumscribed with limits or determined by measure; neither does he resemble bodies as they are capable of being measured or divided. Neither do substances exist in him; neither is he an accident, nor do accidents exist in him. Neither is he like to anything that exists, nor is anything like to him; nor is he determinate in quantity, nor comprehended by bounds, nor circumscribed by differences of situation, nor contained in
5335-540: The Prophet became ill, amongst his wives there was talk of a church in Ethiopia with descriptions of its beauty and pictures it contained. The Hadith reports the Prophet saying the creators are the worst creatures in the sight of Allah for they are the people who, upon the death of a pious man amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and create pictures in it. Muhammad made it very clear that angels do not like pictures. Narrated Abu Talha : The Prophet said that
5432-450: The Qur'an as follows: (He is) the Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them; so worship Him alone, and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you know of any whose name is worthy to be mentioned along with His (as Deity and Lord to worship)? The Qur'anic verse ( 19:65 ), "Do you know of any that can be named with His Name?" emphasizes that as Allah is Unique, His name
5529-458: The Qur'an states: "And when (O Messenger) My servants ask you about Me, then surely I am near: I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he prays to Me." Therefore, according to this verse, God answers all the prayers done sincerely. However, he answers sometimes by giving whatever is asked for, sometimes by giving what is better, sometimes by postponing giving to the afterlife, and sometimes by not giving at all, since it will not turn out in favor of
5626-677: The Qur'anic expression Rabb al-'Alamin really means the "Creator of the Worlds", the "Ruler of the Universes", the "Creator and Sustainer of all the peoples and Universes". The most commonly used names in the primary sources are Al-Rahman , meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim , meaning "Most Merciful". The former compasses the whole creation, therefore applying to God's mercy in that it gives every necessary condition to make life possible. The latter applies to God's mercy in that it gives favor for good deeds. Thus Al-Rahman includes both
5723-661: The Sunni tradition, a photographic picture of the deceased can be placed on the Shiite tombs. A curiosity in Iran is an Orientalist photography supposed to represent Muhammad as a young boy. The Grand Ayatollah Sistani of Najaf in Iraq has given a fatwā declaring the depiction of Muhammad, the prophets and other holy characters, permissible if it is made with the utmost respect. Medieval Muslim artists found various ways to represent especially sensitive figures such as Muhammad. He
5820-664: The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus and the Dome of the Rock. The murals of the Dome of the Rock use crowns and jewels to symbolize earthly rulership and "otherworldly" plants as an invocation of the Quranic description of heaven. Similarly, the murals in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, which depict an idyllic cityscape are also meant to be an evocation of paradise without figural representation. The issue of aniconism has posed problems in
5917-554: The absolute uniqueness and singularity of God in his essence, attributes, qualities, and acts. As stated in Surat al-Ikhlas : God is Ahad (the unique one of absolute oneness, who is indivisible in nature, and there can be no other like him); God is As-Samad (the ultimate source of all existence, the uncaused cause who created all things out of nothing, who is eternal, absolute, immutable, perfect, complete, essential, independent, and self-sufficient; who needs nothing while all of creation
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#17327722736916014-636: The believers and the unbelievers, but Al-Rahim only the believers. God is said to love forgiving, with a hadith stating God would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked repentance. God's mercy, according to Islamic theology, is what gets a person into paradise. According to a hadith in Sahih Al Bukhari "No one's deeds will ever admit him to Paradise." They said, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "No, not even me unless Allah showers me with His Mercy. So try to be near to perfection. And no one should wish for death; he
6111-454: The central figures at roughly the same size as the attendants and servants who are usually also shown, thus deflecting potential accusations of idolatry. The books illustrated were most often the classics of Persian poetry and historical chronicles . The hadith show some concessions for context, as with the dolls, and condemn most strongly the makers rather than the owners of images. A long tradition of prefaces to muraqqas sought to justify
6208-782: The concept of an aniconic Islam coexists with a daily life for Muslims awash with images. TV stations and newspapers (which do present still and moving representations of living beings) have an exceptional impact on public opinion, sometimes, as in the case of Al Jazeera , with a global reach, beyond the Arabic speaking and Muslim audience. Portraits of secular and religious leaders are omnipresent on banknotes and coins, in streets and offices (e.g. presidents like Nasser and Mubarak , Arafat , al-Assad , kings like House of Saud or Hezbollah 's Nasrallah and Ayatollah Khomeini ). Anthropomorphic statues in public places are to be found in most Muslim countries ( Saddam Hussein 's are infamous ), as well as art schools training sculptors and painters. In
6305-460: The creation of images without getting involved in discussions of the specific texts, using arguments such as comparing God to an artist. Miniature painting was mostly patronized by the court circle and is a private form of art; the owner chooses whom to show a book or muraqqa (album). But wall-paintings with large figures were found in early Islam, and in Safavid and later Persia, especially from
6402-582: The earth (each with particular features and on ordered principles): He has made for you, from your selves, mates, and from the cattle mates (of their own kind): by this means He multiplies you (and the cattle). There is nothing whatever like Him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The Qur'anic verse ( 42:11 ) emphasizes that there is no similarity whatsoever between the creator and his creation in essence, in attributes or in actions, and therefore, God
6499-540: The east of Anatolia , such as Persia and India . Other forms of figurative arts existed since the formative stage of Islam. These pictures were meant to illustrate the story and not to infringe on the Islamic prohibition of idolatry, but many Muslims regard such images as forbidden. In secular art of the Muslim world, representations of human and animal forms historically flourished in nearly all Islamic cultures, although, partly because of opposing religious sentiments, figures in paintings were often stylized, giving rise to
6596-410: The emanation theory to be unconvincing, because the theory equates God to much with nature, by that, restricting God's freedom. Instead, they propose, God created the world from nothing at a certain point t in time. In response to the emanationists' objection, that for Creation ex Nihilo, a change in the will of God would be required, al-Ghazali explains that God has willed from all eternity, to create
6693-433: The end of the house. Ali followed the Prophet to ask what had turned him back. The Prophet stated that it is unfitting for him or any Prophet to enter a home decorated [with figural imagery]. Narrated 'Aisha: Upon the arrival of the Prophet from a journey, he saw and tore a curtain with pictures his wife had placed over the door of a chamber. The Prophet disapproved of the making of such pictures, saying those who try to make
6790-427: The fact that it is not something alive and imbued with a soul that is depicted: a purposeful flaw to make what is depicted impossible to live in reality (as merely impossible in reality is still often frowned upon or banned, such as representations of comic book characters or unicorns, although exceptions do exist). Few portraits were attempted, and the ability to create recognizable portraits was rare in Islamic art until
6887-637: The hadith. Subsequently, geometrical ornamentation became a sophisticated art form in Islam. Narrated Said bin Abu Al-Hasan: Said bin Abu Al-Hasan narrates a conversation between a panicked man who makes his living by making pictures with Ibn 'Abbas. Ibn 'Abbas relays the message heard from the Prophet that whoever makes a picture will be endlessly punished by Allah until he is able to put life into it - though he declared that would never be possible. The Hadith reports Ibn 'Abbas further advised
6984-523: The heavens, and transcends spatial and temporal bounds, and remains beyond the bounds of human comprehension and perceptions. Allāh is the Arabic word referring to God in Abrahamic religions . In the English language , the word generally refers to God in Islam. The Arabic word Allāh is thought to be derived by contraction from al - ʾilāh , which means "the god", (i.e., the only god) and
7081-403: The highest attribute, namely, that there is no deity except him, immensely exalted beyond and above all comparison and likeness. So, do not invent similitudes for God (do not liken Him to others to associate partners with Him, for there is nothing similar to Him). Surely God knows and you do not know (the exact truth about Him and the exact nature of things). The Originator of the heavens and
7178-437: The human-like ( anthropomorphic ) and materially embedded (corporeal) form of God, an idea that has been classically described assimilating or comparing God to the creatures created by God. By contrast, belief in the transcendence of God is called tanzih , which also rejects notions of incarnation and a personal god . Tanzih is widely accepted in Islam today, although it stridently competed for orthodox status until
7275-608: The invisible presence of God. Thus Islamic art creates a void; it eliminates in fact all the turmoil and passionate suggestions of the world, and in their stead creates an order that expresses equilibrium, serenity and peace. In practice, the core of normative religion in Islam is consistently aniconic. Spaces such as the mosque and objects like the Quran are devoid of figurative images. Other spheres of religion, for example mysticism, popular piety, or private devotion exhibit significant variability in this regard. Aniconism in secular contexts
7372-429: The life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , they need to be interpreted in order to be applied in any general manner. Sunni exegetes of tafsir , from the 9th century onward, increasingly saw in them categorical prohibitions against producing and using any representation of living beings. There are variations between religious maḏāhib (schools) and marked differences between different branches of Islam . Aniconism
7469-544: The like of Allah's creations will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection. To show the superiority of the monotheist faith, Muhammad smashed the idols at the Kaaba . He also removed paintings that were blasphemous to Islam , while protecting others (the images of Mary and Jesus) inside the building. The hadith below emphasizes that aniconism depends not only on what , but also on how things are depicted. Narrated Ibn Abbas : The Prophet refused to enter
7566-472: The making of such pictures, saying the makers would be punished on the Day of Resurrection when God would ask them to bring their creations to life. The Hadith also reports that the Prophet said that the angels would not enter a house where there are pictures. Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: Safinah AbuAbdurRahman, Ali ibn Abu Talib, and Fatimah invited the Prophet to eat with them. Upon the Prophet’s arrival, he turned away after seeing figural curtains hanging at
7663-419: The material image, but touches upon mental representations as well. It is a problematic issue, discussed by early theologians , as to how to describe God , Muhammad and other prophets, and, indeed, if it is permissible at all to do so. God is usually represented by immaterial attributes, such as "holy" or "merciful", commonly known from his " Ninety-nine beautiful names ". Muhammad's physical appearance, however,
7760-468: The modern world, especially as technologies like television developed in the 20th century. For many years, Wahhabi clerics opposed the establishment of a television service in Saudi Arabia , as they believed it immoral to produce images of humans. The introduction of television in 1965 offended some Saudis, and one of King Faisal 's nephews, Prince Khalid ibn Musa'id ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, was killed in
7857-461: The most comprehensive description of God in the Quran is found in Surat al-Ikhlas . According to mainstream Muslim theologians , God is described as Qadim [ ar ] ('ancient'), having no first, without beginning or end; absolute, not limited by time or place or circumstance, nor is subject to any decree so as to be determined by any precise limits or set times, but is the First and
7954-432: The most vile), which is their ignorance and ingratitude, and their burying alive of newborn girls , despite the fact that they are needed for the purposes of marriage and not allowing women to even inherit property, and their ascribing female gender to angels and claiming that the angels are the daughters of God while so preferring sons for themselves (this is also mentioned in the verses 37:149-155 ); whereas to God belong
8051-464: The one who prays. The way that God answers a prayer depends on his wisdom. Al-Bukhari , in his Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī , narrates a hadith qudsi that God says, "I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am." When Sufis claim union with God, it is not that they become one in essence, rather the will of the Sufi is fully congruent to God. The Sufis are in fact careful to say, no matter what degree of union
8148-655: The panicked man to make pictures of trees and any other inanimate objects.|Muhammad al-Bukhari| Sahih al-Bukhari Aisha describes the Prophet tearing a curtain with portraits on it as soon as he saw it. The Hadith reports that the Prophet said the most grievous torment from the Hand of Allah on the Day of Resurrection would be for those who imitate (Allah) in the act of His creation. The torn pieces were made into cushions. Muhammad also warned his followers of dying amongst people that built places of worship at graves and placed pictures in it (i.e. Christians ). Narrated 'Aisha: When
8245-462: The person the Prophet’s sayings in which all painters who make pictures would be punished in the fire of Hell and the soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him. Only pictures of paintings of trees and lifeless things should be allowed. Although pagans in Muhammad's times also worshiped trees and stones, Muhammad opposed only images of animated beings — humans and animals, as reported by
8342-403: The principle of Tawhid. Associating partners in divinity of God is known as shirk and is the antithesis of Tawhid. Although the term is usually translated as "polytheism" into English, the sin is thought to be more complex. The translation 'associating [with God]' has been suggested instead. The term includes denial of attributing any form of divinity to any other thing but God. This includes
8439-399: The prohibition of idolatry and in part from the belief that the creation of living forms is God 's prerogative. The Quran itself does not prohibit visual representation of any living being. The hadith collection of Sahih Bukhari explicitly prohibits the making of images of living beings, challenging painters to "breathe life" into their images and threatening them with punishment on
8536-588: The records of Muhammad's sayings and example, and Hadith Qudsi is a sub-category of hadith, which Muslims regard as the words of God repeated by Muhammad . According to al-Sharif al-Jurjani (d. 816/1413), the Hadith Qudsi differ from the Qur'an in that the former are "expressed in Muhammad's words", whereas the latter are the "direct words of God". Thus, Muslims address/contact God directly in their prayers, supplications and dhikr , and also seek forgiveness and repentance from sins directly from God, as
8633-400: The reins of all things and events are in his power. He knows whatever happens in the universe, down to the fall of a leaf, and he knows all the deeds, thoughts, and intentions of humankind. His appointed angels record these, and people will be called to account for these acts in the other world. His knowledge is eternal in the sense of being timeless, i.e., atemporal. So, since God's knowledge
8730-467: The religious realm, Islamic art aids man to be entirely himself. Instead of projecting his soul outside himself, he can remain in his ontological centre where he is both the viceregent ( khalîfa ) and slave ( 'abd ) of God. Islamic art as a whole aims at creating an ambience which helps man to realize his primordial dignity; it therefore avoids everything that could be an 'idol', even in a relative and provisional manner. Nothing must stand between man and
8827-438: The same is true of small decorative figures in relief on objects in metalwork, or figures painted on Islamic pottery , both of which are relatively common. In particular hunting scenes of humans and animals were popular, and presumably regarded as clearly having no religious function. The figures in miniatures were, until the late 16th century, always numerous in each image, small (typically only an inch or two high), and showing
8924-461: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Jundallah . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jundallah&oldid=1254398219 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Articles containing Arabic-language text Short description
9021-548: The self by elevating oneself above others and associating attributes of God with a created being. According to Vincent J. Cornell, the Quran also provides a monist image of God by describing the reality as a unified whole, with God being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing things: "He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things." Islam emphasises
9118-541: The senses and intellects cannot fully comprehend God. Likewise, the Qur'an also says: "whereas they cannot comprehend Him with their knowledge." The Hanafi jurist and theologian, al-Tahawi (d. 321/933), wrote in his treatise on theology, commonly known as al-'Aqida al-Tahawiyya : "Whoever describes Allah even with a single human quality/attribute, has disbelieved/ blasphemed . So whoever understands this, will take heed and refrain from such statements as those of disbelievers, and knows that Allah in His attributes
9215-518: The tenth century, especially during the Mihna . In premodern times, corporealist views were said to have been more socially prominent among the common people, with more abstract and transcendental views more common for the elite. The Islamic concept of tawhid (oneness) emphasises that God is absolutely pure and free from association with other beings , which means attributing the powers and qualities of God to his creation, and vice versa. In Islam, God
9312-403: The world as the manifestation of a single reality ( maẓhir ). The emanation theory states that 1) the universe has emanated from God since eternity 2) there is a causal mediation between the lower and the higher things (i.e. the lower things do not come directly from God, but from the higher things). God is considered the only necessary existence, the rest of creation as contingent . Since God
9409-487: The world at a certain time t . Additionally, God would not only have created the universe at a time t , but also continues to create the universe in any following moment. A variant of the theory of the manifestation of a single reality can be found particularly in Mulla Sadra , who was inspired by Muhyī d-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī. According to Mulla Ṣadra, only God is eternal and perfect, the universe, including its inhabitants,
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