Abstract
The main discourse on Islamic art in the western academia primarily views Islamic art through the lens of art history and sociology of art. Islamic art is considered as sacred in Islamic civilisation and culture, and derives its sanctity from the Quran as the fountain from which it has emanated, which Muslims consider to be the Word of God, much like Christ is the Word of God in Christianity. The Quran has played a formative role in shaping the trinity of sacred Islamic art which is Quranic recitation, calligraphy and architecture. However, another approach which not only is viable but can be considered of great importance to the study of Islamic art, is the employment and utilisation of principles of Islamic philosophy and Sufism which were the pillars of the intellectual milieu in which a given work of art is produced. The application of such principles allows a more comprehensive and detailed interpretation of a work of art. In this paper, the primary Islamic philosophy and sufi doctrines that will be discussed are the concepts of imagination, colour, and calligraphy and examples of their application in the khānqāh and shrine ensemble of Shaykh Ṣafi al-Din Ardabīlī in Ardabil, Iran.
Highlights
Any given work of art is the product of the socio-politico-cultural and intellectual aspects of the environment in which it was produced
The majority of the published research in Western academia on Islamic art has been performed through the lens of art history and sociology of art, such as the works done by O Grabar
When we look at the position of calligraphy in Islamic art and architecture or the importance of geometry, utilising abstract forms derived from the imaginal world, both are used by the artist to create a sacred space
Summary
Any given work of art is the product of the socio-politico-cultural and intellectual aspects of the environment in which it was produced. By applying Ibn Arabi and Suhrawardī’s ideas in regards to imagination from both an Islamic ontological and epistemological perspectives, we can see that an artist uses his/her imaginal faculty to comprehend the abstract realities from the abstract world, and, using creativity, give them a sensual form in the sensual world. Combining the world of intellect and the imaginal world, he comprehends the true meaning of the written word, bestowing a befitting sacred visual form to the words inscribed Another unique aspect of Islamic art is that does the faculty of imagination play an important role in it, but it forces the audience to use their faculty of imagination to comprehend the reality of the work of art. A hundred thousand veils of dark and light Withdraw His presence from our mortal sight,
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