iqra

“He is Al lah-the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form.

To Him belongs the Most Beaut i fu l Names.

Everything in the heaven and earth g lor i f ies Him.

He is the Almighty , the Al l -Wise”

A l - H a s y r : 2 4

Haji Mohd Daniyalai, Asma Al-Husna, 2002, Ink Calligraphy on Paper, Collection of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

I Q R A ’T H E G A R D E N O F W I S D O M

This book is published in conjunction with the ExhibitionIQRA’; THE GARDEN OF WISDOMInnovation & Design Gallery, Universiti Sains MalaysiaPenang, Malaysia5 – 30 March 2008

International Convention Center,Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam28 July – 2 August 2008

Queensbay Mall, Penang, Malaysia12-24 September 2008

SRJK Sultan Abdul Aziz, Teluk Intan, Perak7 - 9 November 2008

Cultural Center, Universiti Sains MalaysiaPenang, Malaysia8 January 2009

Hotel Equatorial, Penang1 - 17 September 2009

PROJECT ADVISORProfessor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak

PROJECT DIRECTOR & EDITORHasnul J Saidon

GUEST CURATOR Associate Professor Dr. Ruzaika Omar Basaree

CONTRIBUTORSProfessor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul RazakAssociate Professor Dr. Ruzaika Omar BasareeHimanshu BhattNazlina Hussin

LAYOUT DESIGNSalim Ibrahim, Llewellyn Frederick & Afzanizam Mohd Ali

PROJECT COMMITTEEZolkurnian Hassan, Mohd Firdaus Khairuddin, Nor Laila Abd Rozak @ Razak, Nurul Syikin Shuib, Aizuan Azmi, Nur Hafizah Abd. Aziz, Safinawati Samsudin, Shamsul Ikmal Mansori, Nor Mohammad Abd Rahim, Radhiyah Abu Bakar, Faridah Mohd Hashim, Rohayah Sanapi, Adlan Redzuan, Rosli Hamzah, Noordin Ban, Azizi Yahya, Muhammad Husni Abd Latiff, Izrul Abd. Aziz, Mohamad Yazdi Yaacop, Salmiah Mohamad, Noor Rashid Shabidi, Ravi a/l Vansamy.

PUBLISHER

Muzium & Galeri Tuanku FauziahUniversiti Sains Malaysia11800 USM Pulau PinangMalaysia

Telephone: 04 6533888 ext-3261/2137/4786/4787/4788/4789 Fax: 04 6563531 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mgtf.usm.my

IQRA’; THE GARDEN OF WISDOMISBN 978-983-43926-0-41.Arts, islamic--catalogs-700.917671074

© 2008 Universiti Sains MalaysiaAll rights reserved. Apart for purposes of research, criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission. Equiry should be addressed to the publisher.

ISLAM HADHARI IN ACTION : 11LESSONS FROM ANDALUSIA

IQRA’ & THE SPIRIT OF ANDALUSIA : 30 IGNITING THE LOVE FOR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ISLAMIC VISUAL ART

SELECTED EXHIBITS 41

IQRA’ EXHIBITION 87

ESSAY INSPIRED BY THE COSMOS 126

ISLAMIC ART AND SCIENCE EXHIBITION 128

VISITORS’ ARTWORKS, COMMENTS & PRESS COVERAGE 131

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 140

In Collaboration With:

C O N T E N T S

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Ummul Mushaf Al-Quran Mushaf Malaysia Taba’ah ‘Ain At-Taqwa Collectors’ Edition, 2003, Ink on Paper, Collection of Yayasan Restu, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

I S L A M H A D H A R I I N A C T I O NL E S S O N S F R O M A N D A L U S I A

Islam Hadhari or civilizational Islam is an approach that emphasizes on development via the mastery of knowledge and education be it that of the individual or the nation so as to be prepared for future global challenges. It encourages the doors of ijtihad to be opened, so that interpretations are in tandem with the developmental needs of the prevailing time and conditions. Islam Hadhari aims to achieve ten main principles:

In order to put Islam Hadhari into practice with a civilizational framework, the heritage of Islamic civilization that used to unfold on the stage of history could be a useful reference point and become the source of inspiration for society to learn and emulate. A change in attitude and culture requires ijtihad and jihad (struggle) on a broader interpretation, covering all aspects of life, including the pursuit of knowledge, the mastery of science and technology and economic activity.

• FaithandpietyinAllah• Ajustandtrustworthygovernment• Afreeandindependentpeople• Masteryofknowledge• Balancedandcomprehensiveeconomicdevelopment• Agoodqualityoflife• Protectionoftherightsofminoritygroupsandwomen• Culturalandmoralintegrity• Safeguardingtheenvironment• Strongdefenses

1. RE-AWAKENING ANDALUSIA

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Society, local and global, should be made aware of Islam’s contribution to civilizational advances especially in areas of science and technology that had eventually brought about the birth of the Renaissance in Europe. Initiatives to seriously understand what happened then must be properly understood and lessons derived from it learnt. (http://www.islam.gov.my/islamhadhari/concept.html).

In short, it is imperative for us to equip ourselves with the necessary knowledge, skills, values and awareness so that the target set could be achieved. In this regard, one zenith of Islamic civilization that is worth benchmarking against is that of Andalusia where many of the principles of Islam Hadhari could be fully realized, beginning especially with a mastery of knowledge.

Between the period of 8th to 13th centuries, there were at least two major periods of intense scholarship: one originating in Baghdad, the other the lesser known Andalusia, which was primarily in the Iberian Peninsular. In both cases, the major efforts involved the transmission of knowledge mainly from Greek sources into Arabic before they were translated further into other languages. Thus it forms a good basis in attempting to implement Islam Hadhari modelled after the Andalusia experience of over 700 years.

The history of Andalusia, including modern day Spain, Portugal and Southern France, cannot be divorced from that of the Abbasids Dynasty in Damascus and later Baghdad. When the Umayyad Dynasty in Damascus collapsed in the 740s, the caliphate was assumed by Abu ‘I-Abbas, who founded the Abbasid Dynasty (750- 1258). A member of the Umayyad family was able to make his way West, first to North Africa and then to Iberia. The Abbasid later shifted its capital from Damascus to Baghdad. These two separate events marked the heights of Muslim learning leading to a new civilization in its own right.

However, it is the event in Baghdad that first dominated the world stage. By and large it overshadowed the growth of a ‘new’ Umayyad caliphate in what is termed as the Near East. Except for “nostalgic curiosity”, relatively little is known about Andalusia and its presence in Europe, for the subsequent 700-odd years is largely ignored, at times by design. Despite its decisive influence over the course of European history and civilization, little is recorded about in the Western writings.

Worst, this period is typically described as “a time that was dark and barbaric” qualified by the adjective “medieval.” It is known as the “Middle” or even “Dark Ages” (500 – 1500), one that is squeezed between the Classical and Modern era. It is often regarded as “unenlightened, backward and

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intolerant culture”, a notion that is still propagated today, aided by the dearth of work that espouses a different worldview.

Fortunately, evidences that feature the contributions of Andalusia to Europe and the Western civilization glitter from time to time like an invaluable gem. One such gem is a recent book by a Yale professor in Spanish and Portuguese, Maria Rosa Menocal, called “The Ornament of the World”.

It began when the Muslims, normally called the “Moors”, entered the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula – which they named al-Andalusia at a time when much of Europe and the classical civilization of Greece and Rome had gone into eclipse. Meanwhile, Andalusia (i.e. Moorish Spain) brought with it a unique experience in terms of its tangible accomplishments in all spheres of life. Learning was emphasized, marked by a fascination with science, the Arabic literature and the philosophical discourse on reason and faith.

The world created in the land of Andalusia saw a number of wealth being created. Not only there was commercial wealth in terms of consumption, productivity and exchange, there was also intellectual wealth, thanks to the libraries of Cordoba. More significantly, there were also a wealth of

deep thinking about the meaning of life, God and material things. All these were the key features that eventually linked Islamic Spain with the larger part of Europe.

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In 750, when the Abbasids overtook the rule of the Muslim World and moved the capital to Baghdad in Iraq, the Umayyad prince Abd al-Rahman b Mwiyah b (Caliph) Hisham (756-788) of the Dynasty in Syria was forced to flee to Iberia. Also known as the ‘Falcon of Spain’, he was determined to show the world that his court at Cordoba – the capital, where running water and libraries were part of the familiar landscape – was equaled in greatness to that of Baghdad.

During the Abbasid Dynasty (750 – 1258) in Baghdad, works of Aristotle, Euclid, Galen, Hippocrates, Ptolemy, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, etc., were translated. Over time, copies of these translated works were disseminated throughout the Islamic domains, later they made their way into Europe through Spain and Sicily, near Italy.

As such in the first century of Muslim rule in Spain, the culture was largely derived from the flourishing civilization developed by the Abbasids in Baghdad. But shortly during the reign of Abd al-Rahman III (912-961) al-Andalus began to assert its own identity and make its own contributions. By 929 he openly challenged the Abbasid Caliph residing in Damascus, by taking on the title Caliph. The Córdoba caliphate was the first urban and commercial economy to flourish in Europe since the disappearance of the Roman Empire.

This was largely due to Abd al-Rahman III who was passionately interested in both the religious and the secular sciences. He imported books from Baghdad and actively recruited scholars by offering handsome inducements. Soon, as a result, scholars, poets, philosophers, historians, and musicians began to migrate to al-Andalus. Soon too, an infrastructure of libraries, hospitals, research institutions and centers of Islamic studies grew, establishing the intellectual tradition and educational system which became a hallmark of Andalusia Spain for centuries to come.

Continuous traffic between Cordoba and Baghdad meant that Andalusia had access to similar reading materials, and eagerly kept up with latest innovations, fashions and products. While Charlemagne was being crowned

2. THE GREAT CENTRE OF LEARNING

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Holy Roman Emperor in 800, the Abbasid caliphs were already well into the monumental translation project that translated the Greek philosophical and scientific tradition into Arabic. Under the rule of the fifth Caliph of the Abbasid Empire, Harun ar-Rashid, between 786-808, for example, agents were sent to purchase Greek manuscripts from the Byzantine Empire where many classical texts were preserved. Sometimes, they were gifts brought by the Byzantium envoys to Cordoba. A case in point is a copy of Dioscorides’ treatise on medical botany in Greek, “De material medica”, that was presented in 947. It was later translated into Arabic by no less than Hasdai ibn Shaprut, a court physician to Abd al-Rahman III. Ibn Shaprut was instrumental in inaugurating yet another “Golden Age”, this time of Spanish Judaism, attracting many Jewish scholars and poets to Cordoba.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, a scientific research institute and translation centre, the Bayt al-Hikmah or House of Wisdom, was established in about 828. Consequently, the heights of intellectual activities peaked, in parts due to a new wave of translators who devoted much of their efforts in translating manuscripts directly from the Greek. Gradually, the scientific community began to adjust itself from passive to active acceptance of the Greek learning, giving Andalusia the capacity to create its own intellectual beacon. The Bayt al-Hikmah established under the

Caliph, al-Mamun (813-833) included a vast public library, astronomical observatory and a bureau of translation. Greek works (including those of Plato and Aristotle) were translated into Arabic and a world atlas was compiled. Sciences flourished as original research in medicine was conducted in the Bayt al-Hikmah. Among the important works translated into Arabic were the medical texts of Galen and Hippocrates, Euclid’s Geometry and Ptolemy’s astromonical writings.

Caliph al-Mamun employed people of all races and religions to help translate books from around the world and cultures in Arabic. He held each translator in high-esteem by rewarding him in gold based on the weight of their work. Thus great libraries and schools thrived on the contribution by the translators spurring it ahead into a great centre of learning.

A leading personality of the ‘new wave’ was Hunayn ibn Ishaq (810-877) who then spent time in ‘the Greek lands’, learning the language. Hunayn’s innovation was to abandon the literal tradition of translation and concentrate on making the Greek works comprehensible to the Arabic or Syriac readers. He and his school translated the entire Alexandrian medical curriculum into Arabic. He also revised earlier translations of Galen, renowned for crystallizing all the best work of the Greek medical schools

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which had preceded his own time. After his death, his son Ishaq ibn Hunayn and his nephew Hubaysh ibn al-Hasan continued on with his tradition.

While Hunayn was bringing new ideas to translation, new movements were stirring in Baghdad. Mohammed Ibn Musa Al-Khwarazmi, the famous mathematician (d. 863) was combining Greek and Indian mathematics to produce what is now called Algebra (from his book – “Kitab al-Jabr wa’l-Muqabalah” - The book of Restoration and Comparison), at the same time making contribution to

geography and astronomy.

By then there were numerous translations of Greek authors into Arabic in nearly every domain of knowledge. The ideas and points of views contained in these translations formed a large part of the nutriment which Islam sampled and then assimilated according to its own inner constitution, and the foundation given to it by the Qur’an.

With the establishment of the Andalusia Umayyad dynasty, which lasted from 756 to 1031, came the Golden Age of Learning. Libraries were vastly larger than anything else in Europe at the time, colleges were established and literature, poetry and architecture flourished. This period gave birth to religious and ethnic tolerance, interfaith harmony, discovery and free debates which were the norm in facilitating the growth of learning.

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During the Abbasid rule, with the exception of the literary texts, Greek works were reincarnated as a part of the remarkable new Arabic culture of learning and later that of Andalusia. According to Professor Menocal of Yale University in her book, “The Ornament in the World”, it was there in al-Andalus that the profoundly ”Arabised” Jews rediscovered and reinvented Hebrew; whilst the Christians embraced nearly every aspect of Arabic style – from the intellectual style of philosophy to the architectural styles and game of chess – not only while living in Islamic domination but especially after wresting political control from them. The word “Arabised” is used to acknowledge that the Andalusians did a great deal more than merely learn to speak the language. This facilitated the development of a knowledge web in Andalusia, with Cordoba as the initial hub.

This was indeed fortunate because in the 8th century Spain, the prevailing body of knowledge had become fossilized inside its antiquated environment, leading to the wholesale loss of intellectual traditions. But it acquired a fresh life, metamorphosing into a vital young and rigorous Arabic universe.

Certainly, book-collecting was one of the passions of the times. Both Abdul-Rahman and his son, Al-Hakam

II (961-976), amassed huge libraries. The latter will be remembered for his patronage of literature and learning since it was during his reign that the palace library became one of the greatests in the world. In it were as many as 400,000 titles, as far afield as Persia, with the catalogue alone filling 44 volumes and many of the works lavishly decorated by scribes, gilders, printers and binders. There were also librarians’ information on 600,000 volumes.

Menocal cited the historian and author of “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, Edward Gibbon, who describes the book worship of the Islamic polity he so admired in Cordoba, compared to the anti-book culture of medieval Europe. This was at a time when the largest library in Christian Europe probably held no more than 400 manuscripts, according to Menocal. Even centuries later, the largest libraries in monasteries and towns of Western Europe held anything from several dozen to 150 volumes. Only wealthy libraries like Durham had more than 500. On the contrary, in cities such as Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, Cordoba, Shiraz and Bukhara where the Islamic influence was strong, there where a series of libraries and private collections of 10,000 volumes or more in the 10th and 11th centuries.

In the 10th century Cordoba, for example, then the

3. THE WEB OF KNOWLEDGE

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capital of Umayyad Spain (929- 1031), the city is said to be unrivalled in both the East and the West for its wealth and civilization. Andalusian scholars served as a major conduit bringing Greek philosophy, of which the Muslims had previously been the main custodians, to Western Europe. It was during the 10th century too that al-Andalus produced a large number of excellent physicians, some of whom studied Greek medical works translated at the famous House of Wisdom. Cordoba had by then benefited from the vast translation and then passed it on to the rest of the Anglophone world. The citizens had been eager, even greedy, recipients of the impressive Córdoba libraries.

Without doubt, in 10th century, the intellectual superiority of the Andalusia’s with its Arabised culture of learning was recognised in Europe. The rich and varied cultural and intellectual universe in the 9th and 10th centuries provided the backdrop for the Umayyad vision. Cordoba with its some 100,000 inhabitants was not only the capital but also the most important city of the Caliphate, making it Europe’s principal urban concentration during that epoch.

Soon Cordoba could boast of a population of some 500,000, compared to about 38,000 in a European city such as Paris. According to the chronicles of the day,

the city had 700 mosques, some 60,000 palaces and 70 libraries – one reportedly housing 500,000 manuscripts and employing a staff of researchers, illuminators and book binders. By comparison, major libraries in Western Europe scarcely reached a thousand. Even into the 14th. century, the library at the University of Paris only had about 2,000 books.

By 976, the library of Cordoba was said to have employed 500 librarians, scribes, physicians, historians, geographers and copyists; the catalogues not only had swollen to 44 volumes, but arranged by subject, then order of acquisition. Acquiring new materials was not difficult, as titles moved freely from Byzantium to Baghdad, Cairo to Cordoba, by way of Venetian and Arab shipping routes. Cordoba’s caliph library was itself one of the 70 libraries in a city that apparently so adorned books that a report of the time indicated that there were 70 copyists in the book market who worked exclusively on copying the Qur’ans. Clearly, the web of knowledge in Cordoba in the form of libraries alone was already a significant benchmark of overall social well-being, since they represented a near-perfect crossroads of the material and the intellectual. The sort of libraries built in Cordoba was unseen and unimagined for hundreds of years amid the intellectual spolia of the

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Roman Empire. The libraries, in turn affiliated with a sprawling network of copyists, booksellers, papermakers and colleges, churned out as many as 60,000 treatises, poems, polemics and compilations a year. The head librarian at Cordoba was personally appointed by al-Hakam, the then Caliph of Cordoba.

It is no wonder that Andalusia is very much closely associated with the birth of a civilization, perhaps not different from what is envisaged by the concept of Islam Hadhari.

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Andalusian civilization reached its apogee in Cordoba. Just as essential to the social and cultural dimensions embodied in the rich libraries of Andalusia, was a series of attitudes about learning of every sort, about the duty to transmit knowledge from one generation to another and about the interplay between the very different modes of learning that were known to exist – modes that might contradict each other, as faith and reason did and do now. These sat happily in the libraries, side by side unafraid of the contradictions, first-rate, noted Menocal.

Librarians had risen to such administrative and cultural power (as they were frequently authors and scientists as well) that such posts were exclusive to the most wealthy and powerful families. One 10th century account of an Arabic ‘house of books’ runs, “… the library constituted a library by itself; there was a superintendent, a librarian and an inspector chosen from the most trustworthy people in the country. There is no book written up to this time in whatever branch of science but the prince has acquired a copy of it. The library consists of one long vaulted room, annexed to which there are store rooms. The prince had made along the large room and the store chambers, scaffoldings about the height of a man, three yards wide, of decorated wood, which have shelves from top to bottom; the books are arranged on the shelves and for every branch of learning there are separate scaffolds.There are also catalogues in which all the titles of the books are entered.”

At about that time, book production in the East blossomed into a vital industry. Textual materials, translators, scholars and tradesman all spread throughout the Near East and Mediterranean. A new sector of the economy was born, specializing in acquiring, duplicating or locating rare books. The new libraries and colleges of Andalusia Spain were no exception.

The prestige of one’s city or royal (caliph) library led to

4. THE LEARNING CULTURE

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a spirit of noble competition between the caliphs, viziers and deputies of various provinces, each wishing to attract the brightest scholars and rarest literary talents. Many in court circles followed the lead of the caliphs and viziers and sponsored translations into Arabic. The lead taken by the caliphs and viziers in the translation movement was of crucial importance for the acceptability of the newly-

“Andalusia was, above all, famous asa land of scholars, libraries, booksloversandcollectors….WhenGerbert[of Aurillac] studied at Vich (ca. 995– 999), the libraries of Moorish Spaincontainedclosetoamillionmanuscripts… Cordoba books were more eagerlysought than beautiful concubines orjewels…Thecity’sglorywastheGreatLibrary established by Al-Hakam II …ultimatelyitcontained400,000volumes…On the opening page of each bookwaswittenthename,date,placeofbirthandancestryoftheauthor,togetherwiththetitlesofhisotherworks.Forty-eightvolumes of catalogues, incessantlyamended,listedanddescribedalltitlesand contained instructions onwhere aparticularworkcouldbefound.”

discovered learning to the elites of Islamic capitals such as Baghdad and Cordoba.

As one history records:

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Never more so than during the 10th and 11th centuries, could Al-Andalus boasted the highest literacy rate in Europe. The great Dutch Arabic historian of French origin, Reinhart Pieter Anne Dozy (1820-1883), declared that during the days of the Andalusia’s caliph Abdul-Rahman III (912-961), nearly everyone could read, and although doubtless this was an exaggeration, it is fair to assume that the country contained an unusually large percentage of literate people.

Early Cordoba, unlike Baghdad, had no culture of translation at all, and the Córdobans could not read Greek. But this did not hamper learning because by the time they got these translated texts they were already a part of a scholarly tradition that lived in Arabic. There was also no demand to translate anything into Latin. After all, every civilized person – including the Jews and Christians who were citizens of Cordoba – could of course read Arabic, compared to those who lived in the north, beyond the mountains – although the opportunity to learn the language of knowledge was available to them through the extensive web of knowledge, described previously. But mostly they did not choose to do so.

Indeed, the many branches of knowledge pioneered by the Andalusians during the mediaeval time provided the necessary link between the ancient and modern

civilizations. The light of knowledge which illuminated the lands of Moors in Spain and Sicily, (which too had its golden years as a centre of an Andalusia-like culture, with Palermo as the capital of Islamic Sicily), was greatly instrumental in dispelling the gloom of ignorance that had enveloped the mediaeval Europe.

Sicily, though not part of al-Andalus, stood next to Spain in the diffusion of Arab culture. Even after the conquest of Sicily at the hands of the Normans in 1091, it was reported that the superior culture of the conquered race had won the hearts of the conquerors. Thus, Sicily, which long into the Christian era continued to be a great centre of Muslim civilization, played a vital part in the awakening of Europe. In fact, with central geographic position, it served as an intermediary between the two cultures, Christian and Muslim, and provided an ideal centre for the dissemination of both cultures. A classical case is the most famous geographer of the period al-Idrisi, who studied in Cordoba. After traveling widely, al-Idrisi settled in Sicily and wrote a systematic geography of the world, usually known as the “Book of Roger” after his patron Roger II, the Norman King of Sicily. The information contained in the “Book of Roger” was also engraved on a silver planisphere, a disc-shaped map that was one of the wonders of the age.

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Other that Spain, southern Italy which was ruled by the Norman King of Sicily, also assisted in diffusing Andalusian culture to not only other parts of Italy, but also to central Europe. The continuous intellectual intercourse between the two Norman States of England and Sicily was instrumental in bringing many elements of Muslim culture to as far as distant Britain.

A case in point is the work of the greatest surgeon of the middle ages, Abu al-Qasim Al-Zaheawi, (known in the West as Abulcasis or Al-bucasis), born near Cordoba. His work was used as a standard reference work in the subject in all universities of Europe for over five hundred years. An author of the “Al-Tasrif”, the book was translated into Latin and became the leading medical text for European universities during the later middle ages.

Writer Robert Briffault in his well-known work “The Making of Humanity” (London, 1938) wrote:

Even Philip K. Hitti, the orientalist, acknowledges the greatness of Arab culture when he writes in his “History of the Arabs” (London, 1937): “Moslem (sic) Spain wrote one of the brightest Chapters in the intellectual history of medieval Europe. Between the middle of the 8th and the beginning of the 13th centuries, as we have noted before, the Arab speaking people were the main bearers of the torch of culture and civilization throughout the world. Moreover, they were the medium through which ancient science and philosophy were recovered, supplemented and transmitted in such a way as to make possible the renaissance of Western Europe.”

To this J.M. Roberts in “History of the World” (1995) reaffirms that “Arab Spain was of enormous importance to Europe, a door to the learning and science of the East.” Among other, this is evident from the range of Arabic words in European languages covering a variety of scientific fields. The existence of scientific words of Arabic origin in

5 GLOBALISATION,ANDALUSIANSTYLE

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“Itwasunder the influenceofArabianand Moorish revival of culture, andnot in the 15th century, that the realrenaissance tookplace,SpainandnotItaly, was the cradle of the rebirth ofEurope. Aftersinkinglowerandlowerinbarbarism,ithadreachedthedarkestdepths of ignorance and degradation

whenthecitiesof theSaracenicworldBaghdad,Cairo,Cordoba,Toledo,weregrowing centers of civilization andintellectual activity. It was there thatthe new life arose which was to growinto a new phase of human evolution.From the time when the influence oftheirculturemadeitselffelt,beganthestirringofanewlife”.

European languages is attributed to the pioneering efforts of Muslim scholars in the fields of astrology, mathematics, physics, chemistry and medicine. By the end of the middle ages, Europe became the most technologically and scientifically advanced part of the world. By around 1100, it marked the time when Western names began to appear, but the honours were still shared with the Andalusian names especially Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Abu-Imran Musa bin Maimoun (the Jewish, Maimonides). By then, the list of towering personalities of Andalusian scholarships was ready peaking.

Overall, from 750 to 1100 (some historians would argue even later), for at least 350 years continuously, there was an unbroken succession of the ages of Al-Jabir, Khwarizmi, Razi, Biruni and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and then Omar Khayam. Men belonging to the culture of Andalusia – Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Persians, Jews and Christians created the unbroken chain of tolerance, prosperity and peace. These scholars made a concerted effort to make use of the whole of classical learning realising not only a “Golden Age” of science but also eclipsed anything found in Christian Europe – which often considered such works blasphemous and often destroyed them.

Hence, in the intervening period of Andalusia, a lively, cosmopolitan and learned culture was facilitated by the

Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars. This led to a new sense of confidence, and a renewed creativity and vigor in intellectual pursuits. New technologies played a vital role in revitalising the medieval culture and knowledge. With the ‘invention’ of paper medium, “what followed was an explosion of books. It was as revolutionary as the printing press”, writes Jonathan Bloom in “Paper before Print: The History and Impact of Paper in the Islamic World”. Some historians labelled this as the seeding period of the Renaissance.

The local (Arabised) thought and intellectual product came to dominate and surpass that of the Greek learning. Scientific sources of the Greek (including that of the Syrian sources) were passed to the Arabised Andalusians, who began to write new Islamic science. In presenting their works, the scholars had to coin an entirely new terminology to introduce their innovations, which included such novel concepts such as algebra, the algorithm, alkali, alchemy and alcohol. Arabic technical words and scientific terms were later adopted in Latin, and were introduced into the vocabulary of Europe where some are still in use. Others are in corrupted versions.

According to some historians of science, these challenges to classical scientific ideas may have been a significant factor in the genesis of Scientific Revolution of the 16th and

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17th centuries, as attested by Elspeth Whitney in a book, “Medieval Science and Technology” (2004). Medieval science and technology was shaped by the recovery of classical and Arabic science, including the works of Aristotle and the Arabic commentaries, giving it the basis for continuing achievement in all fields of science. Texts by Aristotle and his Arabic commentaries became the basis of university curriculum and hence for the scientific thought of medieval Europe until 16th and 17th centuries, according to Whitney.

Even as the Muslims loss control of major cities of eastern Spain around 1248, there was purportedly still enough social energy and impetus on behalf of the Arab rules to foster a rich, scholarly culture, one which drew medieval luminaries such as Gerbert d’Aurillac (who later became Pope Sylvester II), Robert Grosse Este (later became Chancellor of Oxford University), Roger Bacon also known as Doctor Mirabilis (Latin for “astounding doctor”), to name a few. Indeed, Pope Sylvester II was regarded as the first Christian “to take up the torch of learning”. In short, complemented by the high level of learning, religious tolerance and social freedom, a large number of Christian students from all parts of Europe flocked to Andalusia to study in Moorish schools. Upon completion, they went back to their native places and spread the new knowledge and intellectual tradition.

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It is fairly obvious that many of the practices of the culture of Andalusia were enshrined in the ideals and principles of Islam as emphasized in Hadharic sense. In fact, the Golden Age of Islamic Civilization was a direct outcome of the ideas and principles, without having to attach any religious label to them. With Andalusia serving as the intellectual hub of the day, it was not strange that the 1979 Nobel Laureate of Physics, Abdus Salam, in his inaugural address in Oslo cited a specific case in Toledo as an example. As early as 11th. century, Toledo had been a centre for the transmission of knowledge, culture and science to Europe. Among the scholars who flocked to it from all over Europe, were medieval scholars such as Gerard of Cremona and John of Seville. Other famous translators were Peter Abelard of Bath, Robert of Chester, Stephenson of Saragossa, William of Lunis and Philip of Tripoli.

Gerard of Cremona for example went to Toledo to learn Arabic so that he could translate available Arabic works. He translated one of Ibn Sina’s seminal works on medicine into Latin which became a major text for centuries in Europe. This is in addition to more than 70 Arabic books on different subjects – ranging from basic works of the

Greek to Arabic astronomical and mathematical works, to the surgical thesis of Al-Zahrawi (Albucasis). Gerard remained in Toledo for the rest of his life and died in 1187.

Salam in his Nobel Laureate address choose to focus on one Michael the Scot. His narration traces back to about 800 years ago when the young Scotsman left his native glens to travel south to Toledo. His goal was to live and work at the Arab Universities of Toledo and Cordoba, where the great scholars such as Moses [Musa] bin Maimoun and philosopher, physician and commentator on Plato and Aristotle, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) had taught.

“Michael reached Toledo in 1217 AD. Once in Toledo, Michael formed the ambitious project of introducing Aristotle to Latin Europe, translating not from the original Greek, which he did not know, but from the Arabic translation by Averroes who then taught in Spain. From Toledo, Michael travelled to Sicily, to the Court of Emperor Frederick II.

Visiting the medical school at Salerno, chartered by Frederick in 1231, Michael met the Danish physician, Henrik Harpestraeng – later to become the Court Physician of King Erik Plovpening. Henrik had come to Salerno to

6 LESSONS LEARNT: RECREATING ANDALUSIA

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compose his treatise on blood-letting and surgery. Henrik’s sources were the medical canons of the great clinicians of Islam, Al-Razi and Avicenna [Ibn Sina], which only Michael the Scot could translate [from Arabic] for him.

Toledo’s and Salerno’s schools, representing as they did the finest synthesis of Arabic, Greek, Latin and Hebrew scholarships, were some of the most memorable of international essays in scientific collaboration. To Toledo and Salerno came scholars not only from the rich countries of the East and the South, like Syria, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan, but also from developing lands of the West and the North like Scotland and Scandinavia.”

Complemented by the high level of religious tolerance and complete social freedom in Muslim Spain, a large number of Christian students from all parts of Europe flocked to Toledo and Salerno. After completing their studies in Moorish schools and centers of learning, they went back to their native places and taught new knowledge they had acquired. By then the number of translators had flourished. Early translations were primarily into Latin and some into Hebrew. Subsequent translations were done from Latin or Hebrew into vernacular languages of Europe.

Thus, in the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval science was shaped by the recovery of classical and Islamic science, including the works of the Arabic commentaries, giving it the basis for continuing achievement in all fields of science. These challenges to classical scientific ideas may have been a significant factor in the genesis of Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries, writes Elspeth in a book, “Medieval Science and Technology” (2004).

To this Salam pointed out: “Then, as now, there were obstacles to this international scientific concourse, with an economic and intellectual disparity between different parts of the world. Men like Michael the Scot or Henrik Harpestraeng were singularities. They did not represent any flourishing school of research in their own countries.”

Scholars are still unravelling the motivations and the conditions that led to this, most creative movement of cultural transformation, but the evidence is clear enough. It is nothing less than the intellectual vibrancy during the Andalusia period that sparked the change. It later grew into a blazing that lighted up a new knowledge-based civilization. It is tempting to equate the flame to the immense resourcefulness the Muslims and Andalusians to

27

understand, adapt and transform the Hellenistic intellectual universe into a vital worldview reintegrating the classical world back into a living culture.

As noted in a journal “Interreligious Insight” as recent as July 2004 which focuses on dialogue among the world’s many faiths:

“Al-Andalus was not a perfect society, but it was arguably the pre-eminent Western society of its time inasmuch as it served as the link between the Greek and Roman civilizations before it and the European civilization that was to follow it. While the rest of Europe endured the Dark Ages, light and enlightenment shone brightly at times in al-Andalus.”

Unmistakably, Andalusia had embraced Islamin theHadhari sense, and it remainsa shiningexample that needs to be understood, learntandmore importantly recreated in thespirit ofcivilizationalIslam.

ThisundoubtedlyisinlinewithwhatMalaysian5th.PrimeMinesterTunAbdullahAhmadBadawihad said at the Islamic Academy of Science’s

28

Dzulkifli Abdul RazakV i c e - C h a n c e l l o r

U n i v e r s i t i S a i n s M a l a y s i a

2005,ScienceConferenceheldinKualaLumpur.

“I believe that the environment in Baghdad 800 years ago can serve as a powerful reminder of some aspects of Islam that have been neglected. Baghdad and the Islamic Empire (notably Andalusia) became a thriving repository of knowledge, driven by a passion for and openness to learning.”

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This aptly sums up what Islam Hadhari in action model on the Andalusia experience is all about.

I Q R A’ A N D T H E S P I R I T O F A N D A L U S I A :IGNITING THE LOVE FOR KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ISLAMIC VISUAL ART

AbstractThe love of knowledge and learning in the Islamic civilization between the 8th and 14th centuries has handed down a unique legacy in the form of various arts and scientific achievements. The Muslims were pioneers of new ideas from astronomy and botany to medicines, mathematics, architecture and art. Though there were differences in manifestations, the Muslims were bound together by certain unifying characteristics, which were intelligible and governed by the concept of unity in variety. “IQRA’: The Garden of Wisdom” examines the works of Muslim geniuses that have been recognized worldwide and how the spirit of Andalusia had influenced the art of

other cultures particularly that of the Malay Archipelago.

“Read in the name o f your Lord Who c rea tes ,c rea ted man f roma c lo t !Read , fo r your Lord i s mos t Generous ;Who teaches by means o f the pen ,Teaches man wha t he does no t know.”

( 96 : 1 -5 )

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1. Quoted from one of his lectures at ISTAC

IntroductionThe literal meaning of Iqra’ in the Arabic language is “to read”. This was the first revelation sent to the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. by the angel Gabriel. This word has so much meaning and value. It is an instruction to the ummah (people) of the Prophet to read, gain knowledge and make it a culture in their daily life because reading itself is the key to knowledge.

“Knowledgeisthearrivalofmeaninginthesoulandalso

thearrivalofthesoulatmeaning. I f i t isproperlytrained, i t

wil l arriveattherightmeaning.”

The great love and respect for knowledge became the main concern in searching for a new life that was more universal. In Islam, knowledge is “the food of the soul” (in the words of SMN al-Attas), it belongs to everyone and it is compulsory for every Muslim to seek and acquire it. The most distinguishing characteristic of Islam is that, it never tries to divide the individual from the society. The individual is a part of the society just as much as the society in actuality is the reflection of the individual. According to al-Attas :

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1

“God i s beau t i fu l and loves beau ty”

Muslims of the past took this command with full enthusiasm and gathered as much knowledge as they could to build a civilization with endless knowledge that was very progressive and became leaders of their generation. They were experts in numerous fields of science and technology.

Knowledge opens new discoveries about Allah’s creations and exposes us to His greatness. Muslims inherit one of the greatest civilizations that ever existed in the world. Their responsibility is to rise once again to the standard of learning and knowledge they once possesed. Islam is a religion of knowledge and treats it as the central means to salvation of the soul and also to the attainment of human happiness and prosperity in this world and the hereafter.(2)

2. Osman Bakar, ‘The History and Philosophy of Islamic Science’, Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, 1999.

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(Hadith)

Islam emphasizes beauty and has been inseparable from it throughout its history. The concept of harmony and equilibrium, which characterizes the Islamic religion and the artistic as well as the cultural manifestations of Islam has been manifested in various traditional arts form design ornaments to beautiful tiles to intricate architecture and finally to the fine art of writing.

As it was explained in the words of Titus Burckhardt himself :

“Beau ty i s i nheren t i n I s l am i t se l f ; i t g rows f rom i t sinnermost rea l i t y, wh ich i s Un i ty ( a l - t awh id ) man i fes t ing i t se l f as

jus t i ce ( ‘ add ) and generos i t y ( ka ram) . ”

3. See Titus Burckhardt, ‘Mirror of the Intellect – Essays on Traditional Science & Sacred Art’ Translated and Edited by Willian Stoddart, Quinta Essentia, United Kingdom, 1987, p. 213.

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3

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the world’s top Islamic scholars, has always maintained that sacred art is the heart of religion and that Islamic art is the heart of Islam. Islamic art “crystallizes in the world of forms the inner realities of Islamic revelation and because it issues from the inner dimension of Islam, leads man to the chamber of the Divine Revelation” (Nasr, 1987). He argued that most Islamic art are made up of the combination of calligraphy, which symbolizes the Principle of Creation that is related directly to the Divine Word (Qur’an), geometric patterns that symbolize the idea of immutability and finally the arabesques, that are associated with life

“What i s a r t w i thou t beau ty…wi thou t aes the t i cconsc iousness , where wou ld beau ty be in the l anguagewe speak and wr i t e and the l i t e ra ry ac t i v i t i es we ca r ryou t , i n the bu i ld ing we cons t ruc t…in the d ress we wear…and indeed in eve ry th ing e lse we make and p roduced inthe name o f deve lopment , p rogress and c iv i l i za t ion . ”

4. See Osman Bakar’s article entitled ‘COSMOLOGY’, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, Vol. 1, (Editor in chief John L. Esposito), Oxford University Press, New York/Oxford, 1995, p.323.

and growth, signify the living and changing material aspect of creation.

According to Nasr, art is a combination of wisdom and science. The synthesis of art and science is evident in Islamic traditional civilization because both art and science are encompassed by beauty, which God loves. Islam regards art and science as yardsticks of civilization, which is important to the cultivation as well as the development of every Muslim. Art and science are the same form of human construction where one is physical and the other is conceptual. Osman Bakar puts it beautifully when he says that :

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4

It is essential to understand the nature and role of Islamic art, which expresses the essential message of Islam. Islamic art is the means where the spirit of Islam penetrates into all modes of activity, at all moments of humans’ life, reminding of the divine presence. Islamic art was and continues to be the most precious support for Islamic ideals of life and living.

The unity in Islamic art is related to the unity of the Divine Principle, to the unity of the cosmos and also to the unity of the life of the individual and the community itself. Islam reflects a wholeness which is abundantly reflected in its aesthetic ideals. Islamic art thus possesses its own hierarchy based on Islamic teachings.

At the upper most stands the art of calligraphy, which is related to the expression of the Divine Word derived form the Qur’an. Next is the Islamic architecture that creates spaces in which God’s word echoes and reverberates. Below these come those arts that are concerned with daily life such as the embellishment of human dress and the utilitarian objects.

As for painting, it was found mainly in the pictorial illumination of books especially in the Persian miniature work, while sculpture barely played any role at all. These arts are vital today for the conservation of Islamic civilization since they reflect Islamic

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Islamic art is based upon Tawhid –Divine Unity, a concept implying the oneness of God, God’s realities, names and attributes. This in turn takes into account the relation between God the Creator and the Universe as God’s Creation. God is in fact the Supreme Artist and human is the most beautiful work of art created by God. To produce a work of art is not the main concern

“The p r inc ip le o f un i t y i s a l so d i rec t l y re l a ted to thecombin ing o f beau ty and func t ion o r u t i l i t y so charac te r i s t i c o f

a l l I s l amic a r t…To be beau t i fu l i s to be use fu l i n the deepes tsense o f the word ;…Func t iona l i t y and u t i l i t y a re the re fo re no t

jux taposed aga ins t beau ty bu t complement i t . ”

spirituality in their own way. Nasr expressed that :

5. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ‘Traditional Islam in the Modern World’, Foundation for Traditional Studies, Kuala Lumpur, 1987, p.243.

of the Muslim artists, but the relation between art and religion and which domain of religion that is related to art is of great importance. The Syariah is the embodiment of the Divine Principle and its role is to provide a guideline to what kind of art is permissible according to the Islamic world view.

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5

6. Lois Lamya Al-Faruqi, Islam and Art, National Hijra Council, Islamabad-Pakistan, 1985, p.16.

Islam is centered on Unity and Islamic art is the result of the manifestation of unity upon the plane of multiplicity. According to the late Lois Lamya Al-Faruqi, an eminent scholar of Islamic art :

“The I s l amic b reak th rough in the a r ts was the resu l t o f thedes i re to g ive aes the t i c express ion to the p roc lamat ion –La i l aha i l l a A l l ah ( “There i s no god bu t God” ) . ”

It is indeed remarkable that Islamic civilization has handed down a unique legacy in the form of its various arts. Even though there were differences in manifestations, somehow they were bound together by certain unifying characteristics. The concept of Unity is expressed in an abstract manner not in terms of any image. However, the prohibition of images is not really absolute. A plane flat image that has been stylised is permitted for as long as its does not represent God or the Prophet for the purpose of idolising or worshiping.

Abstraction to a Muslim artist is actually the expression of a law that is intelligible and at the same time manifests

the concept of Unity in Multiplicity. The Aqidah (faith) of the artist is an important factor in a sense that besides serving God which is his Ibadah (services), one also has to be knowledgeable, ethical and skillful in one’s work. Islamic art is actually the translation of the self into something that concerns the totality of the intellect, will and love and because it is so, it is always considered to be non-personal. As an aesthetic expression of the Divine Unity, it is essentially looked upon as an part of submission to God.

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6

“…has a goa l s im i l a r to tha t o f the Quran – to t each andre in fo rce in mank ind the pe rcep t ion o f d iv ine t ranscendence . ”

Islamic art is therefore the result of the manifestation of unity upon the plane of multiplicity. It is based upon Tawhid-

Divine Unity, a concept implying the oneness and transcendence of God as stated by Ismail and Lamya al-Faruqi:

As a matter of fact, in its more universal sense, Islamic

art is an art of repose and it is intellectual rather than

emotional. To a certain extent, Islamic art can be

considered a conceptual art where questions and

answers are being provided as guidelines to what kind

of art is permissible and not permissible according to the

Islamic world view. Islamic art has been designated as

an infinity art that goes beyond spacetime. The infinite

pattern of the arabesques which is abstract has no

beginning and no end in its composition. In the case of

naturalistic designs, they are normally subjected to

stylization and denaturalization techniques.

A new manner of aesthetic expression was

demanded to emphasize God’s transcendence. An

aesthetic mode that would reinforce the awareness

of the oneness and transcendence of God provided

a breakthrough in the history of the Islamic art. The

theme of Tawhid which has sustained every artistic

expression emphasizes the idea of infinity.

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Islamic Doctrine of Tawhid

The striking thing about Islamic art is that it is non

representational. According to Murata and Chittick, its

abstract nature tends to represent ideas rather than

things because its abstraction is a function of reason

illuminated by Tawhid. They point out that tanzih refers

to the Creator being incomparable and separate from

creation while tashbih refers to seeking similarities

between the Creator and creation.

Islamic art displays the signs of God’s beauty while

reminding people that these are only signs. Tanzih’s

abstraction balances tashbih’s imagery by detaching

beauty from the objects within which it becomes

manifest.

Ruzaika Omar BasareeG u e s t C u r a t o r

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Mohd. Fariz Bin Shariffudin, “I am the observer who picture the reality and the hidden hand writings”, 2007, Wood,Collection of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

S E L E C T E DE X H I B I T S :

Mohd. Fariz Bin Shariffudin, “I am the observer who picture the reality and the hidden hand writings”, 2007, Wood,Collection of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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TITLE: Printer Estimated date:19th Century

Place of origin / source: Pattani, Thailand Material: Iron

Size: 102cm x 82 cmCollection: Galeri Warisan MAR, Terengganu

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TITLE: Asma Al-Husna Artist: Elias IshakYear: 1987Place of origin / source: MalaysiaMaterial: Plaster of parisSize: 121cm x 44cm Collection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

44

TITLE: Surah Al-Ikhlas Artist: Haji Mohd. Daniyalai

Year: 2002Place of origin / source: China

Material: Chinese ink on rice paperSize:168cm x 64cm

Collection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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TITLE: Asma Al-HusnaArtist: Haji Mohd. DaniyalaiYear: 2002Place of origin / source: China Material: Chinese ink on rice paperSize: 154cm x 57cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

46

TITLE: All Praises to Allah Artist: Haji Mohd. Daniyalai

Year: 2002 Place of origin / source: China

Material: Chinese ink on rice paperSize: 148cm x 68cm


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TITLE: All Praises to AllahArtist: Haji Salil Li WengchaiYear: 2002 Place of origin / source: ChinaMaterial: Chinese ink on rice paperSize: 159cm x 56cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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TITLE: In The Name of AllahArtist: Mohd Gasimon Sha Juyou

Year: 2002Place of origin / source: China

Material: Chinese ink on rice paperSize: 162cm x 49cm


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TITLE: There is No God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of GodArtist: UnknownYear: UnknownPlace of origin / source: ChinaMaterial: Chinese ink on rice paperSize: 46cm x 46cmCollection: Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak

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Title: Talisman In The Shape of Ring and Pendent Estimated Date: 18th Century

Place of Origin: IranMaterial: Metal and Stone

Size: 27cm x 6cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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Title: Silver Belt Buckle Coated With GoldEstimated Date: UnknownPlace of Origin: Unknown Material: Silver Size: 13cm x 9cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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Title: Limar ClothYear: 1940’s

Place of Origin: Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia Material: Cotton


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Title: Limar ClothYear: 1940’sPlace of Origin: Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia Material: CottonSize: 126cm x 95cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

54

TITLE: Ming’s Ceramic CalligraphyYear: Unknown

Place of origin / source: ChinaMaterial: Ceramic

Size: 38cm x 38cmCollection: Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya

55

Title: GambusYear: 1983Place of Origin: Johor Darul Takzim, MalaysiaMaterial: WoodSize: 68cm x 32cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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Title: Ceremonial Betel Leaves BoxEstimated Date: 19th Century

Place of Origin: Malay Kingdom of Temasik Material: Wood, Gold Platted Copper

Size: 56cm x 35cm x 25cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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Title: Betel Leaves Box With Five “Celepa”Estimated Date: UnknownPlace of Origin: UnknownMaterial: CopperSize: UnknownCollection: Muzium Seni Asia, Universiti Malaya

58

detail

detail

Title: War Equipment And CostumeEstimated Date: 16th – 18th Centuries

Place of Origin: Malay Kingdom of BugisMaterial: Iron, CopperSize: 122cm x 75cm


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Title: Pedang MonggolEstimated Date: 18th CenturyPlace of Origin: Monggol Kingdom of ChinaMaterial: Iron, Copper, Turquoise GemstoneSize: 132cm x 12cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

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Title: Sword (Pala)Estimated Date: 338 Hijrah

Place of Origin: Iran Material: Iron with Quranic Verse


detail

61

Title: Sword (Talwar)Estimated Date: 17th CenturyPlace of Origin: IndiaMaterial: Iron with Handle from CopperSize: 87cm x 3cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

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Title: Sarawakian Broad Knife, Conserning DeathEstimated Date: 19th Century

Place of Origin: Panglima Mat Salleh, SarawakMaterial: Iron, Wood, Leather


detail

63

detail

TITLE: Jile BladeYear: 1960Place of origin / source: SomaliaMaterial: Metal, Wood, Pelt, LeatherSize: 57cm x 9cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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detail

Title: SwordYear: Early 1900

Place of Origin: SomaliaMaterial: Iron With Handle From Wood, Copper, Leather


Title: Ceremonial Cannon Estimated Date: 19th CenturyPlace of Origin: Indonesia (Siak Kingdom)Material: IronSize: 167cm x 22cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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detail

66

TITLE: Astrolable for Measuring WindEstimated date: 18th century

Place of origin / source: AfricaMaterial: Copper


67

TITLE: Navigation CompassEstimated date: 18th centuryPlace of origin / source: AfricaMaterial: CopperSize: 32cm x 20cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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TITLE: Astrolabe - Used to Measure Height Estimated date: 19th century

Place of origin / source: IndiaMaterial: Copper


detail

69

TITLE: AstrolabePlace of origin / source: IndiaEstimated date: 18th century Material: CopperSize: 44cm x 30cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

70

TITLE: Astrolabe - Used to Measure Distance Of Vertical Plane

Estimated date: 19th centuryPlace of origin / source: India

Material: CopperSize: 38cm x 25cm


71

TITLE: AstrolabeEstimated date: 18th centuryPlace of origin / source: IndiaMaterial: CopperSize: 40cm x 28cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

72

TITLE: Celestial GlobeEstimated date: 18th centuryPlace of origin / source: Iran

Material: CopperSize: 40cm x 30cm

Collection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USMdetail

73

TITLE: Celestial GlobeEstimated date: 18th centuryPlace of origin / source: IranMaterial: CopperSize: 38cm x 27cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

74

TITLE: Astronomy GlobeEstimated date: 18th centuryPlace of origin / source: Iran

Material: MetalSize: 15cm x 16cm

Collection: Galeri Warisan MAR, Terengganu

detail

75

TITLE: Celestial Globe Estimated date: 18st CenturyPlace of origin / source: IranMaterial: CopperSize: 11cm x 14cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

76

TITLE: Rubu’ MujaiyabEstimated date: 18th Century

Place of origin / source: MesirMaterial: Copper

Size: 21cm x 16cmCollection: Galeri Warisan MAR, Terangganu

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TITLE: Rubu’ Mujaiyab Quadrant Estimated date: 18th CenturyPlace of origin / source: MesirMaterial: Wood, lacquerSize: 23cm x 21cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

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TITLE: Rubu’ Mujaiyab Quadrant Estimated date: 18th Century

Place of origin / source: MesirMaterial: Wood, lacquer


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TITLE: Twisted Astrolabe- Rubu Mujaiyab Estimated date: 18th CenturyPlace of origin / source: IranMaterial: CopperSize: 20cm x 20 cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

80

TITLE: Sun ClockEstimated date: 16th Century

Place of origin / source: Spain Material: Wood, Copper

Size: 72cm x 47cmCollection: Galeri Warisan MAR, Terengganu

81

TITLE: Measuring EquipmentEstimated date: 19th CenturyPlace of origin / source: SpainMaterial: CopperSize: 32cm x 14cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

82

TITLE: Astrolabe - Used to Measure HeightEstimated date: 19th Century

Place of origin / source: Spain Material: Copper


detail

83

TITLE: Incense Burning Pot (Verse of Al Quran)Estimated date: 19th CenturyPlace of origin / source: IndiaMaterial: CopperSize: 145cm x 72cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

detail

84

TITLE: Kitab PerukunanEstimated date: Early 20th CenturyPlace of origin / source: Indonesia

Material: Ink on paperSize: 30cm x 20cm

Collection: Galeri Pusaka Moyang Negeri Sembilan

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TITLE: Hand Written QuranEstimated date: 19th CenturyPlace of origin / source: Pondok Langitan, IndonesiaMaterial: Ink on paperSize: 33cm x 23cmCollection: Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NI N N O V A T I O N & D E S I G N G A L L E R Y

U N I V E R S I T I S A I N S M A L A Y S I A ( U S M ) 5 - 3 0 M A R C H 2 0 0 8

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DYMM Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Al-Marhum Tengku Abdul Rashid & DYMM Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail observing one of the exhibits during their Royal visit on 22 March 2008 to the exhibition. Y.Bhg. Tan Sri Dato’(Dr.) Haji Ani Arope, Chairman of the Board of Directors, USM (third from right) and Y.Bhg Puan Sri Datin Masrah Haji Abidin were also present.

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VIP visit by Tun Dato’ Seri Utama (Dr.) Haji Abdul Rahman B. Haji Abbas (The Governor of Penang) & Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Utama Hajjah Majimor binti Shariff on 26 March 2008.

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TYT Tun Dato’ Seri Utama (Dr.) Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas (The Governor of Penang) and Y.A.Bahagia Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Utama Hajjah Majimor binti Shariff were given a tour of the exhibition by Hasnul Jamal Saidon, Director of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM.

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About 2116 visitors came to view the exhibition.

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The exhibition also featured a visitors' corner where khat demonstration was held and visitors were able to try their skills in calligraphy and coloring Islamic patterns.

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It’s better to bend the willow when it is young.

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Cordoba Mosque as the main backdrop for the exhibition.

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NI N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

B R U N E I D A R U S S A L A M2 8 J U L Y - 2 A U G U S T 2 0 0 8

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Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

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The Sultan and his Royal entourage were given a tour of the exhibition by Zolkurnian Hassan, Senior Curator of Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah,USM.

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'IQRA'- The Garden of Wisdom' was brought to Brunei Darussalam to be a part of a larger international exposition called 'The Nation of Zikir' held at the International Convention Center, Brunei Darussalam.

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The exposition attacted about 30,000 visitors from all over Brunei Darussalam and the neighbouring Sabah & Sarawak.

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Young visitors trying their hands on 3D exprience of Islamic architecture.

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Nurturing the sprit of Andalusia through interactive exhibits.

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NQ U E E N S B A Y M A L L , P E N A N G

1 2 - 2 4 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8

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If people were not coming to us, we will go to them.'IQRA'- The Garden of Wisdom' was brought to a place where most Malaysians love to go - shopping complex. In this case, it was the largest in Penang - The Queensbay Mall.

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Islamic Art & Science is for all to ponder and appreciate. The exhibition in Queensbay Mall attracted about 6668 visitors including fellow Malaysians of other faiths. They were able to appreciate and enjoy the exhibition, especially the interactive sectors.

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It’s time to exercise the brain.

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Deep in focus.

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The exhibition was held in the holy month of Ramadhan, the to most fitting month to spark the spirit of Andalusia - tolerance and harmony.

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Seeking wisdom in the midst of cordial and inviting public setting where everyone is welcomed.

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NS R J K S U L T A N A B D U L A Z I Z , T E L U K I N T A N

7 - 9 N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8

Takle a short journey into heaven.

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I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NC U L T U R A L C E N T E R , U N I V E R S I T I S A I N S M A L A Y S I A

8 J A N U A R I 2 0 0 9

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‘IQRA‘ exhibition in conjunction with USM Maal Hijrah celebration on 8 January 2009.

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119119119

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Visitors viewing the IQRA’ exhibition at the Culture Center, Universiti Sains Malaysia.

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Berita Harian reporter interviewing one of the MGTF’s staff, Nor Mohammad regarding the IQRA’ exhibition.

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O NH O T E L E Q U A T O R I A L , P E N A N G

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Visitors viewing the IQRA’ exhibition at the Hotel Equatorial, Penang.

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INSPIRED BY THE COSMOS

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Curated by Ruzaika Omar Basaree, Iqra’ shows how the mastery of knowledge was deeply related to the religion and spirituality of the ancient Islamic world.

The exhibition is organized by Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah with the cooperation of Galeri Inovasi & Rekacipta (USM), the Asian Art Museum University of Malaya, Yayasan Restu, Galeri Warisan M.A.R. and Galeri Pusaka Moyang.

With the rare display of original artworks and scientific materials from bygone ages, the exhibition provides an insight into the great intelligence of traditional civilization.

It was a quest that produced a steady flood of beauty and refinement in arts and the sciences.

Art and science were regarded as yardsticks of civilization. Both were deemed related – one being conceptual and the other physical.

The exhibition underscores the nature and role of Islamic art as a means where spirituality and religion penetrated the daily activities of people.

At one corner of the exhibition titled “Iqra’ – Garden” Of Wisdom is a quaint collection of ancient astrolabes – instruments used by navigators, astrologers and astronomers hundreds of years before satellites and calculators were even dreamt of.

Made mostly from copper, the historical artifacts from the old Persian region are fascinating with their multitudes of grooves and geometric lines – all carved by hand with immense precisian.

The astrolabes were designed to help achieve complex tasks like locating and predicting positions of the sun and moon, of planets and stars, as well as to determine times along given longitudes of the Earth.

In the Arabic language, the world ‘Iqra’ means “to read”.

Since time immemorial, research has helped to open up Man’s understanding of the cosmos with all its mystery and profundity.

In the ancient Islamic civilization, such quest for knowledge was an ingrained part of the civilization’s culture.

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(Taken from News Straits Times, 23 March 2008 )Himanshu BhattW r i t e r

With its display of calligraphy, architecture, literature and ornaments, the project demonstrated how aesthetics and functionality were deeply inspired by spirituality and the thirst for knowledge.

There was beauty in daily life, such as in the embellishments of human dress and utilitarian objects. Paintings were found mainly in the pictorial illumination of books, especially in the Persian miniature works.

Scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr argued that most Islamic arts are made up of the combination of calligraphy which symbolizes the principle of creation, geometric patterns that symbolize the idea of immutability, and the arabesques which are associated with life and growth.

Seyyed Hossein said that “to be beautiful is to be useful in the deepest sense of the word; functionality and utility are therefore not juxtaposed against beauty but complement it”.

Islamic civilization has handed down a rich legacy in the form of its various arts.

Although there are differences in manifestations,

these are forms are bound by certain unifying characteristics.

The unity in Islamic arts is related to the unity of its philosophical principle, the unity of the cosmos, and the unity of the life of the individual and the community.

It is a unity that is discovered and appreciated due to Man’s endless quest to understand the greatness

of the cosmos that we live in.

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“Iqra’: The Garden of Wisdom” is an apt theme for this 13-day exhibition (from 12th to 24th of September 2008).

This Islamic art and science exhibition was held at one of the walkways at Queensbay Mall in Penang.

Despite limited space, an astonishing array of artifacts and artwork were displayed in a very attractive setting.

The artifacts were carefully chosen by the curator, Ruzaika Omar Basaree, who is also an accomplished artist.

Most of them reflected the achievement by the Muslims in science and art at the peak of its civilization.

From West Asia, well known as Andalusia - Spain, Turkey and Persia (Iran), especially, followed by their influence in South East Asia, especially the Malay peninsula.

The examples of Islamic art and science were numerous: calligraphy work, old navigation and astronomy apparatus, a sun dial, a giant incense burner, pottery with Arabic calligraphy and even

a full set of brass chain mail helmet and armor were on display. Books of Islamic architecture and the beautiful handwritten holy Al-Quran were made available to the public to appreciate.

The progress in science and art mostly indicated how well advanced a civilization was. In order for both to prosper, the patrons of art and science, which in most cases the ruling governments, must be ready to provide enough funds for work and research to be carried out. Since progress in these fields required a lot of time also, only the true intellects would appreciate the value of the outcome.

It was interesting to note as it was forbidden in Islam to copy animals or human forms, even for artistic purposes, the Islamic art emerged in the forms of beautiful geometry, calligraphy and architecture. Some of these were embedded in objects used for daily living.

The artifacts were gathered from several resources. Some belonged to the permanent collection of Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Art Gallery, USM. Some of them came from the M.A.R museum of Terengganu, the Asian Art museum of University Malaya and also Galeri Pusaka Moyang (Ancestors’ Heritage Gallery).

ISLAMIC ART AND SCIENCE EXHIBITION:http://www.penangheritagecity.com

The set up of the Islamic art and science display was very user-friendly and interactive. Visitors were encouraged to participate.

For example, 3-D glasses were ready for anyone to put them on in order to see the splendor of 3-D images of some of the great architectural work in the Islamic world.

There were also blank geometry patterns for children to color. By encouraging these young visitors to participate, their visits would be more lasting and meaningful in their minds.

Other events were also scheduled alongside the daily exhibition. There were a nasyid (Islamic choir) show, kompang show (Malay hand-held drums), congkak playing (a traditional Malay game requiring a high counting skill), calligraphy sessions (both Arabic and Chinese Muslim art), together with an astronomy talk by a lecturer from USM. These events were to be done on different days.

This exhibition of course tied in nicely with the month of Ramadhan. After all, the first verse of the Al-Quran, the Suratul-Iqra’ was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in this month. Iqra’ means “read” in Arabic. By being able to read, one gathers the “Garden of Wisdom” in one’s life.

The purpose of this exhibition is also to create public awareness about the existence of USM’s Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Art Gallery which until now still is an obscure place for many of us. This museum should have more visitors as they prepare a lot of activities to make your visit very educational and interesting.

The activities range from short science projects for children, cultural shows to corporate bodies and also art and craft workshops (like batik and t-shirt printing). The fees are also very reasonable considering the quality of instruction being offered.

This museum took a bold step by bringing its products to where people were. However, I still think there is still room for improvement. This exhibition should have had more visitors if it was widely publicized before it was held. It would also attract more participants if the area allocated had more passers-by traffic, like the main central concourse.

I know the choice made by the management was purely on economic reason. Still, this exhibition was a success and the effort should be very much lauded.

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Nazlina HussinW e b m a s t e r & W r i t e r

V I S I T O R S ’ A R T W O R K S , C O M M E N T S &

P R E S S C O V E R A G E

I Q R A ’ E X H I B I T I O N

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I s l a m i c P a t t e r n s c o l o u r e d b y c h i l d r e n

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I s l a m i c P a t t e r n s c o l o u r e d b y c h i l d r e n

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C a l l i g r a p h y

Islamic Calligraphy by Ustaz Nazrul Hassan.

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Islamic Calligraphy by Ustaz Nazrul Hassan & Ainina Hasnul Jamal.

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V i s i t o r ’ s C o m m e n t s

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P a p e r C u t t i n g s

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, Universiti Sains Malaysia would like to extend its gratitude to the following individuals and institutions for their contribution and

support.

Associate Professor Dr. Ruzaika Omar Basaree

Mr. Himanshu Bhatt

Mrs. Nazlina Hussin

Mr. Abdul Aziz Abd RashidMuzium Seni Asia Universiti Malaya

Y. Bhg. Dato’ Abdul Latiff MirasaYayasan Restu

Dr. Hj. Manan EmbongGaleri Warisan MAR, Kuala Terengganu

Wan Ahmad ArshadGaleri Pusaka Moyang

Dato Paduka Ahmad Bukhari Bin Pehin SiRaja Khatib Haji Abu HanifahSecretary Majils Ilmu 2008

Brunei Darussalam

Dr. Haji Junaidi Bin Haji Abdul RahmanUniversiti Brunei Darussalam,

Brunei Darussalam

Jabatan Muzium Malaysia

YM Raja Shahriman Raja Azidin

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Mrs. Siti Rohani IbrahimQueensbay Mall Management Office

Jabatan Mufti Negeri Pulau Pinang

Dr. Hisham HashimD’ Kasturi Enterprise

Dr. Chong Hon YewPusat Pengajian Sains Fizik

Mr. Lim Hock EngPerseid Telescope

Mr. Anuwar IdrisKhalifah Kompang Pusaka Anak Rebana,

Balik Pulau, Penang

Mr. Noor Rizan KhalidJabatan Keselamatan

Mr. Mohamad AbdullahPejabat Perhubungan Awam

Ustaz Nazrul HassanPusat Islam

Mrs. Juriah YahayaJabatan Bendahari

Mr. Norhelmi OthmanDewan Budaya

Dr. Muhammad Azizan SabjanPuan Zuraida Che Amin

Secretariat of Philosophy and Islamic Science (SEFSI)

S.S Dato’ Hj. Hassan Hj. AhmadMufti Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang

Mr. Mohd Pisol GhadzaliPerpustakaan Hamzah Sendut 1Universiti Sains Malaysia

Mr. Mohd Jufry YussoffPusat Pengajian SeniUniversiti Sains Malaysia

Mr. Johari IsmailPerbadanan Perpustakaan Awam Negeri Perak, Ipoh, Perak

Mr. MaksalminaSpec Resource Enterprise, Penang

Mrs. Azizah Hj. AbdullahPerpustakaan Keluarga AzizahPulau Betong, Balik Pulau, Penang

Ustaz Zuhud ‘Ulya IberahimCalligraphy Expert

SMK Hutan Melintang, Perak

Media Printing & Electronic Representatives

Thank You.

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