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LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION IN ISLAMIC ART
By FARAZ KHAN • CORRESPONDENT • May 27, 2010
The Home News Tribune

My interest in art did not begin with a crush on Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

Although Michelangelo’s “David,” Claude Monet’s “Water-Lily Pond,” Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” and others are impressive, like millions of Americans, I struggled with museum art. I felt as if I needed a doctorate degree in art to
appreciate it.

I always have thought that art is supposed to be aesthetic and inspirational, not irrelevant and lifeless objects locked in a cold museum. As Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow
up.”

I picked up art in spite of museum culture. During graduate school, I fortunately dabbled my way into reading different styles of Islamic arts. In Islamic arts, specifically Arabic calligraphy, I discovered an intertwining of art and ethics.

Contemporary Colors & styles by Faraz Khan

The ethical dimension related to Islamic art is often depicted in a religious context. For example, Prophet Muhammad’s sentiments, “God is Beautiful and He loves beauty,” is illustrated in elegant styles and curvilinear patterns by master
calligraphers. The name of an artist may not be prominently displayed in any of the works, but the name of God often bears testimony to a faith-based culture.

Interestingly, Prophet Muhammad described God with 99 beautiful divine attributes, and one of these unique names is Al-Musawwir … the one who shapes, gives hues, and is the maker of majestic beauty. Musawwir in Arabic also commonly is used for an artist: the one who formulates, colors and captures beautify. The world is seen as artistry of God.

Islamic art consists of diverse fields and time periods. Generally, Islamic art is referred to a collage of masterpieces produced in the Muslim world. The fields incorporate architecture, calligraphy, arabesque, pottery, paintings, sculptures,
tiles, metallurgy, ceramics and many other categories.

Although the names of the finest handymen of Islamic calligraphy may be obscure — such as Ibn Muqlah, Ibn al-Bawwab, Hafiz Osman and Ismail Gulgee — they have all earned a distinction in Islamic arts. The magnificence of their craftsmanship is displayed in museums all over the world. They represent diversity of regions, artistic expressions, epochs, styles, cultures and Islamic tradition.

Framed art in different sizes

Unlike the modern museum culture, the mosque was a focal point of art exhibition in the Muslim world. The plush carpets were embroidered with details of fruits and gardens of Paradise. The geometric patterns glistened on tiles and ceramics. The architecture almost always was local, but borrowed its blueprint prayer niche, pulpit, prayer rows and space for women and children from the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad. Like early monasteries, mosques would store masterpieces of illustrious calligraphic Qurans. The book-binding and arabesque arts evolved into embellishing and ornamenting the divine words.

The central mosques also were civic centers and often stored great collections of books on many subjects. The walls of mosques often were decorated with picturesque scenes to inspire paradise, paintings of gardens and calligraphy from the Quran. The mosques opened up to the marketplace, where house decor and collectibles were displayed in the open. All these artifacts were ensemble in a mosque or its proximity for an awe-inspiring experience to the believers.

Islamic Art booth at ICNA 2010

Arguably the most spectacular of Islamic art is displayed in the Dome of the Rock in Palestine, the Taj Mahal in India, and Selimiye Mosque in Turkey. In “The Innocents Abroad,” Mark Twain mentions the Dome of Rock: “The inside of the great mosque is very showy with variegated marble walls and with windows and inscriptions of elaborate mosaic.” The golden dome, octagonal structure, mosaic of calligraphy and marble in a green courtyard gives an awe-inspiring experience.

The Taj Mahal or Crown Palace is a mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his wife. It is a synthesis of Indian and Persian architecture adorned with white marble, multichambered cube, vaulted archways, arched balconies, central onion dome, four cylindrical minarets, embellished with precious stone inlays, carvings, stucco, and verses from the Quran. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest of Indian and Persian art.

The Selimiye Mosque is an Ottoman magnum opus, an amalgamation of colleges, hospital, library, public baths, hospices, and markets — a city within a city. These displays of have turned every cynic into a believer. These architectural monuments and wonders of the world are a collection of history and art that stands frozen in time.

mashAllah in cream color background. Latest piece.

My interest in modern Islamic art is rooted in a historical context of faith and ethics. Islamic art has a glorious history. Like the great work of past and present, beauty separates great wonders from ordinary names. I hope to continue my
effort and recapture a genre of beauty and bliss of the past for the future generations.

Haj: A Spiritual Journey

By Faraz Khan • November 5, 2009

The Home News Tribune

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20091105/LIFE08/91105017/Haj–A-Spiritual-Journey

As my wife and I were leaving for Haj, one of my coworkers asked, “Is Haj like a vacation tour?” I could not answer. Another friend asked, “What will you gain from it?” Flabbergasted, I told him “well… it is a duty upon every Muslim”. My response lacked any insight. I was embarking on a journey with my wife for three weeks in Mecca and its surroundings for a hefty price of over $10,000, with no cruise or beach activities. They must have thought I was mad.

Haj, or pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the fundamentals of Islam. Every physically and financially able Muslim is required once in a lifetime to visit the Holy Mosque and perform the rituals of Haj as related by Abraham, the Patriarch and Muhammad, the last messenger of God. In his last year, Prophet Muhammad performed Haj and resuscitated a direct relationship to God by absolving all intermediaries – idolatry and clergy system that had enslaved the minds of people. He preached a universal message of equality and piety based on a direct relationship to God.

Once we arrived in Mecca, I went through an emotional roller coaster. We had heard some bizarre stories about people losing family members or their luggage, or going through great physical hardship to perform the rituals of Haj in a sea of over two million people. Initially, we enjoyed our stay in beautiful luxurious hotels and open buffets that shielded us from poverty and pollution on the streets of Mecca. I thought to myself that Haj is definitely a vacation.

Then the dreaded news came from New Jersey that my father had suffered a stroke and he was in critical condition. I chewed my heart while hearing my mother weep on the phone. Like the mountains in Mecca, my brothers were speechless. We were spiritually connected but thousands of miles apart. Lost for words, I saw my earliest memories of my father – a man whose shade I grew under, played back in a split second. I spent my days and nights in the Holy Mosque praying for his recovery and a revivial of my spiritual journey to God.

At our hotel I met a pilgrim guide, a Pathan (ethnic people from Pakistan and Afghanistan) who had not slept for four days yet he was always smiling and busy with pilgrims. While many guides would remain in the Holy Mosque, this man stayed in the hotel to assist new pilgrims. He rarely ventured out of the hotel. Once another guide taunted him, “You guys stay in this hotel but I love to sit in the Holy Mosque lost in devotion to God”. Upon hearing the statement, the Pathan guide said, “You could gain paradise by worshipping God but you can only gain God by serving people”. I thought it was great advice for religious people to consider.

In the mosque, I met an elderly Moroccan villager (northwest Africa) who was suffering from heat exhaustion and his feet had swollen from excessive walk. We conversed and I told him that I was from America. He then asked me how many kilometers it was from Rabat, the capital city. I could only smile at his simplicity. The man told me that he had come for Haj and left his country and faced great hardship only to please God. I was humbled.

On the way out of the mosque as I rubbed shoulders with rich and poor, people of all localities. I could recognize Malaysian, Chinese, Bosnian, Turkish, Persian, Indian, and other pilgrims who walked towards the Holy Mosque in a hurry but always smiled on their way out. It was as if they had found what they were searching for. There, at the door I saw two very old couples standing, raising their hands and outpouring their hearts. They spoke in Punjabi (regional language of Pakistan) about their longing for this day and search for forgiveness and His pleasure. People gathered around them. The old couples were engrossed in their supplication and disconnected from their surroundings; they spoke from their hearts and melted the hearts of those in their vicinity. As I watched their spiritual ecstasy, I felt ashamed of my own religiosity.

There were American students from the universities of Medina and Mecca who lived by the trademark, “What can I do for you?” They did not get paid or asked for tips. In fact, they were only interested in one thing, “Ya Haj! (O pilgrim) remember me in your supplications to God”. They viewed the pilgrims as guests of God and volunteered day and night. I asked them to pray for my sick father who was now recovering at home.

We stayed in the tent-city of Mina for three days with other pilgrims while reciting the Qur’an, performing prayers, and engrossed in conversations that often touched upon the question of our personal journey to God. Many proclaimed that they had come to start afresh and were no longer interested in “running after the world”. Interestingly, as required by Haj rites, we had to walk and run around the Kaba, a black cubical building originally built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Afterward, we drank water from the spring of Zamzam.

Tradition notes that upon God’s command Abraham left Hager and her son Ishmael in the desert of Bakka (ancient name of Mecca), her provision expired in a few days. She ran from one mountain to another in search of water while keeping a constant watch on baby Ishmael. God loved this act so much that He gushed a spring (Zamzam) under the feet of Ishmael. Today this ritual of running and drinking Zamzam is performed by all pilgrims in Mecca. The pilgrims quench their spiritual thirst while running towards God. These rituals aid the heart in recognizing another spiritual reality.

During Haj a question followed me that this hustle and bustle of strangers, my inadvertently running into wheelchairs, losing my gaze in the glitter of shops, gaining appetite every hour, and yearning for my bed in exhaustion, how does all of this translate into something spiritually tangible that I could take back home? We often get this idea of spiritual experience in meditation – deep reflections in isolation from people and close to nature but Haj was different.

Towards the end of my journey it hit me that one had to seek God and remain loyal to Him despite all the surrounding commotions. Haj explained to me that our world is full of distractions and one has to focus on this journey to God. Our time is limited and we can only find God while serving others. I believe that spiritual experiences are not based in luxury and entertainment due to extreme self-indulgence of such habits. Rather, a spiritual journey begins when we recognize our dependence on God and commit to a life of sacrifice and piety.

Faraz Khan is a social activist and a thinker who is a frequent speaker on Islam and Muslim-related conversations on college campuses in the tri-state area.

Khutba: Gaza – Don’t Be Sad
La tahzan, innAllah ma’ana

 

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Thinking Anew:

Muslim Chaplains on Campus Bridging the Gap

By Faraz Khan

The MSA and mosque are two of the oldest Muslim institutions that have inspired many institution-building projects in the US. Muslim chaplaincy on campus is one of those phenomena that have developed in cooperation with MSA work in the last few years. Although a precise number of college chaplains remain in flux, there are about thirty dedicated individuals who have been on the forefront of campus chaplaincy. These chaplains are pioneers – a conglomerate of a very diverse and unique representation of American Islam. As a former Muslim chaplain at Rutgers University, I want to bring my readers up to par with the idea of Muslim chaplaincy on campuses across America.

CHAPLAINCY

Campus chaplaincy as I understand is competency in pastoral care, ministering, and counseling. A chaplain is a person who formulates a unique role as a religious leader, social worker, counselor, and is a staff or affiliate member of the university, able to act as a liaison between the administration and the students. However, a chaplain may or may not be a religious authority for example a “shaykh(a)” but s/he is knowledgeable on everyday practical religious issues. Ultimately, a chaplain is there to serve his/her constituents on a campus setting.

CULTURAL COMPETENCY

It is a known fact that many Muslim youth do find a communication gap with immigrant Imams and scholars. However, chaplains are able to fill that void due to their cultural competency. It has been my experience that these folks definitely know the culture of their respective institutions. Interestingly, not only do they understand their fellow Muslims but they can also associate with people of other faiths and are a source of solace to everyone. They are practitioners – bridge builders engaged in an active dialogue while remaining true to their faith. Chaplains give many talks on Islam but they are all-ears when it comes to student issues. I would very briefly mention the diverse background and skills of some of these chaplains to prove that each individual is a gem and an asset to the community in their own right.

WHO’S WHO?

Chaplain Taha Abdul-Basser, a Harvard alumnus and chaplain who has spent more than ten years in Islamic education is an expert in Islamic Finance and Arabic language. Chaplain Khalid Latif, an NYU alumnus and chaplain is a community builder with a $20 million dollar endowment vision. Chaplain Marwa Aly at Trinity and Wesleyan is a first-rated speech writer and excels in personal development programs for her students. Chaplain Abdullah Antepli at Duke is known for his charming “Turkish delight” personality and ability to engage students and faculty on many issues pertaining to Islam. Chaplain Najiba Akbar is passionate about counseling and social work with deep roots as an alumna and chaplain at Wellesley. Chaplain Naila Baloch has experience in a cross-culture work in Pakistan and the US, serving her community at Tufts. Chaplain David Coolidge at Darmouth and Omer Bajwa at Yale are known for their openness and prolific intellectual writings. Chaplain Sohaib Sultan is committed to building a comprehensive Muslim life program at Princeton. Chaplain David Fricke at Rutgers and Suheil Laher at MIT are well-experienced and have been committed to chaplaincy for a decade. Chaplain Tahera Ahmad is a bona fide Quran reciter and has used innovative role playing programs at Mount Holyoke. Chaplain Mary Lahaj at Simmons plays an active role in her community and does not shy away from dialogue. Lastly, Chaplain Salahuddin Muhammad at Bard maintains a focus on religion as actually practiced, rather than a superficial gesture of a good will. By all means, this is not an exhaustive list of chaplains but only a short insight into the world of college chaplaincy.

LOOKING AHEAD

I believe that as the Muslim community learns more about chaplaincy, better communication between local mosques and campuses will be established. The Muslim community needs to prioritize a commitment to college chaplaincy to establish a better representation of Islam in America. Needless to say, I am very optimistic about the future of chaplaincy. In a short time, Muslim chaplains have bolstered another institutional dimension to Islam in America.

Thinking Anew: The Making of a Hero!

By Faraz Khan

When modern Muslims discuss the notion of hero, there is often a deep look into history – a time long ago in a golden age, to caliphs and sultans, companions of the Prophet, the likes of Omar Al-Khattab, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Haroon Rashid, etc. Many think of great military leaders such as Tariq bin Ziyad, Salahuddin Ayubi, or Tipu Sultan as heroes. Others think of great scholars as heroes, the likes Othman Dan Fodio, Imam Al-Ghazali, Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn Sina and Al-Farabi. Interestingly, the thought of a hero is often related to a male figure that inspired generations of Muslims due to his scholarly or military accomplishments. Amusingly, according to an English proverb, “A hero is a man who is afraid to run away.” These men held their own for the sake of others and thus became heroes.

It is not difficult to recognize that self-sacrifice and altruism extraordinaire at great personal risk to transform the lives of many people are the underlying acts leading to a hero title. With this in mind, consider a hero who neither lives in fiction nor in history, neither a scholar nor a marshal man, but an illiterate, underprivileged, downtrodden woman. Moreover, this is a story of a hero who overcomes poverty, juvenile traditions, state political manipulation, intimidation, social abuse, illegal house arrest, and gang-rape to campaign for women’s rights, education, and empowerment against juvenile male chauvinistic traditions that have strangled many women in Pakistan.

Due to her courage and resilience, Mukhtar Mai was voted as Woman of the Year in 2005 by Glamour Magazine. She received North-South Prize from the Council of Europe and many accolades and praises from all over the world. She was invited to speak at the United Nations headquarter in New York. Her memoir, In the Name of Honor translated into French and English, was on the list of top-three autobiographies in France. The list of her accomplishments keeps growing.

Yet before the world opened its arms, like many victims of rape she considered suicide to evade shame in small village of Mirwala, Pakistan. Unfortunately, silence or suicide is the appalling reality of a rape victim in her locality. The village elders’ council, playing in the hands of a powerful clan approved of the gang-rape to settle a case against her family. In one night, her world changed.

After the gruesome and despicable act of rape, the villagers expected Mukhtar Mai to live no more. Conversely, she refused to bow down to injustice. Mai spoke to the local imam; she documented her nightmare to the local paper and filed charges against the village thugs. As a moth yearns for light, Mai searched for justice in a dark night. She petitioned to the highest authority, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Customarily, the criminals were exonerated due to their influential allies in local politics and the courts.

In the intervening time, Mai’s plea gained international exposure and a backlash at the criminals and the authorities. Upon invitations from international organizations, she reluctantly traveled abroad and exposed judicial hypocrisy and women’s plight in her native country. She blossomed into a women’s advocate by raising her voice in multiple forums, conferences and panels building a storm of support in dark tumultuous clouds.

Mai received many awards and recognition for her work. She donated these offerings to build a girls school and a women’s welfare center. In a twist of fate, as her movement for justice gained sails, she was debarred by the State from traveling abroad. President Musharraf saw Mai as an agitator and a campaigner whose case and the cause had defamed his authority. He severely criticized her work and travels as “washing dirty linens” outside her house. Intrepidly Mai responded, “I offer all the riches I’ve made out of the panchayat-enforced gang-rape to the president in return for justice.” The president buckled and lifted the ban on her travels.

Like a fledgling bird on her first flight, undeterred Mai kept speaking and campaigning for reforms. Although she gained recognition abroad, Mai lived in constant fear for her life from feudal lords, politicians, and the President who simply wanted her to accept the status quo on women’s conditions. Persistently, she confronted the corrupt ranks of the wealthy, powerful, and well-connected totalitarian politicians for justice.

Mai turned the backlash of the destitute and oppressed into a mass movement by declaring, “My slogan is to end oppression through education.” Soon battered women from distant towns flocked the women’s shelter to seek refuge from abusive husbands, forced marriages, rape victimization, honor killings, and compulsory prostitution. She welcomed them as her own. Further, she opened up three schools to educate more than 700 children from poor families and staffed the school and women’s welfare center with forty talented individuals.

Today, the shelter and the schools launched by Mukhtar Mai to combat illiteracy and oppression are thriving. These institutions teach youth and women about their rights, impart education, offer legal advice, and provide a safe haven. Ironically, this outstanding work was planted by a village woman who never attended school. However, she recounts an incident that made her endear education:

“I’ll never forget the words of that policeman who interrupted when I was ready to give my testimony to the district prefect: “Let me explain it to you! She doesn’t know how to say things…” But I spoke up. Because I have a strong character? Because I was humiliated? Because my tongue was suddenly free to speak? For all those reasons. But I’ll make sure girls learn to read, and I’ll learn to read too” In the Name of Honor p 76.

It is well-known that before Mai opened schools, villagers used to keep their daughters at home. Nowadays, they line up to enroll them. The courage and resilience of an individual can often turn the tides of xenophobia and a fresh discourse can be chartered for revitalization of a people. Mai is a true hero. In the words of the UN Under-Secretary General Shashi Tharoor, “I think it is fair to say that anyone who has the moral courage and internal strength to turn such a brutal attack into a weapon to defend others in a similar position, is a hero indeed, and is worthy of our deepest respect and admiration”.

Truly, Mukhtar Mia has been a voice of voiceless on women’s rights and education for the poor in Pakistan. Her message is simple and bold enough for many to pay heed. This is the making of a hero.

“May God protect the honour of mothers and daughters of Pakistan

and the whole world, and if someone is subjected to violence and they

should get justice, and they shouldn’t have to face the shame of dishonour”. Mukhtar Mai

Thinking Anew: The Missing Component!
What is missing from our mosques?

By Faraz Khan

With the coming of spring, I want to dedicate this column to the beautification of our mosques. The house of God should be welcoming to all. The beautification process has an outward and inward component. Both factors are equally important and deserving of our attention.

This spring we must designate some time to give the mosque and our souls uplift. Lets plant a few flowers, work on a landscape plan, clean and paint the walls, put a welcome sign at the entrance, wash and shampoo the carpet, clean the furniture, hang new/clean curtains, discard junk and ripped books and old magazines, place trash bins, place air-fresheners, repaint the parking lines, so on and so forth. It is time to freshen up and let the mosques blossom with different hues of faith and cleanliness. I would ask the youth to simply “adopt a mosque” – your local mosque for cleanup. Lets have a clean up followed by a barbecue and a football game.

The Prophet’s outreach (dawah) effort consisted of two essentials: cleanliness and good character. Mosques have to be beacons of light. They are a place where cleanliness (purification) and good morals should be inculcated.

This brings me to the second missing component from our mosques, the beautification of souls. Mosques should be places where the entire family is welcomed. They could contribute their time, talent, skills in a positive way. Contrary to common views, mosques are places of worship for an entire family.

The beautification of the soul is not an easy topic to understand and practice. It requires a conscience effort, knowledge, and an organizational structure. A community can be transformed by a handful of dedicated souls who are committed to the beautification of the inward and the outward.

What are some of the missing components that will make our mosques beacons of light? Following is my list of “missing components” that relates to beautifying the inner and outer core of our community:

Priorities – We need to have an understanding of our priorities. What is American Muslims’ number one concern? What goals are we trying to achieve? Can we get over halal meat and hilal sighting issues? It is easy to be caught up in the controversial topics but we need to have a game plan for the future and a list of our priorities will determine where we stand and where we want to go as American Muslims.

Sisters – In many mosques, 50% of our community is MIA (Missing In Action). People often talk about involving more people in the mosque/Islamic centers so they can have “men power”. Unfortunately, many of us often ignore educational and religious needs of our sisters. Perhaps they can give the mosques uplift with their presence and dedication. Perhaps they can succeed where brothers have failed. Women’s participation can only improve our community’s affair.

Youth – “I promise more activities for the youth,” said the mosque president to a cheering crowd on mosque election day. Many old uncles and aunties talk about their concern for the youth. However, for the most part this talk fails to crystallize in anything solid. The talk about the “youth problem” is a good icebreaker in much adult conversation. However, there are over 100 mosques in the tri-state area and a handful of them have youth programs (especially for teenagers). Why have we failed to remedy this situation? How many years and young individuals will it take before the community will wake up to the horror stories about Muslim youth crying ‘losing my religion’?

Social Workers – Sorry folks but most Imams are not equipped for this responsibility. We must have a team of experts such as psychologists, social workers, lawyers, and scholars to give advice to those who are in need.

Brotherhood – Huh! What does that mean? Do not give me quotations from Quran and hadith; I will believe it when I see it.

Imams who speak English! – I really do not know how to explain this one. In all sincerity, shura/boards must think twice about the consequence of having a religious authority who does not understand the culture, language, and the environment of his constituents. How can we teach Islam to the next generation of Muslims while we neglect the importance of communication?

Educational Programs – We have plenty of speakers and fundraising dinners but not enough educational programs and teachers. May Allah reward Sunnipath, Al-Maghrib Institute, Zaytuna, Bayyinah, and other organizations that recognized this need and took initiatives to develop educational programs for the Muslim community. The calendar of events is a good indicator of educational programs at the local mosque. Please do not confuse hadith a day or ten minute talks as educational programs that are going to transform the entire community. We need serious effort in designing a curriculum, having a schedule, and a roster of home run scholars to engage the community in understanding Islam. Remember, knowledge is key to all change.

Converts – Seriously, where are they? You probably recall shouting takbirs after every shahada at your local mosque. But did you ever find these converts in the mosque? Did you ever find out what happened to them? It is true that some of the best Muslims in the history of Islam were converts. How many of us can be compared to Abu Bakr, Omar, Khadija, Asma, and Ali (may God be pleased with them all)?

Final Thought – I would love to continue and suggest many other items for improvement. Nonetheless, I fear that I may bore the reader or spark cynicism that I am just another complainer. Indeed, it is easy to rant and bicker about our shortcomings. Nevertheless, I hope to inspire a generation of concerned individuals who will fill in the missing components and beautify the interior and the exterior in accordance with God’s pleasure. Amen.