Figurative Art and Aniconism

• Arab Islamic calligraphy and art reflects the language of the Quran.calligraphy icons image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
  
  In Islam, aniconism--avoiding graphic representations of divine beings--prohibits Muslims from trying to capture images of the Divine God or of Mohammed himself, even for purposes of worship. Mohammed warned artists by saying, "On the day of Judgment, artists will be asked to recreate their artistic works." Because man cannot breathe life into art, Mohammed underscores God's central, sacred life-giving role.
  
  Portrayal of life in art, however, continued with Islam's growth. The word "arab" means "deserts and barren land nearly waterless and treeless," and as Arabs sought water and resources, love of nature meant love of life. Secular Islamic art continued to convey figurative images of people and animals. Pottery and textiles often use animals, birds and natural imagery as part of the design. Such portable art predates Islam and reflects continued love of nature shared by the nomadic Arabs.
  
  

Arab Calligraphic Art

• Arab calligraphy evolved to include punctuation during Islam's expansion.calligraphy icons image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
  
  Arab calligraphy facilitated the development of Islamic calligraphic art. Arab culture differentiated the process of writing in order to disseminate information from writing to emote and convey information beyond words' meanings.
  
  The close relationship Muslims have with the Quran helped spread Arab perspective throughout the Islamic world. The process of five daily prayers and other ritualistic recitations is reflected in Arab Islamic art, and repetition of the book itself, as well as the art of calligraphy, reflect artistic harmony with the Holy Book. Early Islamic Arabs expressed the importance of the Quran in daily life by constantly copying and recopying its wisdom.
  
  

Importance of the East-to-West Trade Routes

• Arab importance of sacred geometry is reflected in arabesque forms.arabesque image by arabesque from Fotolia.com
  
  Even before the arrival of Islam, trading with partners along east-to-west trade routes was important to Arab culture. The Arabian Peninsula's location necessitated interaction other cultures, so Arabs knew the arts and wares of Asia, Africa, Greece, Rome and Byzantium. Art gleaned from movement along the trade route melded with intrinsic Arab art perspectives.
  
  Especially during Abbasid rule, which lasted from the eighth century into the 1200s, classical mathematical treatises were copied and distributed throughout the realm. Arabesque art captures love of harmony, logic and order through repetition and multiplicity of form.
  
  

Architectural Evolution

• Arabesque styles and motifs reflect the repetition of God's creation.fen?atres image by Moon from Fotolia.com
  
  The Quran's promises of the beauty of Paradise inspired early Islamic builders to incorporate earthly beauty in their quest for the divine. The flat roofs and hypostyle complexes of early Islamic builders imply less glory of paradise, however, than their later, more ornate mosques.
  
  

Poetry and Music

• Muwashsha poems may be accompanied by the lute, zither or other instruments.old woodden zither image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  Reciting praises to God is key to Islamic worship. The muwashsha, an Arabic poetic form in five stanzas accompanied by the lute or zither, first appeared in the ninth century, as did the zajal, part song and part poem.