The Aesthetic of Islamic Calligraphy and Ornamentation in Prophet Mosque Interior of the Calligrapher Abdullah Zuhdi (Al-Masjid An-Nabawi)

Abstract

Islamic Calligraphy and ornamentation are using to decorate mosques as well as other sacred places all over the Islamic world. This paper provides some sources of information for understanding and studying Islamic calligraphy and ornamentation in the Prophet Mosque interior (Al-Masjid An-Nabawi). Indeed, this paper aimed to highlight the formation aesthetics of calligraphy and Islamic decorations in which the aesthetic values. There are many aesthetic values of the Islamic calligraphy and ornamentation that portrayed in the Prophet Mosque interior. The Prophet Mosque has been selected in the present research due to the uniqueness in its calligraphy and ornamentation. Abdullah Zuhdi a calligrapher who was known as the calligrapher of the two holy sanctuaries (katib al-haramayn). The calligraphy and ornamentation in the Prophet Mosques are testifying to the skill of the master calligrapher. The principles of aesthetics in calligraphy and ornamentation based precisely on the principles of the beauty of Islam. After Islam, calligraphy was one of the most important kinds of art in Islamic world as well as one of the essential features of Islamic civilization. This study aims to show the necessity of studying Islamic calligraphy used in the Prophet Mosque interior as well as to display some Quranic verses that been written above the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Mosque located in Medina city in Saudi Arabia as a model simply because it was one of the first mosques built by Prophet Muhammad and it has the fantastic and historical calligraphy and ornamentation that have a long history. The study has revealed that the calligraphy and ornamentation in the Prophet Muhmmad Mosque considered as an innovative art through its dependence unique Thuluth script and intricate pattern of Islamic motifs, the Muslim artist creativity expressed about the sacred calligraphy and highlighted the global nature of the decoration.