Voices of Islam (222 page)

Peace, of gardens, 104–5

Pearl, symbolism of, 13, 18 n.20, 52 Pen (
qalam
) and tablet (
lawhin
)

symbols, 42–43

‘‘People of the Truth’’ (
Ahl-i-Haqq
), 76–77, 86 n.31

Perfect Man, doctrine of (
al-insan al- kamil
), 73

Persian culture: art, 24, 31; chivalry,

75; gardens and hunting parks, 95;

language and literature, 123, 124,

127, 146; miniatures, 3 n.3, 31, 34,

37 n.3; music, 70, 79–81; poetry, 132–33.
See also
Iran

Pharmaceuticals, 158–59, 170–71

Pharmacognosy, 159

Phonetic system: alphabets and, 26 n.4; Arabic language, 20, 21, 22, 26

nn.4, 7

Physician-philosophers (
hakim
), 159–

61.
See also
Medicine and healing Pilgrims, songs of, 61

Plants: botanical motifs, 1, 11, 17 n.2,

43; medicinal, 158–59; scented, 103

Poetry, 132–33;
Burda,
poem of, 73; distinguished from divine revelation, 147, 150;
griha
and
malhun,
83; nature and purpose of, 143–50;
Qawwali
songs, 76; quatrains, 78;
Qur’an
as, 123; Shiite Islam, 74; Sufi works, 77, 132, 148, 149, 150.
See

also
Chanting; Music Popular music, 83–84

Portraiture: rejection of, 23.
See also

Images

Prayer niche.
See Mihrab

Prayer rugs, 18 n.19

Pre-Islamic period: gardens, 93–94; music, 70, 83

Princes, mausoleums of, 55 Proportion, in music, 63

Prostration: indicating in Qur’an, 40;

masjid
and, 50; during prayer, 50–51 Protection: as function of sacred art,

50; from harm, 156

Psalmody of sacred texts, 1, 64 Psychology: identification with

clothing, 57; moral healing, 171–74; two souls concept, 165–67

Ptolemy, 60

Pulpit (
minbar
).
See Minbar

Pulse (Islamic medicine), 169–70 Pyramidal shapes, symbolism of, 44 Pythagoras, 60

Qanun
(zither), 68, 75, 78, 82

Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb
(Ibn Sina), 161, 174, 175 n.25

Qasida Poetry in Islam Asia and Africa

(Sperl), 132–33

Qasidat al-Burda
(‘‘The Mantle Ode’’), 124

Qawwalis
of India, 75–76

Qibla:
facing during prayer, 50; indications of in prayer niche, 51

Quatrains, 127

Qubbat as-Sakhrah
(Dome of the Rock), 51

Qur’an: Adam’s naming task, 143–44; anthropomorphic symbolism of God, 29, 30; artistic style of, 24–25;

Index
187

chanting, 3 n.1, 43–44, 47 n.11, 49–

50; colors of illumination, 44–46;

commentaries on, 125–27, 126; on deaths of saints, 54–55; on degrees of knowledge, 153–54; Divine Unity in, 25; effect on poetry, 150; on four rivers, 101; function of, 123; Gardens of Paradise (
jannat al- firdaws
), 95, 97–99; on gnosis, 113; on good health, 155; on healing, 155; ‘‘hidden book,’’ 36, 44; influ- ence of, 123; language of, 24; as lit- erary work, 123; on liturgical garments, 50; meeting place of the two seas, 115–16; Moses’ request for water, 112; Muhammad as Divine Masterpiece, 34; on nature, 154;

‘‘niche of light’’ (
mishkat
), 16, 18

n.19, 52; ornamental symbols, 41– 44; pen (
qalam
) and tablet (
lawhin
) symbols, 42–43; on perfection (
kamal
), 40; quoting of and use of themes in other literature, 127–28; on Signs (
ayat
), 153; silence of on music, 59; Solomon and Queen of Sheba, 116–19;
Sura
headings and organization, 41–42, 123; symbolic

gardens in, 100, 107; on tombs, 54; ubiquity of, 24; Verse of Darkness, 115; water, symbolism of, 97, 98,

111–19

Qur’anic calligraphy.
See
Calligraphy Qur’anic illumination.
See
Illumination Qur’anic recitation, 60, 156, 158

Rabab
(rebec), 68, 78, 79

Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya, 132

Al-Rahim
(‘‘All-Merciful’’), 45–46,

100

Rahim
(womb), 45

Al-Rahina
(Dammaj), 129

Al-Rahman
(‘‘Infinitely Good’’), 45– 46, 100

Al-Rahman, ‘Aisha ‘Abd, 126 Rain.
See
Water and rain Rational soul, 166

Rawda
(garden), 74, 103, 109 n.21

Rayed sun symbol, 43, 47 n.8 Al-Razi, Fakhr al-Din, 125

Al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Abu Zakar- iyya (Rhazes), 62, 159

The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
(Iqbal), 126

Rectangles, symbolism of, 44 Red, symbolism of, 44, 48 n.18

Reed flute (
nay
), 68, 71, 78, 81–82 Remedies.
See
Treatment of illness Renaissance art, 2

Revelation (
tanzil
): calligraphy and illumination, connection with, 36, 40, 42, 43; descent of, 42–43; link with water, 111; poetry distinguished from, 147, 150; types

of, 155

The Revival of the Sciences of Religion

(al-Ghazali), 64–65, 65–66, 126

Rhazes.
See
Al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Abu Zakariyya

Rhythm (
usul
), 70

Rilke, Rainer Maria, 144

Risala
(Treatise; ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i), 123

Risalat al-ghufran
(Bint al-Shati), 126 River of Fire (Hyder), 129

Rivers, four, 101

Riyad
(walled garden), 103 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 103 Roman basilicas, exedra of, 52 Romance literature, 125
Romance of Prince Hamza,
125 Rug making, 7–8

Ruh al-bayan
(Bursevi), 126 Rumi, Mevlana Jalaluddin: on

guardians of doorways, 90; on music, 80, 83;
Naat i-Sherif
(‘‘Noble

Praise-Song’’), 73–74; poetry of, 77,

132, 147; works of, 123

Ruqya
(
Qur’an
recitation for healing), 158

Rushdie, Salman, 128

Rustam, 75

Ruzbihan Baqli, 79–80, 131

Sacred art, 49–58; characteristics and

188
Index

functions of, 34–36, 41, 49–51; as criterion of authenticity, 34–35; gardens as, 99;
mihrab
(prayer niche), 16–17, 18 n.20, 51–53;

nature as, 41; symbolism in, 41–46;
vs.
religious art, 34; wisdom of, 39.
See also
Calligraphy; Illumination

Sacred dramas (
taz‘iyas
), 74 Safi al-Din, 62

Saint (
wali
).
See Wali

Sakhawi, 131

Salat
(prayer): body positions during, 50–51; clothing suitable for, 56; effect of mosque architecture on, 10– 11

Salih, Tayeb, 128

Salim Chishti (Fatehpur), 55 Salme, Sayyide, 131

Salt water, symbolism of, 112, 115

Sama‘
(spiritual concert), 65

Al-sama‘
(spiritual audition), 64–66, 77

Samarcande
(Maalouf), 126

Sanskrit literature, 124

The Satanic Verses
(Rushdie), 128 Sayyadatna Maryan (Our Lady Mary).

See
Mary

Scales.
See
Melodic modes

Scents: healing power of, 158; scented plants, 103

Scum of water, symbolism of, 113, 117 Seas: symbolism of two seas, 112, 113–

14, 115–16, 118.
See also
Ocean

Seashells, symbolism of, 18 n.20, 52

Season of Migration to the North
(Salih), 128

Selimiye mosque (Edima), 10 Semantics, Arabic language, 21 Sentence forms, Arabic language, 23–

24

Seth, 12, 120 n.8

Seventh Ecumenical Council (Byzantine Church), 30–31

Seyyid Abdallah bin Nasir, 133 Shadhilis-Harraqi Sufis, 68

Shah-i-Zindah (‘‘The Living King’’), 55

Shah-Nameh
(‘‘Book of Kings’’), 75 Shah, Waris, 125

Shalimor Bagh (Lahore), 104
Shamsah
(‘‘little sun’’), 43, 47 n.8
Shari‘a,
observance of, 65

Sheba, Queen of, 116–19

Al-Shifa’
(Ibn Sina), 125

Shiite Islam: devotional music, 74–75; Kurdish music, 76–77; role of Muhammad, 74

Shujayra
(palmette;’’ little tree’’), 41– 42, 43, 47 nn.5–6, 9, 89

Sibawahyi, 127 Sickness.
See
Disease ‘‘Simple,’’ 158–59

Sinan, 10, 102

Sindhi poetry, 133 Singing.
See
Vocal music

Sirat Rasul Allah (Ibn Ishaq), 131
Siyasat Nameh
(Nizam al-Mulk), 126 Sky, 45

S-L-M (root), 105

Solar roundels.
See
Sun symbols Solomon, 39, 116–19

Soul(s) (
nafs
): in Islamic medicine, 165–67; water as symbolic of, 103–4

The Soul of Eloquence
(Bursevi), 126 Speech: Divine Word, 16–17; influence

on calligraphy, 33; phonetic system, 20, 21, 22, 26 nn.4, 7; spiritual importance of, 16–17.
See also
Chanting

Spiraloid designs, 11

Spiritual audition (
al-sama‘
), 64–66, 77

Spiritual concert (
sama‘
), 65 Springs, symbolism of, 113 Square, symbolism of, 44 Steps.
See Minbar

Stringed instruments, 68, 75, 78.
See also
Lute; Mandolin; Violin

Subhat al-Marjan
(Bilgrami), 127 Submission (
islam
), 56

Sufism: literary works, 132; music, 60–

61, 73–74, 77, 79, 81–82; poetry,

77, 132, 148, 149, 150; role of

Index
189

Muhammad, 74; spiritual audition (
al-sama‘
), 64–66, 77

Sultan Bahu, 125

The Sum of Clarity Concerning the Interpretation of the Verses of the Qur’an,
125

Sunna,
72–73; on dress, 55–56; on music, 59

Sunni Islam, prohibition of images, 29– 30

Sun symbols (
shamsah
), 43, 47 n.8

Sura
(s), 123; illumination of headings, 39, 40, 41–42; on nature of God, 40,

41

Surat al-Qalam
(Qur’an 68), 42

Surat al-Rahman
(‘‘The All- Merciful’’), 45–46, 100

Surat Yusuf
(Qur’an 12, ‘‘Joseph’’), 125

Surrealists, 145, 148

Suyuti, 131, 160–61

Swahili, poetry, 133

Symbolism.
See
Colors, symbolism of; Images; Numbers;
specific symbols

Tabari, 125, 130

Tablet (
lawhin
) symbol, 42–43
Tadabbur-i Qur’an
(Islahi), 126
Tafsir al-Jalalayn,
125

Tahafut al-falasifa
(al-Ghazali), 125– 26

Tahafut al-tahafut
(Ibn Rushd), 126 Taj Mahal, 102

Talbis Iblis
(Ibn al-Jawzi), 61 Talismans, 159

Tambourine, 67, 79

Tanbur
(pandore; mandolin), 68, 76,

82

Al-tariqa
(initiatic path), 65
Tawajud
(affectation of ecstasy), 66
Tawhid
(Divine Unity; oneness of

God), 1, 153; in the Byzantine

Church, 31; in garden design, 105–

6; in Islamic art, 5–6, 13, 25; in Qur’an, 25; reflection of in architecture, 13

Tayfur, Ibn Abi Tahir, 130

Taz‘iyas
(sacred dramas), 74–75 Temperament (Islamic medicine),

163–64

Tetouan, Morocco, 79

Theophany, 1

The Thousand and One Nights
(
Alf layla wa layla
), 130

Three, symbolism of, 44 Thresholds, symbolic motifs, 89–90

Throne: of
minbar,
53–54; of Sheba, 116–19; symbolism of, 13

Tombs, 8, 9, 54–55

Translations of literary works, 134 n.5
The Treasure of Faith
(Khan), 126 Treatment of illness, 156–59, 170–71 Trees: olive tree, 47 n.9; palmettes, 41–

42, 43, 47 nn.5–6, 9, 89; ‘‘tree of

life,’’ 42, 89, 90

Triangles, symbolism of, 44, 89

Turbans, 15, 18 n.16, 27–28, 56

Turkish culture: art, 24; Kurdish music, 76–77; language, 24; mosques, 11;

music, 73–74, 81–82; poetry, 132,

133

‘Ud
(lute), 68, 78, 79, 82

Ulama
(scholars), on music, 59–62 ‘Umar (caliph), 53

‘Umar ibn al-Farid, 77 ‘Umar ibn Sa‘id, 127

Upright position during prayer, 50–51 Urdu poetry, 133

Usul
(rhythm), 70

Vassanji, M.G., 128

Verbs, Arabic language, 21, 26 n.7 Verse of Darkness, 115

Verses, separation of with illuminated ornaments, 40, 43

Violin, 75, 78, 82 Virgin Mary.
See
Mary

Vocal music, 67–68, 70–71, 86 n.25; of Greek philosphers, 60

Wadud, Amina, 126

Wajd
(ecstasy), 66

Wali
(saint): tombs of, 54–55

190
Index

Al-Walid (caliph), 51

Wali songs, 133

Water and rain: in
chahar-bagh
(gar- den), 94, 103–4; Qur’an on, 97, 98;

symbolism of, 89, 90, 100, 103–4,

111–19

Wattar, Tahir, 127–28

Waves, symbolism of, 114, 120 n.7 Weaving, symbolism of in calligraphy,

16

Whirling dance, 67–68

White pearl.
See
Pearl, symbolism of

Wijdan
(ecstatic meting), 66

Wine, symbolic relationship to water, 113

Wisdom (
hikma
), 6, 39, 166 Womb (
rahim
).
See Rahim
Women: clothing of, 15, 27, 57;

Islamic medicine and, 160; literary works by, 126, 128, 129, 130