The Mosque Architecture

  On the global scene, perhaps, it’s just due to a simple ‘viscous cycle’ which has led to the contaminations of the over indulgence of the ‘Islamic Arts’ of arabesque ornaments within the sanctified mosque buildings. This ‘vicious cycle’ is being created via historicism due to ignorance of the spiritual values on one aspect, and the other is due to the lackadaisical attitude towards the deen; a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which the two aspects intensify and aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation.   Throwbacks to the past of mosque architecture, revealed that this mishap of excessive ornaments has been going on since from many, many centuries ago, recorded as early as of 670. (A paper presented at the meeting, “UIA   2017 Seoul   World Architects Congress”, with a topic, Does Islamic Architecture reflect Islamic Faith?). This took place as early as the time of the Dome of The Rock (691), the Great Mosque of Kairou...

The detailed aspects of the plight ensued  from Art Historicism were not included in the scope of the first book. So, I am going to make a few series on this blog to elaborate more on this. In this discourse we are going to raise relatively, a basic issue. We first start with something small and easy to understand, but as we go on with future postings, we will gradually, going to raise bigger issues about Historicism, for instance, does  Islamic Architecture promoted by Historicism reflect Islamic faith?  And  also other issues such as combating the calamity of climate change and in observing the entrusted duty of Allah’s vicegerent to salvage the planet earth from environmental crisis; to refrain from committing numerous corruptions and disorders on land and in the sea. And of course the present big issue is battling the human ‘self-inflicted’ novel Covid-19 plague or scourge. Albeit, today’s starting issue about the prayer rug may sound insignificant, but it’s pivo...

This is a reflection of how a range of unfounded theories in ‘historicism’ can cause an adverse influence  on the Muslim Arts and Architecture. But first, let’s  have a brief grasp of the origins and meaning of the word ‘historicism’. The traditional or Old Historicism, has its historical background, dated from the 19th century. The abuse of this approach in part has led to a movement called New Criticism. The abuse is what the late German historian, Leopold von Ranke, the leading German historian of the 19th century, indicated then that it was the historian’s duty to understand the essence of “historicism”: that history determines each event but does not justify it. The New Criticism, in turn, has led to the development of a New Historicism in late 1970s in response to perceived excesses of New Criticism, on the ambiguity of historical context of works of art. Thus, the New Historicism differs from the Old Historicism in large measure not based on the approach, but rather on ...

In this penultimate overview, I would like to highlight on the blurb, the note written on the dust jacket or the back cover of the book. Beside the snapshot of the back cover, I’ll also include another text of it, later, if it’s not legible. Please take heed of the buzzword “HISTORICISM”. Insya’Allah, I’ll try to elaborate more on this by giving simple examples in coming postings.

In this posting, I would like to share the screenshots of the three pages of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, underscoring the group of people to whom I owe gratitude  and indebtedness for encouraging and assisting me in the authorship of the book. Again, I wish to acknowledge with thanks their help and inspiration  extended to this work.

When one wants to appraise a book, first he will comprehend its title. Once he gives credence to it, he will find out what is it about by looking at the book blurb or the brief note about the book on the back cover. It is more or less an abstract from the book as the vital  subject, a take-home reflection.  The blurb will include information that represents the book best and arouses the curiosity or intrigues the readers. Then, he will find out about the author biography. This has been shared in the posting (No.1). Next he will read through the Preface and followed by the Acknowledgement or vice versa. In this posting No. 3, I’ll include just the screenshots of the PREFACE. On the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, it will be shared in the next posting, while the book blurb or the back page note about the book, will be in the posting following that. Here are the screenshots of the 4 pages of the PREFACE:

Book title: A Perspective on - INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BRIEF of - THE MOSQUE FOUNDED ON TAQWA - In the Light of Islamic Fundamentals Including a Compendium of over 40 AHADITH Total no. of pages: 720 ISBN: 978-967-16598-0-9 Format: Paperback By (Author) : N.M. AZMI N. DAUD Published date: 28 Jun 2019 To grasp the scope or purview covered by the book you have to dive into its Table of Contents (14 pages):   Those are what the book suggests of the purview of the “spiritual values in the design” of a mosque, incongruity to the fair-seeming worldly values, especially those which are promulgated via architectural historicism.