Islamic_architecture Its Philosophy- Spiritual Significance and Some Early Developments

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Architecture Its philosophy, spiritual significance & some early developments

BY: SPAHIC OMER

Published by

(iJ - - - - A . S . NOORDEEN - - - -

C Dr. Spahic Orner Firsl Published 1430 /2009

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Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia

Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Dr. Spahic Orner

Islamic Architecture I Dr. Spahic Omer Bibliography: IDS. 371 ISBN: 978-983-065-286-3 I. Malays-Malaysia. 2. Malays-Malaysia-Social conditions. 3. Malays-Malaysia-Politics and govemmenL 4. Malays-Malaysia Econimic conditions. I. Title. 305.89923 ;-

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Published by h; ,I A.s. NOORDEEN i."!l;:~ ::v:::. \trS 1:;:rq P.G.Box 42 - Gombak, \ Location: ~fPJ 1\5T/\( J)lJLAI fK IJJ 53800 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-40236003 Fax: 03-40213675 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] www.asnislamicbooks.com

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Contents Introdudion

ix

1 Towards an Understanding of Islamic Architecture Introduction The meaning of Islamic architecture Islamic architecture as a means, not an end Two examples: the Islamic house and the mosque The house The mosque

Practicing and teaching Islamic architecture today Islamic versus Muslim architecture The Qusayr al-Amra palace as an example

1 1 8 21 27

35 43 ; 48

2 A Conceptual Framework for Islamic Architecture

Introduction Tawhid (God's Oneness) The implications of tawhid for architecture Man as the vicegerent (khoJifah) on earth v

57 59 63 75

ISlAMIC ARCHITECTURE

The relationship between the vicegerent (khalifah!

and environment Environment as Allah's faithful servant The implications of the concept of man as the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth for architecture Comprehensive excellence (ihsan) The implications of comprehensive excellence for architecture Islam as the final and universal revelation The implications of Islam as the final and universal revelation for architecture

77 81 86 96 98 108 115

3 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Islamic Architecture Introduction 125 Islam and society 126 The Qur'an and the Prophet's sunnah (traditions) 130 as the foundation of Islamic architecture Islam and the categorization of building activities 136 Prophet Muhammad's attitude towards 141 architecture Building mosques for Allah 144 Mosque decoration 147 Building activities over graves 152 Building hauses 154

Some of the Prophet's disapproving traditions on building The Prophet's mosque as an epitome of the Prophet's contribution to the evolution of the identity of Islamic architecture

Function-form relationship VI

164

170 175

CONTENTS

Respect for the environment. Cleanliness Comprehensive excellence Promoting just saciDl interactions "La darar wa la dirar" (There is no inflicting or returning of hnrm) Indigenous versus foreign influences

178 182

183 185 189

193

4 Islamic Architecture after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Introduction The genesis of Islamic architecture and the genesis of Islamic civilization The Umayyads The first Abbasid period Islamic architecture and the Islamization of the community Establishing tokrant relations with non-Muslims as a segment of the Islamization of the community A "prelude" to Islamic architecture First category: The austere Muslim buildings Second category: Transforming churches and temples into mosques First example: the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus , Second example: the Persian fwdn (Hall) in al-Madd'in or Ctesiphon : Avoiding architectural deviations Following in religion vis-a-vis inventing in civilization The case of the caliph Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan

vii

200 202 214 231

253

259 265 266

,275 283

306

311 318

324

lSl.AMIC AROiITECfURE

The caliph aI-Walid b. Abd ai-Malik and the Great Urnayyad Mosque The case of the caliph U"",r b. Abd al-Aziz Funerary architecture . . . . arch'rlecture Po/JhczzJng The pragmatism and functionality of Islamic architecture

328 329

332

.. 338

347

Conclusion: Towards the Revival of Islamic 365

Architecture

Bibliography

371

Index

381

...

VlII