• Bilal Ahmad Kutty

Religion is a driving force in any culture and affects most, if not all, aspects of a community’s life. The same is true for Islam, which has infiltrated numerous cultures and has become a part of their identity. These new identities find their roots both in their regional culture and in the religion of Islam to varying degrees. Unlike other religions, Islam has a whole genre of design named after it. Islamic art and architecture have a rich history in all the lands that have hosted the religion. Although it is not odd for a religion to dictate certain principles of design and give birth to new architectural typologies, for it to have an elaborate scheme that overarches art, architecture, and even urban design is incredible, to say the least. In terms of design, “Islamic” is an aesthetic value and design language that reflects in the culture of a people ranging from the tiniest jewelry boxes to the scale of walled cities. With the formative period of the style being long past, Islamic art and architecture now have an established visual language. We accept a certain set of aesthetic features as belonging to the Islamic style without pondering over their beginning and evolution as a representation of the religion that they are named after. The natural question that comes to mind is: how did a religion translate into an art form? This paper aims to explore the modifications that took place in the design field of art that find their basis in the theology of Islam. What was the effect of Islamic traditions, be it Quranic verses and hadith narrations, on the physical aspects of art and design? To answer this question, it would be helpful to identify the context in which the Islamic style was formalized and became a guideline for future design endeavors. In recent times, the contemporary aesthetic has found its way into the art and architecture of Muslim societies. There have been attempts to modernize the Islamic style by combining it with the contemporary style, resulting in the amalgamation of art and architecture that receive both praise and critique. The Islamic style is being rebranded in different parts of the world with different features, be it replacement of domes with angular structures or geometric patterns with parametric designs. Time has finally caught up with the Islamic style, for better or for worse. Traditionalists disagree with this change and call for a more culturally sensitive design that stays true to the socio-religious roots of the region and preserves its individual identity. It is relevant in this time to revisit the origin and manifesto of Islamic art to be able to make an informed decision for its future direction. This paper attempts to explore this concern and add to this important debate.

Figurative imagery, Islamic geometry, Islamic calligraphy, Art evolution, Muslim culture

"Tawhid the fountainhead of Islamic Architecture", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 5, page no.1324-1330, May-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1805957.pdf

"Tawhid the fountainhead of Islamic Architecture", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 5, page no. pp1324-1330, May-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1805957.pdf