Beautiful Writing

I hate HANDWRITING! Ever since the 3^rd grade, teachers have complained and given me low marks for my ability to write legibly. I take notes on my computer, my hand always tenses up on those written essays… handwriting is just not my forte. For this reason I found it interesting how the written Arabic language is often most characterized by its calligraphy.

As usual, I will begin my post by going back to the Islam. It’s really interesting to see how often languages always start with religion. In my first post, I mad mention to the Hadith which were prophetic traditions passed down orally. However, some 200 years after Muhammad’s death, the Hadith was finally solidified into text by the Muslim scholar Ismail al-Bukhara. Since then, these traditions have become more heavily engraved into Islamic culture

The key language for Islam is Arabic. In fact, most Muslims believe that Arabic is the literal language in that Allah speaks in. As Muslims conquered and influenced the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabic alphabet became widely adapted and accepted as legitimate means of communication. Countries such as Iran, Pakistan, and Somalia all use the Arabic alphabet. There are often two styles of Arabic: one is more sharp and angular (derived from writing on stone) and another is more smooth and artistic.

The alphabet has 28 letters, similar to English. However, the real mind blower is that each of this letters can have up to four variations depending on where it is used in the word. For example, one letter would differently if it’s the first letter as compared to the same letter used at the end of a word.

Anyways, there’s a brief run-down of Arabic, however, I want to draw special attention to the calligraphy of the written language. First, to understand the strong emphasis on calligraphy, it’s important to note the Quran largely influences Islamic culture. Anything in the Koran is law. In such, the Quran actually forbids the use of pictures or images to depict Islam. It’s actually considered quite disrespectful to paint portraits of the prophet Mohammad. Supposedly, pictures detract from the overall religious meaning.

In this light, Muslims drew upon calligraphy as a means of artistically expressing their religion. The written word in a unique, beautiful form conveys deep spiritual connection. Therefore, throughout history, calligraphy plays a main role in Islamic culture. Political seals were often intricate designs of religious phrases. The basmallah (praise to God) is often depicted in calligraphy. It’s amazing to me to see how individuals express their spirituality not simply by what they write, but how they write it.

How many times do we look at a piece of writing and not immediately judge based on its looks? Our English teachers always implore the use of good handwriting, as it has been proven that AP readers favor those who write beautifully. Unfair for people like me, but nonetheless insightful.