Ul:U\Mf INTERNATIONAl ISI}.MIC UNIV /lsuy MAlAYSI.A sam1e 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 All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced or slored in a rettieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. 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 Published by A.s. NOORDEEN P.G.Box 42 - Gombak, 53800 Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03-40236003 Fax: 03-40213675 e-mail: asnoordcen@yahoo.com holybook@uu.net.my www.asnislamicbooks.com -. ;- \ 'Y' \l'~\~lc"'" I h;,i AlS, i."!l;:~ ::v:::. \trs1:;:rq l \ Location: ~fpj 1\5T/\( J)lJLAI fk IJJ nmf..\.- Printed by Percctakan Zafar Sdn. Bhd. (Co. No. 97878-H) Lot 18, Jalan 4/IOB, Spring Crest Industrial Park, Batu Caves, 68100 Kuala Lumpur
Contents Introdudion ix 1 Towards an Understanding of Islamic Architecture Introduction 1 The meaning of Islamic architecture 1 Islamic architecture as a means, not an end 8 Two examples: the Islamic house and the mosque The house 21 The mosque 27 Practicing and teaching Islamic architecture today 35 Islamic versus Muslim architecture 43 The Qusayr al-amra palace as an example ; 48 2 A Conceptual Framework for Islamic Architecture Introduction 57 Tawhid (God's Oneness) 59 The implications of tawhid for architecture 63 Man as the vicegerent (khojifah) on earth 75 v
ISlAMIC ARCHITECTURE The relationship between the vicegerent (khalifah! and environment 77 Environment as Allah's faithful servant 81 The implications of the concept of man as the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth for architecture 86 Comprehensive excellence (ihsan) 96 The implications of comprehensive excellence for architecture 98 Islam as the final and universal revelation 108 The implications of Islam as the final and universal revelation for architecture 115 3 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Islamic Architecture Introduction 125 Islam and society 126 The Qur'an and the Prophet's sunnah (traditions) as the foundation of Islamic architecture 130 Islam and the categorization of building activities 136 Prophet Muhammad's attitude towards architecture 141 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 164 The Prophet's mosque as an epitome of the Prophet's contribution to the evolution of the identity of Islamic architecture 170 Function-form relationship 175 VI
CONTENTS Respect for the environment. 178 Cleanliness 182 Comprehensive excellence 183 Promoting just sacidl interactions 185 "La darar wa la dirar" (There is no inflicting or returning of hnrm) 189 Indigenous versus foreign influences 193 4 Islamic Architecture after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Introduction 200 The genesis of Islamic architecture and the genesis of Islamic civilization 202 The Umayyads 214 The first Abbasid period 231 Islamic architecture and the Islamization of the community 253 Establishing tokrant relations with non-muslims as a segment of the Islamization of the community 259 A "prelude" to Islamic architecture 265 First category: The austere Muslim buildings 266 Second category: Transforming churches and temples into mosques,275 First example: the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, 283 Second example: the Persian fwdn (Hall) in al-madd'in or Ctesiphon : 306 Avoiding architectural deviations 311 Following in religion vis-a-vis inventing in civilization 318 The case of the caliph Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan 324 vii
lsl.amic AROiITECfURE The caliph ai-walid b. Abd ai-malik and the Great Urnayyad Mosque 328 The case of the caliph U"",r b. Abd al-aziz 329 Funerary architecture 332 P o/ JhczzJng.... arch' rlecture.. 338 The pragmatism and functionality of Islamic architecture 347 Conclusion: Towards the Revival of Islamic Architecture 365 Bibliography 371 Index 381... VlII