The Hidden Art of Islam
2012 · 57 MIN · IMDB 7.0 · 31 VOTES · DIR. Faris Kermani
Overview
Explore the tradition of figurative art at the heart of Islam with host Rageh Omaar. Muslim belief and tradition specifies that there should be no depictions of God or the Prophet Muhammad. In religious contexts, this constraint on what artists can depict extends to human figures and other living creatures as well. These prohibitions have inspired a rich visual culture based on calligraphy, Arabesque floral designs, and geometry, all of which feature strongly in the art and design found throughout Islam, including in mosques and the Koran. With the help of fine art and religion experts, host Rageh Omaar (The Life of Muhammad) traces the effect of these beliefs over the centuries on the art and artists of the Islamic world and considers why depictions of pilgrims taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have become part of the accepted tradition of Islamic art, including in work exhibited at the British Museum.
Dialogue Timeline — 1,674 lines
A SAMPLE ACROSS THE RUNTIME — EVERY LINE IS SEARCHABLE
00:00:04 A collection of artefacts from the Muslim world
00:02:46 you have to understand the significance of this place.
00:05:08 because we should not represent God.
00:07:40 around prohibition of human beings or living entities, a drawing of them, is clear and absolute.
00:10:18 There are three fundamental aspects behind Islamic art.
00:12:59 And particularly with respect to how they copy Qur'ans.
00:15:47 The same feelings apply to us when we deliver Qur'anic verses
00:18:19 It's often said that Islamic art is like a meditation upon the invisible
00:20:31 and inspired by the very notion of maths from the Qur'an itself.
00:22:58 in order then that you could be able to work out
00:25:28 Caliph Abdul Malik, one of the first Muslim rulers of the Umayyad empire
00:27:37 was to strike a balance between these two very conflicting demands.
00:29:55 They do not temper the edges of their coloured areas
00:32:18 they'd have been a prominent band across the candlestick base.
00:34:57 arrows in the eye and so forth.
00:37:38 who have the financial means to do it.
00:39:50 There is one place in the Muslim world
00:42:07 So you have the element of the Kaaba.
00:44:14 were principally the desert communities, more verbal cultures.
00:46:43 At the same time, auction houses have seen in a boom in interest
00:48:50 Glimpses of the human figure can be found
00:50:56 The idea is to try and capture an emotional response
00:54:29 on depictions in figurative paintings
00:56:33 You have to look at aesthetically.