No. 141Islamic Art & Sufi Poetry

Allah

الله

The One God of Islam, creator and sustainer of all, beyond image or likeness

Allah (الله) is the one God of Islam, creator and sustainer of all that exists. Muslims believe God is without partner, likeness or form, and the heart of the faith is tawhid, God's absolute oneness. Muslims believe God was revealed through the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad in 7th-century Arabia.

Devotees turn to Allah as the source and keeper of everything. Because nothing resembles God, Muslims have never made images of the divine. Devotion has flowered instead in the written word: the Qur'an recited and copied with care, and calligraphy and geometric patterns that fill mosques with rhythm and light. The written Name is honoured by keeping it clean, raised and safe from neglect.

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Allah
Hilye-i serif 2, 17th centurydate QS:P,+1650-00-00T00:00:00Z/7. Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Hafız Osman

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The Deity Project makes no images of Allah. The tradition welcomes the written word and its own forms instead: calligraphy, geometric patterns, symbols and poetry.

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Sources

  1. Britannica: Why are images of Muhammad generally prohibited in Islam?
  2. Jordan Board of Iftaa': Resolution No. 156, Inscribing Quranic Verses on Clothing
  3. IslamWeb: Fatwa 277057
  4. SeekersGuidance: Handling Clothing with the Name of Allah and His Prophets
  5. IslamQA (Darul Iftaa Chicago): Ruling on Clothing with Names like As-Salam or Al-Malik
  6. SeekersGuidance: Is Writing Qur'an on the Wall Impermissible?
  7. Deseret News: Nike Will Recall Shoes to Appease Muslims (1997)
  8. Gulf News: Nike Faces Demand to Recall Sneakers as Muslims Object to Design
  9. Khaleej Times: Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha 2027 Likely Dates
  10. Qur'an 112 and 42:11 (background)

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