Faith, İslam and Art

Abstract

In primitive societies,one of the theories related to the connection between faith and art is that art was emerged from magic and religion. In those societies, not only art but also everything were under the influence of faith. Extreme natural events were regarded as a reflection of divine power and that power was materialized. That case led worship which became the general action of human in process of time. In societies shaped by faith, arts unavoidably tended to religion.

Art brings people together on common aims.With this feature,art transfers the feeling of artist by the way of writing,painting or music to the society which he lives in and to next generations.

Art objects reflect not only aesthetic concerns but also traditions,customs,life styles,moral structures,the ways of behavior that society adopted through historical development process. Thus, that helps to spread social consciousness carrying the ideal culture of the society.

At the beginning art,one of the most efficient ways of humankind’s knowing nature, was equal status to religion and science.In course of time faith and art have continued their existence through the works of art which have been created with different ways and means.Both religion and art serve to same aim in the matter of permanence.The massage suggested by faith related to this world and the massage suggested by art related to permanence act as a bridge which is timelessness.Both religion and art have been united when they haven’t been divided.The most impressive example of this can be seen in Christian Art which the stories in both the Bible and the Hebrew Bible were told by the way of paintings to illiterate people.

On the contrary Christian Art,Islamic Art doesn’t narrate the stories and the themes in the Quran.Islamic artist doesn’t worry about this.The connection between Islamic Art and the Quran verses are at stylistic expression level.Islamic Art has to definitely act in accordance with religious laws.

The mortailty of this world and eternity of afterworld are the basis of İslamic faith. Islamic art developed in line with these principles is the reflection of the Qur’an. Therefore, Islamic artists comprehend art as a kind of worship. They see absolute beauty only in Allah and His words with approval and appreciative understanding by looking kindly on beauty.

In this article, the emerge of art and its connection with faith will be discussed in light of Islamic art. The features of created artworks, styles of ornamentation, symbolic figures, patterns and the connection between art and faith will be examined in view of written and visualsources.