A Critique of Traditionalist Views on Islamic Calligraphy

Volume 22, Issue 148
October 2025
Pages 79-84

Document Type : Viewpoint/ Critical Review

Author

Department of Painting, Faculty of Art & Architecture, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Problem statement: The opinions and conclusions of traditionalists regarding Islamic art and architecture are often cited without adequate references to historical examples and documentation. Calligraphy, considered by traditionalists as the most noble and distinguished form of Islamic art, has similarly been accepted and applied by researchers without historical verification. 
Research objective: This critique examines how traditionalist views, especially those of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, align with the historical development and surviving examples of Islamic calligraphy and illumination (Tezhib). It argues that in many cases, these views conflict with the documented history of the art.
Conclusion: It seems that some of these perspectives, conveyed in generalized and symbolic (abstract) language, aim more at legitimizing the spiritual and civilizational role of calligraphy as the turning point from oral tradition to written revolution in Islamic civilization, rather than reflecting historical accuracy.

Keywords

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