Lee Huey Ling 1001P76415: The Unifying Principles of Islamic Architecture : Ilm'

Architecture as Pursuit of 'Ilm: Knowledge

Knowledge is a familiarity of something which include facts, information, descriptions, or skills that is acquired through experience or education which acquisition involves and corresponds with complex cognitive processes such as perception, communication, association, reasoning and clear visions. As narrated by Prophet S.A.W, it is "mandatory upon every Muslim" to gain or have knowledge in oneself.

Knowledge is also illustrated and expressed through Islamic architecture. This can usually be seen in the architecture of inscriptions where calligraphy is written or carved in a sacred language in Arabic. The Arabic callagraphy is to celebrate the aesthetic of islamic scripts across the Islamic world through a visible form by revealing ilm' and wisdom words of Quran.

Examples of Arabic Calligraphy

Dome of Hagia Sophia Mosque,

Istanbul

Quran carvings in The Great Mosque of Xi'an wall;

Xi'an, China

In islam, knowledge is also known as the light of truth. Many architecture has manipulated light as an expression through illuminating effects of sun rays and moon light. This reveals intricacy on wall inscriptions or ornament as a moving point source of natural sunlight, that adds individuality and a sensory experience of architectural spaces as it is driven of the quality of light and shadow that determines an individual's perception.