All Books
Publishing Date
January 1, 1987
Language
English
ISBN
9780887061752
Page Count
240
Publisher
State University of New York
Order Here

Details

With remarkable breadth of vision, Seyyed Hossein Nasr reveals for both Western and Muslim readers how each art form in the islamic tradition is based upon a science of nature concerned, not with the outer appearance of things, but with their inner reality. Ranging across calligraphy, painting, architecture, literature, music, and the plastic arts, Nasr penetrates to the inner dimension of Islam and shows the role art plays in the life of individual Muslims and the community as a whole-the role of inspiring the remembrance and contemplation of God.

Once the author establishes art as an aid and support to the spiritual life, he traces the creative act to its ultimate source: inner knowledge and barakah, or grace, which make the crystallization of inner realities in form and space and time possible. Through this knowledge and grace, the author asserts, unity manifests upon the plane of multiplicity, making archetypal realities perceivable by the senses. Through this knowledge and grace, art functions as a ladder for the journey of the soul from the visible to the invisible. How Islamic art leads man to the inner chamber of divine revelation forms the substance of much of this important work.

An especially close look is given to the Sufi tradition within Islam, for its mystical teachers have often clearly demonstrated in their works the spiritual significance of beauty and served as the source of inspiration for art.

By rediscovering the root of art in the Islamic tradition, Seyyed Hossein Nasr opens doors to new dimensions of unity which have seemingly been obscured in recent Western art. In so doing, he extends the significance of this book beyond the Islamic belief system to touch the hearts and creative impulses of readers from all traditions.

Reviews

Translation & Edited

Turkish: İslam Sanatı ve Maneviyatı. Trans. Ahmet Demirhan. Istanbul: İnsan Yayınları, 1992.
Persian: "هنر و معنويت اسلامي"، ترجمۀ رحيم قاسميان، تهران، دفتر مطالعات ديني هنر، 1375.
Indonesian: Spiritualitas Dan Seni Islam. Trans. Sutejo Bandung: Penerbit Mizan, 1993.
Bosnian-Serbo-Croatian: Islamska umjetnost i duhovnost. S engleskog preveo Edin Kukavica. Sarajevo: Studis, Lingua Patria, 2005.
Russian: Исламское – Искусство – Иуховность. Moscow: Дизамн.Информация. Картография, 2009.

Islamic Art and Spirituality

Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Similar Books

تائو ته چینگ: طریق و فضائل آن
Nasr’s Persian translation of the Tao Te Ching blends Taoist wisdom with Islamic metaphysics and ethical insight.
2021
عرفان اسلامي در شرق و غرب
This volume examines the origins and development of Islamic mysticism, including its dialogues with other faiths.
2010
معرفت جاودان
A Persian anthology by Nasr on Islam, Sufism, art, metaphysics, science, culture, and tradition vs modernity.
2007
Gulshan-i Rāz: The Rose Garden of Divine Mysteries
Translated with commentary by Seyyed Hossein Nasr.
2025
A Sufi Commentary on the Tao Te Ching: The Way and Its Virtue
Nasr unveils the Tao Te Ching’s depth, linking it to Rumi, Hafiz, and Attar to reveal the world behind this world.
2025
Return to the Eternal Abode: Sufi Dialogues with Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Thought-provoking, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary conversations on Sufism.
2025
The Garden of Truth
Nasr’s key book on Sufism, presenting teachings on self, love, beauty, spiritual life, and Sufism’s history.
2008
Sufi Essays
Presents various aspects of Sufism based on the combination of published and unpublished articles.
1972