Reflections of faith ('aqidah) on arts: A comparative analytical study on Islamic and Western arts

Qatawneh, Mohammad Abdelhamid Salem and Rababah, Yaser Ahmed Salem (2021) Reflections of faith ('aqidah) on arts: A comparative analytical study on Islamic and Western arts. AFKAR-Jurnal Akidah & Pemikiran Islam-Journal of Aqidah & Islamic Thought, 23 (1). pp. 251-278. ISSN 1511-8819, DOI https://doi.org/10.22452/afkar.vol23no1.7.

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Abstract

The study attempts to explore the philosophical, intellectual view of Islamic art that is based on monotheism (tawhid), and the reflections of `aqidah on it. The study foundationally examines and compares the structures of art within Western mindsets, which stem from pagan embodiments, such as the Greeks and contemporary Darwinism. The study also comes to respond to those who claim that Islamic art stands at the limits of ornamental decorations, or that Islamic art is nothing but a progression of Hellenistic Roman art. The analytical method was employed to examine intellectual texts and their reflections on art in its applied form. A comparative approach is also used in comparing concepts from the Islamic `Aqidah with other theologies and their reflections on art. This study concluded that Islamic art stems from the spirit of tawhid, consistent with the harmony and oneness of existence. Additionally, Islam was found to be a liberation for art, as it puts artists in the position of choice rather than restricting them in a specific artistic formula as in other ideologies. On the other hand, the study also reveals that the epistemological theory of Western art emerges from a pagan ground or an atheist thought, since it is unable to comprehend the metaphysical world. As a result, nature has entered the list of `sanctities' in the perception of some of the Greek artists and philosophers, which in turn reflected on the purpose of art and its aesthetic role in existence.

Item Type: Article
Funders: UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords: Tawhid;Aqidah;Western art;Islamic art;Paganism;Atheism
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc
N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
Divisions: Academy of Islamic Studies
Depositing User: Ms Zaharah Ramly
Date Deposited: 07 Sep 2022 07:03
Last Modified: 07 Sep 2022 07:03
URI: http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/35089

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