Islam

From time to time, a book comes to the notice of contributors to this Review which although no longer a recent publication is too important to be overlooked. Such is the case with this monograph by Dr Elaine Wright, Curator of the Islamic Collections at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Eire, since 1998 and a distinguished expert on the arts of the Islamic book. Islam: Faith, Art, Culture is divided into seven sections. The first (pp. 11-39) deals with the early history of Islam; the second (pp. 40-63) is concerned with the Prophet (upon whom be blessings and peace) and his family. Part 3, which is rather longer (pp. 68-98), is devoted to the Holy Qur’an; while explaining formal elements such as the alphabet, the author also pays due attention to the content and style of the sacred text, with as much information on ethical as on doctrinal teachings. Part 4, Qur’anic calligraphy and calligraphers (pp. 100-134), discusses the art form primarily with reference to a selection of the Chester Beatty’s world-class calligraphic and illuminated Mushafs, including those copied by Ibn al-Bawwab, [Abd al-Rahman Zarrin-qalam, Yaqut al-Musta[simi, and Ruzbihan Muhammad al-Shirazi. This series of spectacular folios by master artists from the Islamic heartlands is complemented by examples of illuminated folios from copies of the Qur’an produced in sub-Saharan Africa and in China, which go some way towards representing the immense variety of styles and forms over the breadth of the Muslim world.