7 Unifying Principles of Architecture

1. Architecture as Tawhid, Unity & Uniquity of Allah. 

Shahadah

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"there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Messenger."

Shahadah a verbal and mental contract towards Islam as to ensure one salvation & constitution to adhere to the Islamic Laws. There 2 parts of the shahadah. 

1st part - Testify Faith - Unity - Islam as cohesion force of unity amongst ethical & cultural divers people and every man is equal regardless of their wealth, ranking and inheritance. 

Uniquity of Allah - there is no other God except for Him. 

2nd part - Testify Faith - Finality/ Seal of Prophethood - Allah declaration that Muhammad pbuh is the final prophet of all the ones before him and he is the seal of prophethood. 

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a) shahdah: Ka'bah - Muslim - unified, borderless community transcends race, rank & wealth ~ Hajj.

b)notion of Tawhid - Al-Quran - haqiqa(formless essence) revelation/ enlightenment - nature of spaces, forms, order, orients, - place man the presence of Divine Unity. 

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Masjid At-Taqwa, Quba

c) building community: mosque - unifying umma. Center for Muslim Social Life :- education, administration, court, public service, economic platform, military planning, govern country & religious event. 

d) urban planning/ contex - Sunnah (fiqh law) - unifying city. Separation - commercial from residential area e.g. souq or bazaar - spread along roads joining urban center - craft and commerce activities while the dwellings are located away from markets - accessible through narrow winding lanes. 

2. Architecture of Ihtiram, Respect or adab. 

a) Shahadah - Propriety towards Allah

How is the believer expected to enter the Divine Presence/ Paradise while showing impropriety towards Him. 

b) 5 pillars of the Shahadah:

1. shahadah - verbal contract to testify faith
2. solat(prayer) - perform the mandatory 5 prayers a day 
3. zakat(alms) - charity every year to the poor 
4. puasa(fasting) - fasting during the month of Ramadhan 
5. hajj(pilgrimage) - performing hajj 

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c) Muhammad pbuh -Perfect good manners - perfect example of propriety and praiseworthy characteristics & example - perfect good manners that should be followed. 

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Muhammad S.A.W

d) Al-Quran - Guide - virtue & attitude of good manners,  mindful of actions & respectful for the sake of Allah. 

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Al-Quran Al-Kareem

e) Self - conscious act - courtesy to Him in all we do: "The best of you are those who possess the best of manner" 

f) Muslim Architect - Islam as Ad-Din - during architecture practice must purify and improve conduct & build up inner & outer self fulfilment, submit own will to that of Allah. Work of architecture embodies devotion more than the mosque; built to serve the pillar of religion, the heart and unifier of muslim community. 

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g) Islamic Architecture Symbolism - Purity of Geometry - symbolism, harmony and purity of geometry of the Ka'bah(the cube), the Sacred House, a symbol of mankind. 

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Islamic geometrical patterns

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Tomb of Hafez, Shiraz.

h) Respect Essence of Islam & Humanity - Building a Sanctuary - waqf, stop, contain and preserve - religious endowments, a voluntary & irrevocable dedication of ones wealth or a portion of it - cash or kind, a permanent donation. 

3. Architecture of Ikhlas, Sincerity.

2 modes of expression of submissions in the way of God. 

i) outward physical actions of body such as prayer 

ii) inward action of heart 

Architectural expression of submission to Allah 

a) Space construct - Absence of Human imaginary & idols. 

Idols and all kinds of portraiture of rasul, prophet, nabi, apostle, saints, companions etc. are avoided. 

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Suleymaniye Mosque prayer hall, Turkey

b) Intergration of Mathematics - embodiment of geometric proportion, harmony & balance 

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Sheikh Loft Allah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran.

c) Domestic Living Spaces - domestic living spaces arranged around a garden courtyard as a depiction of paradise. 

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Alhambra garden courtyard, Granada, Spain. 

4. Architecture of Pursuit of Ilm', Knowledge. 

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House of Wisdom, Bayt al-Hikma

i) Architecture of Inscriptions - Calligraphy - reveal Ilm' & wisdom words of the Al-Quran through precise, scared, geometrical laws. 

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Different types of Islamic Calligraphy.

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Edirne Selimiye Mosque

ii) Architecture of light as expression - Knowledge is the Light of Truth - illuminating effect of sun rays & moon light reveal intricacy, wall inscription and ornamentation. 

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Nasir Al-Mulk, Shiraz.

iii) Architecture as a Pursuit of Knowledge - Science & Technology - The Bayt al-Hikmah, founded by the Abbasid caliphs Harun al-Rashid and his son al-Ma'mun. It became home to the greatest minds  of the age, among of them is Khawarizmi - Father of Algebra. 

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Bayt al-Hikma.

5. Architecture of Iqtisad, Balance.

Functional & Spiritual Elements - Stability of the Soul -
"The best way is the middle way.. do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately.. and always adopt a middle, moderate regulare course whereby you will reach your target (paradise). " - Muhammad Pbuh. 

i) Notion of the heart - the human body, as the container of the sacred nafs, (soul), with the heart as the central core. 

ii) Islamic composition of Aesthetics - divided among Talif (composition), I'tidal (harmony) & nizam (order). Derived as model for creativity and artistic activity to our life and behaviour. 

talif (composition) - spatial sequence, texture (muqurnas), material and light. 

i'tidal (harmony) - transforming space of quantitive to qualitative using the unique and harmonious ratio of Phi = 1:1.618 the Golden Ratio. 

nizam (order) - the generation of Phi , Fibonacci series = 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 35, 56, ....... etc. 

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Progression in geometrical shapes of Islamic Architecture. 

6. Architecture of Haya', Modesty.

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a) Preservation of Dignity - Hijab, Veil. - women articulation of life and space, adoption of veil to as acceptance of muslim woman of what she can control in front of strangers; humbling herself. 

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Mashrabiyya. 

7. Architecture of Dikr', Remembrance. 

Rhythmic precision mirrored in the contemplative chanting of Allah's innumerable attributes. Manifestation of contemplation maintains a sense of unity through - rhythm as seen as the eternal infinite nature of Allah's essence. 

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Repetition of arches throughout he mosque.