{"data":[{"id":"e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f","type":"exhibitions","attributes":{"title":"Exploring Art and Devotion Within Islamic Manuscript Tradition","slug":"exploring-art-and-devotion-within-islamic-manuscript-tradition","body":"

Islamic manuscripts are often beautifully decorated. They display pages adorned with rich, illuminated pigments and fine, intricate detailing. This exhibition explores the relationship between art and spirituality through key Islamic texts and analyses how acts of religious devotion are expressed through various artistic elements that are depicted within the Islamic manuscript tradition. We will observe this by drawing on material from the Mingana collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts.

The four key themes that will be covered include calligraphy in early Quran manuscripts and analysis of the early written collections of hadith (tradition) such as Sahih of Bukhari, Sahih of Muslim, Sunan of Abu Daud, and Sunan of al-Tirmidhi. We will also observe devotional texts that have remained a staple within Muslim communities to this present day like the Dalail al Khairat and Qasida al Burdah, as well as viewing prominent Sufi manuscripts such as the works of Ibn al Arabi and Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi and his highly regarded Masnavi text.

Many modern-day Muslims may recognise these literary works and refer to them when seeking religious knowledge or practising spiritual growth in their everyday lives. However, the history of their origins and how these written pieces were produced, is often overlooked. Therefore, this exhibition intends to convey the historical significance of these religious texts. It will also establish a greater level of appreciation for their artistic elements and the act of religious devotion that this represented within the development of Islamic manuscript tradition.

By Zafirah Ali: MIAH-Mingana Collection Intern 2023

","excerpt":"A digital exhibition on art and devotion within Islamic manuscript tradition.","color":"#b2be98","published":true,"publication-date":"2023-06-26T10:54:00+00:00","created-at":"2023-06-05T11:03:23+00:00","updated-at":"2024-10-09T14:08:48+00:00","image":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/51ce48e2664a26dbde74204b00df7fa0.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":809632,"width":1200,"height":1500,"crop_top":299,"filename":"IMG_2024-03-08-205156.jpg","crop_left":0,"mime_type":"image/jpeg","crop_width":1200,"crop_height":660,"keep_transparency":false},"derivatives":{"50":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/50-9263fc90c82d80d29d70f136b058fa56.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":1239,"width":50,"height":28,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-1bpwrv.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"100":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/100-a333df558215235479bcba9d8598defe.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":3092,"width":100,"height":55,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-baipu7.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"150":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/150-5e16ebd87990c908ad5707901b245c3c.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":6657,"width":150,"height":83,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-sqdgkh.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"200":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/200-344134b94b77d31130331b599d89ee32.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":11239,"width":200,"height":110,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-3x7cm6.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"300":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/300-b4b4bacf55c39fca0fda75bbd276b28a.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":25691,"width":300,"height":165,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-vm870m.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"400":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/400-5b630492cc7f0c891f4e428fa2881d1e.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":44391,"width":400,"height":220,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-qqfdl0.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"500":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/500-2fa7523d8e154706dec886ae47a53dc5.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":67250,"width":500,"height":275,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-9r3mz8.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"600":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/600-05a8aa12fe6ceaac38c01ee75b78cb05.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":91118,"width":600,"height":330,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-s4gxxc.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"800":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/800-d8b8052f3990633166046c7778113f96.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":142061,"width":800,"height":440,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-utue20.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"1000":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/1000-bc28133bd30a46e56c178b82d52d0713.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":198693,"width":1000,"height":550,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-zuc7f5.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"1200":{"id":"exhibition/e5b17c76-6658-4fa8-ad22-30bc834cf84f/image/1200-5c2ad57cf98f15c338d0d04e5f60e2c9.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":252476,"width":1200,"height":660,"filename":"image_processing20240308-305-bwk6rp.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}}}},"watermark-image":null}},{"id":"e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7","type":"exhibitions","attributes":{"title":"The Persians: Literature and Art from the Mingana Collection","slug":"the-persians-literature-and-art-from-the-mingana-collection","body":"

The influence of the Persianate world on Islam has been beyond profound with some of the most outstanding scholars, collators of prophetic sayings, grammarians and polymaths hailing from the Persian-speaking world. The hadith of the prophet is a testament to this as he says: \"If Faith were at (the place of) Ath-Thuraiya (Pleiades, the highest star), even then some men or man from these people (i.e., The Persians) would attain it\" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4897). The example of scholars such as Sibawayh, Imam Ghazali, Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi, and Imam Bukhari to name a few, are undoubtedly the torchbearers of the prophetic tradition. This exhibition offers a glimpse into some of the examples of Persian literature and art that inspired me during my internship with the MIAH Foundation and the Cadbury Research Library. The selected works all come from the Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts held at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham.

By Afzal Khan - MIAH-Mingana Collection Internship 2023

[image: Persian 12, Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham]

","excerpt":"A digital exhibition on the Persians, Art, Literature and Islam","color":"#6d6a8e","published":true,"publication-date":"2023-06-20T10:47:00+00:00","created-at":"2023-06-05T10:55:56+00:00","updated-at":"2023-07-06T16:52:37+00:00","image":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/2ba5caea9161d129e584c35711a6f882.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":3833622,"width":1256,"height":1954,"crop_top":1014,"filename":"Detail from Persian Manuscript, Mingana Collection, Cadbury Research Library, Persian 12.jpg","crop_left":18,"mime_type":"image/jpeg","crop_width":1201,"crop_height":661,"keep_transparency":false},"derivatives":{"50":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/50-f6485255e57c88ffe2e721d322376733.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":1193,"width":50,"height":28,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-7f2g9.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"100":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/100-399e04c93a64a19ae26c010d642c7bb2.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":2636,"width":100,"height":55,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-4s327p.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"150":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/150-b17f78a8385bfac96886365cd4b6a520.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":5038,"width":150,"height":83,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-hhjh3u.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"200":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/200-3df15517b1ef7f7c839787963b39ca10.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":7916,"width":200,"height":110,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-yi33e1.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"300":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/300-7d830f50100558908e4ba500c7b94d8c.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":17929,"width":300,"height":165,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-46w89p.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"400":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/400-5ee63c0c9922a6e2cbeee2de055884b2.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":32444,"width":400,"height":220,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-2aqxy5.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"500":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/500-52d1b7151cad78fe36c95ad308e879a7.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":52429,"width":500,"height":275,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-mkcurg.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"600":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/600-47b6060141ceb43807256797d149f798.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":75895,"width":600,"height":330,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-zartz4.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"800":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/800-bdef6c3575dd1489fabe5fede9a8cf99.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":132222,"width":799,"height":440,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-r3q115.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"1000":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/1000-12bafb27c6f2350d33f7dd651bc9cded.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":199456,"width":999,"height":550,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-xued2t.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}},"1200":{"id":"exhibition/e0370b14-a884-427b-8e25-e66dae2205b7/image/1200-78f78fb8c5a1b532bae36e86085c4de4.jpg","storage":"store","metadata":{"size":276122,"width":1199,"height":660,"filename":"image_processing20230706-2-36bozg.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg"}}}},"watermark-image":null}},{"id":"86bb7077-9dda-4b2e-8862-858402ea5654","type":"exhibitions","attributes":{"title":"Reading Early Quran Manuscripts","slug":"the-art-of-quran-manuscripts","body":"

Islam is a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion with a core sacred book: the Quran. Muslims regard the Quran as a book of divine guidance: a revelation from God (Allah), revealed to the prophet Muhammad ﷺ via the angel Gabriel (Jibrīl) over a period of twenty-three years. The first revelation was received in 609 in the Cave of Hirā’ on the mountain Jabal al-Nūr,when the prophet Muhammad ﷺ was forty years old, and concluded in 632, the year of his death. The Quran and its teachings serve as a primary source of law and guidance for Muslims. Alongside the collected Ḥadīth (traditions based on the sayings and actions of Muhammad ﷺ), the Quran influences all aspects of a Muslim’s worship, daily life and culture. Literally meaning ‘the recitation’, the Quran is recited aloud and committed to memory in its original Arabic across the Muslim world. Passages from the Quran are recited as part of daily prayers, communal worship, during rites of passages, as well as for personal devotional use. Quotations from, and references to, the Quran appear not only in everyday speech and mainstream media but are also selected to adorn buildings in both the public and private sphere, often in beautiful calligraphic script.

With the spread of Islam the text of the Quran began to be copied across vast geographical areas. As the physical embodiment of the revealed Word of God, Muslims treat the written Quran (muṣḥaf) with great veneration and respect. Although its primary value and beauty to Muslims lies in its contents, the guidance of its message, and its unique style of composition, it has also inspired some of the world’s greatest artists to reflect the beauty and clarity of the words of revelation in the form of the written word. The calligraphers and the illuminators who decorated Quran manuscripts (muṣāḥif) created some of the finest manuscripts ever produced and enjoyed a high status amongst artists.

This exhibition will explore the history and compilation of the Quran as a codex and its central place within the Arabic written tradition. Through the study of early Quran manuscripts, it will draw on examples from as early as the 7th century CE (1st Hijri century) - including the so-called 'Birmingham Quran' fragment - to chart developments in Arabic script and the way the Divine Word was presented in its written form.

Curated by: Dr Neelam Hussain

(Header image: f.1v-2r, Mingana Islamic Arabic MS 1572a, Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, Birmingham | Image copyright: Cadbury Research Library)

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