At Sakina Design, we strive to share the beauty and diversity of Islamic art with everyone, regardless of faith, race, or ethnicity. In line with this goal, we hope everyone enjoys our newest wall art. It is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Chinese Islamic art.
As Islam spread to different cultures, there was always a melding of the faith and the local culture. In China, one of the manifestations of this was in the style of calligraphy. The Chinese have a long and respected tradition of calligraphy, with a very strong sense of aesthetics. It was therefore only natural that some Chinese Muslim calligraphers would combine their love of the Arabic script with their own sense of aesthetics, resulting in what is now known as Sini script (Chinese script).
Haji Noor Deen is one of those master calligraphers skilled at both Chinese and Arabic calligraphy, specifically utilizing the Sini script. Here he combines the two in an elegant and meaningful manner. Looking at the artwork one immediately sees the Chinese character for ‘tranquility’. However, another message is revealed when looking at the artwork from the side. Tilting one’s head to the left will reveal the Arabic script that reads ‘SubhanAllah’ (’Glorious is God’). Here Haji Noor Deen not only links the two languages but also the concepts of remembering Allah, and achieving tranquility.
“… for without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Qur’an 13:28)
We hope you enjoy this artwork and that it brings peace and tranquility to your home. Please enjoy it and share its beauty and message with your friends and family.
Everyone at Sakina Design would like to thank the organizers and attendees at the 2010 RIS (Reviving the Islamic Spirit) Convention in Long Beach, California. We had a great time meeting everyone. It was an incredible experience meeting new friends, old friends, and even long-lost friends. Insha Allah RIS becomes a fixture of the Southern California community.
We were blessed to have a booth, surrounded by great organizations. Across from us, were our friends at CAIR, working hard to protect the civil rights of Muslims, and build strong bridges with the broader American community. Please keep up the great work! Also across from us were the brothers and sisters from Al-Maghrib. A special thanks to them for entertaining our daughter and her friend! And next to us was Sandala Productions, formerly known as Alhambra Productions. It was great meeting both Shaikh Hamza Yusuf and Imam Zaid Shakir!
We even met some of the RIS organizers from Canada. Thanks for the kind words, insha Allah we have the opportunity to join you all in Toronto one day.
If you didn’t have the opportunity to be a part of RIS this year, please make sure you plan to attend next year. If they return to California, we will see you there insha Allah!
