The Shahada

Most inscriptions, like most actions carried out by devout Muslims, begin with the invocation of God’s name (basmala), ‘In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate’ (bism allāh al-rahmān, al-rahīm), or the Muslim profession of faith (shahada), ‘There is only one God. Muhammad is the prophet of God’ (lā elāha ellā allāh, Muhammad rasul allāh). The shahada upholds the central theme of the Qur’an: the unity or oneness of God (Allāh in Arabic).

The calligraphic ornaments around the body of our incense burner read as follows: Translation, transliteration and voice recording by Dr Mahbod Ghaffari

لا اله الا الله
Lā elāha ellā allāh
'There is only one God'

محمد رسول الله
Mohammad rasul allāh
'Muhammad is the prophet of God'

افضل الذکر
Afdhal al-dhekr
'The greatest praying'

The shahada and praises to God are the most typical additions to incense burners which might otherwise have ended up on Taoist or Confucian altars. One can imagine the diffusion of perfumed smoke from the body of our censer serving as a sensorial reminder of this fundamental creed in the practice of Islam.IAMM, China Gallery, (accessed 10/08/2021)

If we want to understand why writing is a ubiquitous feature in Islamic art (and architecture), we must recognize that ‘the word’ (al-kalima) plays a pivotal role in the religion of Islam. The central miracle of the faith is that in the early seventh century (c. 610 AD), God sent down a revelation to the Prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel, in Arabic language. This revelation was later written down as the Qur’an. Sheila S. Blair Islamic Inscriptions (Edinburgh, 1998), p. 11. The Arabic word qur’an is derived from the Arabic root q-r-‘ (recitation). According to Muslim tradition, the Archangel Gabriel recited the revelation to the Prophet, and the first command to Muhammad was ‘Iqra’ meaning ‘read’ or ‘recite’. Thus, the Prophet was commanded to proclaim and recite the revelation to the people. In turn, his audiences also recited and memorized the revelation.Farahd Daftary and Zulfikar Hirji. Islam an Illustrated Journey (London, 2018), pp. 74-75

The first words that God revealed to Muhammad were the opening five verses from Chapter 96, Surat al-Alaq (The Clot) which read as follows:

Recite in the name of thy lord who created,
Created man from a clot;
Recite in the name of thy lord,
Who taught by the pen,
Taught man what he knew not.Blair, Islamic Inscriptions, p. 11.

These verses sanctified the use of the pen from the birth of Islam and are deemed miraculous, because the Prophet himself was illiterate.Soraya Syed, Video - ‘Islamic Calligraphy: The Development of the Art Through the Practice of its Masters with Soraya Syed’. Produced by An Art of the Pen Production (accessed 06/08/2021) Thus, each utterance or written form of the Qur’an is considered sacred and inheres in God’s infinite and unfathomable power.

Read more about the art of Islamic calligraphy and about the chinese touch in the writing on this incense burner.