Islam is a religion deeply shaped by the written word, even though the Qur’an was originally transmitted orally. It can therefore rightly be described as a “religion of scripture and the book.” From an early stage in Islamic history, the beautiful writing of the Qur’an came to be regarded as a religious duty, giving rise to the rich tradition of Islamic calligraphy, which is also closely associated with Islamic mysticism (Sufism). For centuries, calligraphy has been cultivated as part of the pious everyday practices of Sufis and Dervishes. From the symbolic interpretation of Arabic letters and the cultivation of breath techniques to the contemplation of God and the integration of bodily practices, calligraphy and Sufi mysticism reveal numerous affinities and shared features.
Against this background, the present lecture examines the fundamental relationship between Sufism and calligraphy, with particular attention to the mystical symbolism of letters and the esoteric hermeneutics of the Sufis. It focuses on the Sufi mystical method of interpretation (taʾwīl) and its application to individual Arabic letters, whose symbolic significance is particularly emphasized and rendered visible through the art of calligraphy. At the same time, the lecture reflects on the limitations and inadequacy of language from a Sufi perspective, as well as on the mystics’ need to transcend language in order to attain a reality of God that lies beyond concepts, images, and words. Against this backdrop, the lecture brings together various yet interconnected dimensions of the Islamic tradition—mysticism, calligraphy, aesthetics, language, and spirituality—and explores the ways in which they inform and illuminate one another.
The presentation will be streamed live at the following link, whereas the talk itself will be also available after the live talk on YouTube:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc6Qr7KObUt/?igsi=d2swc216YnZhZjZl
Here is the registration link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UKcoThgXT5yTALBlU4Lt1Q#/registration
