The Art of Reverence, a Study of Cognitive and Metaphorical Insights into Design of Religious Prayer Mat

Afaq Hyder Chohan, Jihad Awad, Julahi Bin Wahid, Wael Hamdan

Abstract


This study ventures into the interrelation of religious tradition and the design of floor coverings, specifically, the prayer mats utilized in the mandatory quintuple daily prayers by Muslims worldwide. Its primary focus is the relatively unfamiliar area of how religious sensitivities intersect with, and at times challenge, the development of patterns in mat design. Delving into the enigmatic metaphors intricately woven into these designs, the research reviewed the literature and illuminated the profound interplay between symbolic religious representation and the language of aesthetics. It additionally scrutinizes the potential conflicts that can emerge when sacred symbols are used unintentionally, underscoring the pivotal role of cultural consciousness and sensitivity in the realm of design. An extensive analysis of various prayer mats was conducted, dissecting their design composition to decipher any underlying symbolism. Upon its conclusion, the study proposed a set of 11 well-rounded recommendations, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). These guidelines are drafted through understanding of concept and design development, within the domain of Islamic aesthetics and religious sensitivities. These adaptable suggestions, backed by thorough research, hold the potential to act as valuable guidance for those involved in the designing and manufacturing industry of prayer mats, thus shaping the future direction of this art form.

Keywords


Reverence art; cognitive leaning; religious sensitivity; ambiguous metaphors; pattern geometry; Islamic art

Full Text:

PDF

References


[1] A. H. Whiteford, "Mystic and decorative art of the Anishinabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa)," Arctic Anthropology, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 74-83, 1991.

[2] K. Kilinski, Greek myth and Western art: The presence of the past. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.

[3] J. Campbell and B. Moyers, The power of myth, B. S. Flowers, Ed. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

[4] L. Yang and D. An, Handbook of Chinese mythology. Abc-clio, 2005.

[5] R. Latif and G. Haider, "Spatial geometry in Islamic art and architecture," Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art, vol. 159, pp. 73-82, 2016.

[6] S. K. Hasan, "Genesis of Islamic architecture in Sindh," Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 249-268, 1994.

[7] J. M. Nejad, E. Zarghami, and A. S. H. Abad, "A study on the concepts and themes of color and light in the exquisite Islamic architecture," Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 1077-1096, 2016. Doi: https://doi.org.10.4314/jfas.v8i3.23

[8] J. Chowdhury, "Basic pattern in myth-making: Myths of Arunachal tribes," in Folklore in North-east India, Omsons Publications, pp. 17-29, 1985.

[9] R. C. Perumalil, "Style transfer for visual storytelling: A case study: The Hindu mythological character, Yamah, in the style of the American film director, Tim Burton," Texas A&M University, Doctoral dissertation, 2012.

[10] N. Daryaie, "The interface of myths in the form of shape and design in Iranian-Azerbaijani carpets," in YOCOCU 2014: Professionals' Experiences in Cultural Heritage Conservation in America, Europe, and Asia, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 160-171, 2016.

[11] A. Tyagi, Let's know handicrafts of India, Star Publications, 2008.

[12] N. Yazdani and M. Lozanovska, "The design philosophy of Edenic gardens: Tracing "Paradise Myth" in landscape architecture," Landscape History, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 5-18, 2016.

[13] J. Allen, Islamic Metal Art, London: Philip Wilson Publication, Ltd., 1999.

[14] M. Bull, The mirror of the Gods: Classical mythology in Renaissance art, UK: Penguin, 2006.

[15] C. T. Hodge, "Myths through the generations: Influence beyond reason and logic," Rogers School USA, Ed., [Online]. Available: https://uh.edu/honors/Programs-Minors/honors-and-the-schools/houston-teachers-institute/curriculum-units/pdfs/2007/world-mythologies/day-07-myths.pdf [Accessed May 15, 2023].

[16] T. Hodge, "Indonesian batik design: Transmitter of culture," California State University, Dominguez Hills, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, 1999.

[17] S. Woodford, An introduction to Greek art: Sculpture and vase painting in the archaic and classical periods, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.

[18] K. K. Murthy, Mythical Animals in Indian Art, Abhinav Publications, 1985.

[19] J. R. Senseney, The art of building in the Classical world: Vision, craftsmanship, and linear perspective in Greek and Roman architecture, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

[20] S. S. Blair and J. M. Bloom, "The mirage of Islamic art: Reflections on the study of an unwieldy field," The Art Bulletin, vol. 85, no. 1, pp. 152-184, 2003. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00043079.2003.10787065

[21] Y. Abdullahi and M. R. Embi, "Evolution of abstract vegetal ornaments in Islamic architecture," Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 31-46, 2015.

[22] J. Bloom, S. Blair and S. Blair, Eds., Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture: Three-Volume Set, vol. 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press on Demand, 2009.

[23] Z. Baydoun, N. A. Alghamdi, and Z. Kamarudin, "The Islamic art and design elements applied in the Islamic city, a case study of Putrajaya Islamic City," Planning Malaysia, vol. 21, pp. 42-54, 2023. Doi: https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v21i25.1241

[24] C. S. Kaplan, "Islamic patterns," in ACM SIGGRAPH 2008 art gallery, pp. 45-45, 2008.

[25] J. Bonner, Islamic geometric patterns: Their historical development and traditional methods of construction, Springer, 2017.

[26] T. A. El-Akkad, "The aesthetics of Islamic architecture & the exuberance of Mamluk design," Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Doctoral dissertation, 2013.

[27] H. Hamid, "Color in Islamic Architecture and its impact on interior design," Journal of Architecture Arts and Humanistic Sciences, vol. 4, no. 14, pp. 582-598, 2019. Doi: https://doi.org.10.21608/MJAF.2019.25805

[28] N. Kanwisher, J. McDermott, and M. M. Chun, "The fusiform face area: A module in human extrastriate cortex specialized for face perception," The Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. 4302–4311, 1997. Doi: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/3077.003.0021

[29] I. Gauthier, P. Skudlarski, J. C. Gore, and A. W. Anderson, "Expertise for cars and birds recruits brain areas involved in face recognition," Nature Neuroscience, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 191–197, 2000. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/72140

[30] J. V. Haxby, E. A. Hoffman, and M. I. Gobbini, "The distributed human neural system for face perception," Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 223–233, 2000. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01482-0

[31] P. Sinha, B. Balas, Y. Ostrovsky, and R. Russell, "Face recognition by humans: Nineteen results all computer vision researchers should know about," Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 94, no. 11, pp. 1948–1962, 2006. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/JPROC.2006.884093

[32] J. W. Tanaka and M. J. Farah, "Parts and wholes in face recognition," The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology Section A, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 225–245, 1993. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/14640749308401045

[33] World Population Review, "Muslim Population by Country 2023," [Online]. Available: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-population-by-country. [Accessed 2023].

[34] Thomson Reuters and Dinar Standard, "State of the Global Islamic Economy Report: 2018/19," [Online]. Available: https://ded.ae/DED_Files/StudiesAndResearch/SGIE-Report-2018-19_Eng_1540649428.pdf. [Accessed June 6, 2023].

[35] List of Companies, "Turkey Prayer Mat Manufacturers," [Online]. Available: https://www.listofcompaniesin.com/turkey/prayer-mat/. [Accessed May 15, 2023].

[36] List of Companies, "Pakistan Prayer Mat Manufacturers," [Online]. Available: https://www.listofcompaniesin.com/pakistan/prayer-mat/. [Accessed May 15, 2023].

[37] List of Companies, "India Prayer Mat Manufacturers," [Online]. Available: https://www.listofcompaniesin.com/india/prayer-mat/. [Accessed May 15, 2023].

[38] List of Companies, "China Prayer Mat Manufacturers," [Online]. Available: https://www.listofcompaniesin.com/china/prayer-mat/. [Accessed May 15, 2023].

[39] Asia Society, "East Asia," [Online]. Available: https://asiasociety.org/countries-regions/east-asia. [Accessed May 17, 2023].

[40] E. S. Paik and G. Schraw, "Learning with animation and illusions of understanding," Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 105, no. 2, pp. 278-287, 2013. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030281

[41] J. D. Lewis-Williams, "Cognitive and optical illusions in San rock art research," Current Anthropology, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 171-178, 1986. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1086/203415




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/jia.v8i1.21977

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Islamic Architecture

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Science and Technology
Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang
Jalan Gajayana 50 Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia 65144
Phone (+62) 341 558933,Facsimile (+62) 341 558933
e-mail: journal.islamicarchitecture@gmail.com / jia@uin-malang.ac.id

 

 Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.