Analysis of the symbolic Aspects of Aye Noor in the Altars of Iranian Mosques from the 5th to the 10th centuries AH

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student in Art Research, Faculty of Art, Shahed University, Tehran

2 PH.D, Assistant Professor، Faculty Of Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22070/negareh.2022.15610.2952

Abstract

The Qur'an has unique and exceptional capacities and everyone can benefit from this infinite ocean according to their existential and epistemological capacity and talent; in the sense that behind its simple appearance, deep and endless concepts and issues are hidden. Islamic mysticism in the light of the Qur'an, traditions, and hadiths of the infallibles, in the topics of ontology and monotheism, is full of intellectual richness and depth of thought, which every time with careful reflection on these teachings, new horizons and wider spaces are revealed and opened. Some of these concepts are the result of attraction and inspiration, and some have an argumentative and descriptive aspect that is obtained in the field of Qur'anic and religious teachings. Verse 35 of Sura Noor is one of the verses that has an amazing allegory about a transcendent and transcendental truth. Every thoughtful commentator, depending on the level of faith, intuition, and reasoning, has received and understood this noble verse that although there are differences in the form of expression and the form of discussion of each one, the essence of each is connected to the same truth. The simile used in this verse, like other Qur'anic similes, brings the concepts as close as possible to the mind of the audience. In this beautiful allegory, there are secrets and hidden things that sometimes need to be expressed in a symbolic language. Symbology is an efficient tool to access higher meanings of the worldly and natural life of man, which is formed in the world beyond him. Therefore, it is especially used in retrieving the concepts of the holy texts, which show the relationship between man and the world beyond himself. Muslim thinkers have accepted symbolism in some verses of the Qur'an and mentioned it with expressions such as "symbolic". Of course, these scholars did not introduce symbolism in the sense of negation of knowledge-giving Qur'anic propositions.
The aim of the present research is to investigate the symbology of the verse of light and a careful search to find the symbolic meaning of the verse of light in the form of Islamic architectural decorations in Iran. The main questions of this research are: 1. How is the symbolic concept of the verse of light displayed in the decorations of Iranian mosques? 2. Which pattern is more famous and useful than other motifs?
Islamic art is a great treasure of great mystical meanings and divine wisdom; the root of this art should be sought in the deep foundations of spiritual and divine thinking. Thinking and meditating on the inner aspect of this art and symbolic language, which contains mystical and metaphysical foundations, is an undeniable necessity. The necessity and importance of this research is due to the fact that there are many shortcomings in this field in researches. In this article, we will examine the symbolic meaning of Islamic architectural decorations in the form of analyzing some motifs, in connection with the symbolic meaning of the verse of light, and along with these elements, we will analyze and investigate the mystical and metaphysical foundations of these motifs. The research method in this research is descriptive-analytical and with a structural and visual study through a comparative approach. The method of data analysis in this research is qualitative. The primary information of this research was collected through library studies and the secondary information was collected through field studies. The statistical population of the research includes examples of mosques in historical periods in Iran. The Qandeel symbol, used in the altar of mosques and tombstones, and altar tiles, has been identified and studied from the point of view of symbology. To analyze the data, the desired motifs were photographed and their motifs were extracted using AutoCAD software.
The results of this research show the verse of light is one of the few cases that refers to an element as a symbol in the Holy Qur'an. As can be understood from the meaning of the verse, in order to better understand the concepts in the audience's mind, God expresses his light as a symbol with the analogy of a lamp inside the altar. After the interpretation of the verse by Islamic commentators and scholars, Qandeel's role in Islamic art has been repeatedly used as a symbolic meaning of the verse of light. Apart from this role, the symbolism of the verse of light can be seen and analyzed in other decorative elements of the mosque, such as Muqarnas, applications to regular faces, and light-retaining meshes, in which geometry and light help each other to manifest existence. Due to the direct connection between the visual nature of Qandeel and the example mentioned in the verse of light, this pattern has served as a reminder of the verse of light more than other decorative motifs of mosques.

Keywords

References

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Negareh Journal
Volume 18, Issue 67
September 2023
Pages 27-45

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 June 2022
  • Revise Date: 04 November 2022
  • Accept Date: 15 November 2022

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