Dar al Islam will host a unique retreat

On the 4th, 5th, and 6th of October Dar al Islam will host a unique retreat on the spiritual power and beauty of the Arabic script. Music for the Eyes is an effort of the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts, which hosts workshops, exhibitions, and events in the Washington DC area, and the West African Calligraphy Institute, which focuses on intercultural exchange in the US and calligraphy education in Senegal, West Africa. The goal of this collaboration is to explore the diversity of the calligraphic form, to learn from practitioners, and to nurture a growing community of people who seek to increase human understanding and compassion through artistic expression. But first comes the word…

Arabic calligraphy as practiced around the world transcends the simple act of writing. As one early writer said of calligraphy, “If it was a flower, it would be a rose, if a metal, gold.” Another said, “The pen is the ambassador of intelligence, the messenger of thought, and interpreter for the mind.” This spiritual and artistic practice imbues the written word with life and beauty, so both the calligrapher and viewer alike may begin to embody the words and letters, their expression, and ultimately their meanings. What earlier appreciation for this practice has failed to fully embrace is that all throughout the world the richness of Islamic calligraphy has flourished, in different regions that are both at the center and the periphery of Islam, with different schools finding their roots in the spirituality and the unique practice of Islam in each region.

One of the goals of the West African Calligraphy Institute is to introduce Americans to some of these unique regional practices. Islam has been in Senegal since the 11th century, and although it has been largely unstudied and marginalized, West African calligraphy has developed its own distinct style. In fact, much of the history of the region from the 11th-17th centuries was written in the Wolof language using Arabic script - a practice that is generally referred to as Ajaami, and locally named Wolofal.  Today 90% of Senegalese are Muslim and belong to one of a few Sufi brotherhoods, where scholarship, poetry, and art continue to enrich and preserve their particular form of Arabic calligraphy. Through West African Arabic calligraphy, the Institute’s goal is to share the culture of West African Sufism, centering education, hard work, non-violence, and community building.
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Likewise, the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts has been working for years building a community of calligraphers and teachers from across the country and across the Atlantic. Esteemed member of the Reed Society and master in the classical school of Arabic calligraphy, Nuria Garcia Masip will be on-site in October guiding calligraphers and sharing her knowledge of the practice. Also, Franco-Iranian artist Bahman Panahi will be giving a workshop on technique and his concept of of musicalligraphy. Over the course of the three days of the retreat, all three styles and inspirations will come together to create a beautiful symphony of line, form, and spirituality.  We hope to see you there!