The Importance of Islamic Construction
Carpentry and Architecture are crucial aspects of Islamic culture and civilization. From the Command of Allah to Sayyidina Nuh (as):
“And construct the ship under Our observation and Our inspiration and do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned.” [11:37]
And even to the celebration of the constructions of animals, such as bees:
“And your Lord inspired the bee, “Take for yourself among the mountains, houses, and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.” [16:68]
It is clear from the Ayahs mentioned above that the art of building and designing are not only necessary, but beautiful in the sight of the Almighty Creator, and should be respected for all its merit.
While Islam was spread by the words of the Holy Quran, the foot of the wanderer, and preserved by the scholar, its dominance is felt by its tall minarets; its benevolence in the gentle Masjid. And while the constructor will perish, as living things do, his actions and deeds are assimilated into the whole good of the Masjid, the Darbar for the Wali, or the home of his Muslim brother. He might not be remembered by men for these good works, but he will remain unforgotten by his Rabb.
To take up the hammer and drill is to follow the way of great Anbiyah and Awliyah, such as Sayyidina Zakariyah and Sayyidina Isa (as), both carpenters and honorable Nabis. Amongst other historical figures, individuals like Sultan Abdul Hamid II who, while the Khalifah of the Islamic World and Emperor of the Ottomans, took time from his statecraft to engage in carpentry, crafting furniture, and the like.
Architecture is a celebration of the diversity of 1.8 billion Muslims, in culture and art. Instead of erasing and destroying the cultures of indigenous nations, Islam uplifts and threads these different peoples into a beautiful mosaic that is Islam. Below are photos of splendid mosques, ancient Madrassahs, palaces and tombs of legendary Muslims.
The Great Mosque of Timbuktu or Djinguereber Masjid. Designed by Abu Ishaq Al Sahili on the Commission of the Mansa Musa, construction started in 1325 and finished in 1327. From the West, to Al-Azhar’s East, the two stand proud as monuments to Africa’s great history as a continent with a rich heritage of knowledge.
The Hagia Sophia or Aya Sofya was completed in 537 A.D. during the rule of the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian I, who himself had it modified. A work of three generations of Roman Emperors and Byzantium’s greatest minds. It stood among the most beautiful churches in Europe and the world for almost a thousand years. This would come to an end in the great year of 1453 A.D. when Sultan Mehmed Al Fatih broke through the impassable walls of Constantinople and fulfilled the promise of Allah’s Favorite (peace be upon him) and claimed the city for the Muslim World. The Hagia Sophia was converted into a great mosque under the Fatih Sultan’s supervision, and it remains 570 years later.