Week 4: CheckPoint - Tenets of Faith
Islamic architecture was significantly directed
towards the building of Mosques. Their structure follows a
practical form in response to their tenets of faith. In
particular there is a place for purification, such as a fountain in the
center, to be used before prayer. Secondly, the Mosques always
have their direction pointed towards Mecca to assist the faithful in
their prayers (salat).
The Minarets also serve an important function within
the Mosque. The Minarets originally "served as beacons of light"
(Minarets, n.d., History and evolution section, para. 1). Later
they served as a place for muezzin to call the faithful to prayer
(Minarets, n.d., History and evolution section, para. 1).
The Persian Poetry of the relationship of lost
lovers can be seen as a metaphor for the for the spiritual walk.
Importantly it could viewed as poetry the prodigal who has left and is
pursued to return to the faith. The poem then ends with a praise
to those who have remained faithful now, and through the ages.
The celebration of spring has at it's core as being
a time for birth and cleansing. This obviously played a very
significant role in Persia since this was a time of blossoming flowers
in an otherwise arid climate.
Sufi dancing was an means to achieve direct contact
with god (Benton & Di Yanni, 2005, p. 169). The circular
spinning dance ultimately became associated with the Whirling Dervishes
as a means of of spiritual outlet. The Whirling Dervishes are
best known for their "famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr
(rememberance [sic] of Allah)" (Mevlevi, n.d., para. 1).
References
Benton, J. & Di Yanni, R. (2005) Arts and culture. An introduction to the humanities. New Jersey: Peason Education, Inc.
Mevlevi (n.d.). Retrieved on July 22, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whirling_dervishes
Minarets (n.d.). Retrieved on July 22, 2005 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minarets
© Erik Smith 2005
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