Muhaqqaq is one of the main six types of

calligraphic Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as " ...

script in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

.John F. A. Sawyer, J. M. Y. Simpson, R. E. Asher (eds.), ''Concise Encyclopedia of Language and Religion'', Elsevier, New York 2001, , p. 253. The

word ''muḥaqqaq'' () means "consummate" or "clear", and originally was used to denote any accomplished piece of calligraphy.Mansour, 139–140. Often used to copy ''maṣāḥif'' (singular ''muṣḥaf'', i.e. loose sheets of

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...

texts), this intricate type of script was considered one of the most beautiful, as well as one of the most difficult to execute well.Mansour, 30. The script saw its greatest use in the

Mameluk Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning "slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') i ...

era (1250–1516/1517).Mansour, 278 In the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, it was gradually displaced by ''

Thuluth ''Thuluth'' ( ar, ثُلُث, ' or ar, خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, '; fa, ثلث, ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new sc ...

'' and '' Naskh''; from the 18th century onward, its use was largely restricted to the ''

Basmala The ''Basmala'' ( ar, بَسْمَلَة, ; also known by its incipit ; , "In the name of Allah"), or Tasmiyyah (Arabic: ), is the titular name of the Islamic phrase "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" (Arabic: , ) ...

'' in ''

Hilya The term ''hilya'' (Arabic , plural: ''ḥilan'', ''ḥulan''; tr, hilye, plural: ) denotes both a visual form in Ottoman art and a religious genre of Ottoman Turkish literature, each dealing with the physical description of Muhammad. Hilya lit ...

s''.Mansour, 187.

History

The earliest reference to ''muḥaqqaq'' writing is found in the '' Kitab al-Fihrist'' by Ibn al-Nadim, and the term was probably in use since the beginning of the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

era to denote a specific writing style.Mansour, 91. Master calligraphers like

Ibn Muqla Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muqla ( ar, أبو علي محمد بن علي ابن مقلة, Abū ʿAlī Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Muqla; 885/6 – 20 July 940/1), commonly known as Ibn Muqla, was an official of the Abbasid Caliphate of Per ...

and

Ibn al-Bawwab Ibn al-Bawwāb (), also known as Ali ibn-Hilal, Abu'l-Hasan, and Ibn al-Sitri, was an Arabic calligrapher and illuminator who lived in Baghdad. He is the figure most associated with the adoption of round script to transcribe the Qur'an. He most ...

contributed to the development of this and other scripts, and defined its rules and standards within Islamic calligraphy.Mansour, 20.

Gallery

Khalili Collection Islamic Art qur 0087 fol 26b-27a.jpg, Double-page from the Qur'an in muhaqqaq dedicated to Abu’l-Qasim Harun ibn ‘Ali ibn Zafar, the vizier of Özbeg (r 1210–1225), the last atabak of Azerbaijan.

Khalili Collection of Islamic Art The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art includes 28,000 objects documenting Islamic art over a period of almost 1400 years, from 700 AD to the end of the twentieth century. It is the largest of the Khalili Collections: eight collection ...

Folios 1b-2a from Part 15 of a 30-part Qur’an copied by Ya'qut al-Musta'simi in Baghdad 1282-1283 AD (681 AH).jpg, Double-page from the Qur'an in muhaqqaq copied by

Yaqut al-Musta'simi Yaqut al-Musta'simi (Persian: یاقوت مستعصمی)(Arabic: ياقوت المستعصمي) (also Yakut-i Musta'simi) (died 1298) was a well-known calligrapher and secretary of the last Abbasid caliph. Life and work He was probably of Gre ...

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesip ...

, 1282/1283. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art Double-page from the Ilkhanid Qur'an (TIEM 538, ff. 151b-152a).jpg, Double-page from the Qur'an in muhaqqaq copied by Ahmad al-Suhrawardi. Baghdad, 1307/1308. Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum Opening double page from the Sultan Shaban's Qur'an (DK Masahif Rasid 10, ff. 2b-3a).jpg, Opening pages from the Qur'an in muhaqqaq copied by Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mukattib al-Ashrafi.

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

, 1372. Egyptian National Library Unknown, Central Asia, 15th Century - Page from Colossal Qur'an - Google Art Project.jpg, Page from the Qur'an in muhaqqaq copied for

Timur Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

by Umar Aqta.

Samarkand fa, سمرقند , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zi ...

, c. 1400. Museum of Islamic Art, Doha Album leaf from a Murakka by Hafiz Osman (MIK I.1985.11.1).jpg, Album Leaf from a

Muraqqa A Muraqqa ( tr, Murakka, ar, مورّقة, fa, مُرَقّع) is an album in book form containing Islamic miniature paintings and specimens of Islamic calligraphy, normally from several different sources, and perhaps other matter. The album ...

Hâfiz Osman Hâfiz Osman ( ota, حافظ عثمان Modern Turkish: ''Hâfız Osman'') (1642–1698) was an Ottoman calligrapher noted for improving the script and for developing a layout template for the hilye which became the classical approach to page des ...

with ''

basmala The ''Basmala'' ( ar, بَسْمَلَة, ; also known by its incipit ; , "In the name of Allah"), or Tasmiyyah (Arabic: ), is the titular name of the Islamic phrase "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" (Arabic: , ) ...

'' in muhaqqaq (upper panel).

Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_ ...

, 1693/1694.

Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin The Museum of Islamic Art (german: Museum für Islamische Kunst) is located in the Pergamon Museum and is part of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Collection The museum exhibits diverse works of Islamic art from the 7th century to 19th centu ...

Notes

References

* Nassar Mansour (author), Mark Allen (ed.): ''Sacred Script: Muhaqqaq in Islamic Calligraphy'', I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd, New York 2011, Arabic calligraphy {{arabic-script-stub

History

Gallery

See also

Notes

References