Islamic Calligraphy

Calligraphic Writing

We expect something ornate

Ornamentation with meaning (Allah is the light)

Tawhid: the defining doctrine of Islam. It declares absolute monotheism—
the unity and uniqueness of God as creator and sustainer of the universe.

Illustrations from the Qur'an:
Sura 110: The Divine Support-The Wave of Kanagawa

Illustrations from the Qur'an:
Sura 57: The Iron-Horse

Prayer in the form of a lion:
"Ali bin abi Talib, the victorious lion of God, may God be pleased with him"

A Kufi Square —
hard geometric lines of text, also used in architecture

But it's not all religious:
"This morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know." Groucho Marx

Some of the critical points of "Zaabalawi"