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
And it's not all in Arabic.
You'll recognize this figured calligraphy.
Some of the critical points of "Zaabalawi"