Summary: There is a lot of debate over what exactly is ldquo;Muslimrdquo; or ldquo;Islamicrdquo; art. How do you define the art of a religion that spans cultures? Therersquo;s no easy answer to that ndash; but there is one form of Islamic art that has crossed cultural and national barriers: Calligraphy. Arabic is sacred in Islam because it is the language that Allah used to communicate with the Prophet Muhammad. Once the Qurrsquo;an began to be written down on tree leaves and leather, people began to focus on beautifying the text in order to honor the words of Allah. Because of this, calligraphy flourished and has become the most revered form of art in the Muslim world. Out of the pure text grew abstract flourishes and geometric designs ndash; these too becoming hallmarks of Islamic art. The depiction of other things ndash; like humans and animals ndash; is up for debate. There are those who see no problem with depicting human beings. While others argue that depicting living beings is a form of idolatry and a sin against Allah. Some architecture can also be considered examples of Islamic art. The most famous being the Taj Mahal in India.
