Ittaqullah!

A mathematical breakthrough 500 years earlier than Western scholars August 16th, 2007

Islam is the most superior of all religions in the world today, and truly the Muslims are the ummatan wasatan of world civilisation. Do not let anyone allow you to think otherwise. When we are greeted with such news, Muslims reply with the phrase “Alhamdulillah!” in praise of Almighty Allah and “Subhanallah!” in acknowledgement of Him.

Takbir! Allahu Akbar!

A mathematical breakthrough 500 years earlier than Western scholars
By Will Dunham 2 hours, 16 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Magnificently sophisticated geometric patterns in medieval Islamic architecture indicate their designers achieved a mathematical breakthrough 500 years earlier than Western scholars, scientists said on Thursday.

By the 15th century, decorative tile patterns on these masterpieces of Islamic architecture reached such complexity that a small number boasted what seem to be “quasicrystalline” designs, Harvard University’s Peter Lu and Princeton University’s Paul Steinhardt wrote in the journal Science.

Only in the 1970s did British mathematician and cosmologist Roger Penrose become the first to describe these geometric designs in the West. Quasicrystalline patterns comprise a set of interlocking units whose pattern never repeats, even when extended infinitely in all directions, and possess a special form of symmetry.

“Oh, it’s absolutely stunning,” Lu said in an interview. “They made tilings that reflect mathematics that were so sophisticated that we didn’t figure it out until the last 20 or 30 years.”

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Islamic Art Exhibition in London July 30th, 2007

A new exhibition of Islamic art from across the Muslim world aims to do far more than unite unusual, luxurious and rarely-seen objects. Organizers of this London event say that they hope that the illuminated Qur’ans, the perfume bottle which look like cross tattoos carved from rock crystal and the leaf skeleton decorated with sacred text will change the way people think about Islam. The Spirit & Life exhibition, Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the Aga Khan Museum Collection, is currently on display at London’s Ismaili Centre until 31st August 2007.

A page from the luxurious “Blue Qur’an”, made in North Africa, and dating from the 10th Century.

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TH Selborn July 30th, 2007

I’ve always admired the strong Islamic architecture of the TH Selborn building and so, when the opportunity presents itself, I did not miss it. Took this a few weeks ago during a slight traffic jam on the flyover at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. I don’t think there would be any such opportunity that presents itself to be able to capture the Islamic art on the TH Selborn building. Its definitely not the San Diego Ivy Hotel, that is for certain.

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Omar Ali Mosque in Brunei June 22nd, 2007

From Wikipedia:

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a royal Islamic mosque located in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. The mosque is classified as one of the most spectacular mosques in the Asia Pacific and a major tourist attraction. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is considered amongst the people of Brunei as the country’s major landmark.

I agree that it is most certainly a beautiful mosque, masha’allah. I received a couple of photos of the mosque in my inbox just now. Here is a picture of the interior.

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