Islam & Housing
Author: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer
Publish Date: 2010
Pages: 360
Publisher: AS Noordeen, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (asnoordeen@yahoo.com)
ISBN: 978-983-065-305-1
About the book:
The house is a microcosm of culture and civilization because the primary elements of society, individuals organized along with the family lines, are born, raised and educated in them. The strength of the institutions of the family and house denotes the strength of a society and the verve of its cultural and civilizational agenda. Similarly, frailties in the institutions of the family and house denote frailties in a society and in its cultural and civilizational agenda. The house dominion is where people rise and fall, that is to say, where people either succeed or fail in managing and conducting the most crucial aspects of their lives. Housing is where the epicenter of the rise and fall of cultures and civilizations lies.
This book discusses the subject of housing in Islam, as both a concept and a sensory reality. The book seeks to enhance the awareness, both of the housing professionals and general readership, as to the importance of correctly conceptualizing, creating and using Islamic domestic architecture. The book is divided into three chapters, namely, “The Holy Qur’an on housing”, “The lessons of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in housing”, and “Muslims and housing today”.
The following issues, mainly, are extensively covered in the book: the Islamic house as a family development center; the Islamic house as a shelter and private sanctuary; Islamic housing and the issues of privacy, recreation, aesthetics, social integration and comprehensive excellence; the form and function in the Islamic house; the relationship between the house institution and the rest of societal institutions in developing Islamic society; Islamic housing between yesterday and today; the relationship between the state of education and the state of housing in the Muslim world; necessary steps towards a contemporary Islamic housing; some practical suggestions for designing Islamic houses today.
About the author:
Dr. Spahic Omer is a Bosnian who lives and works in Malaysia. He studied in Bosnia, Egypt and Malaysia. Presently, he is an Associate Professor at the Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia. His extensive research interests cover Islamic history, culture and civilization, as well as the history and philosophy of Islamic built environment.”