Elaborately decorated front facade of the al-Aqmar Mosque.

The Fatimids, it could be thus inferred, were among the first in Islamic civilization who used the power of writing signs on buildings in order to advance and publicize their ideological struggle.[1] The earliest Muslim example of using buildings and building decoration systems as a means for promoting a spiritual mission and cause could be traced back to the creation of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem which was initially completed in 72 AH /691 CE at the order of the Umayyad caliph ‘Abd al-Malik b. Marwan (d. 86 AH /705 CE). Via the ways the building and its decorative styles and strategies were perceived, planned and executed, the local Jewish and Christian population was mainly targeted.[2] However, the way the Fatimids made recourse to utilizing the power of letters and symbols on buildings for advertizing and promoting their struggle and cause was like what nobody has ever seen before.

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The courtyard of the Mosque of al-Azhar.

The Shi’ah Fatimids were a major Isma’ili Shi’ah dynasty. They founded their own caliphate, in rivalry with the ‘Abbasids, and ruled over different parts of the Islamic world, from North Africa and Sicily to Palestine and Syria. The Fatimid period was also the golden age of Isma’ili thought and literature. Established in 297 AH /909 CE in Ifriqiyah (today’s Tunisia, Western Libya and Eastern Algeria), the seat of the Fatimids was later transferred to Egypt in 362 AH /972 CE, and the dynasty was finally overthrown by Salahuddin al-Ayyubi (Saladin) (d. 590 AH /1193 CE) in 567 AH /1171 CE, when the fourteenth and last Fatimid caliph, al-‘Adid li Dinillah (d. 567 AH /1171 CE), lay dying in Cairo.[1]

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It was a mentality of duly applying the precept of following the religion of Islam and inventing civilization that caused Muslims to know no limits or constraints when it came to originality and creativity while inventing and using the legitimate matters of culture and civilization, with architecture being their integral part. However, when it came to religion: its permanent belief system, standard practices and the body of spiritual values and principles, there was no room whatsoever for any slightest compromise or disregard in relation to their proper interpretation and application. There was no room at all for inventing in religion because Islam had been perfected by Allah, so doing anything like that would have implied opposition to the authority of Allah and His will. Allah says on this: “…This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.” (al-Tawbah, 3).

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In the new phase of the mosque’s existence, which was marked by a partial institutional decentralization, there came about three patterns in the mosque’s relationship with the newly modeled social, political, educational and religious institutions. Those three patterns were as follows.

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Following the full institutionalization of many roles and functions of the mosque, the Muslim society and the way it functioned underwent quite a few drastic changes from what it used to be. There became many independent socio-political, educational and religious institutions which were responsible for advancing, guiding and administering the society. Those institutions gradually evolved from the simple and rudimentary roles and functions which were performed by the mosque institution since the earliest days. Their evolution went hand-in-hand with the evolution of the Muslim society and its civilizational and global aspirations, goals and challenges. Following the latest developments, the Muslim society became a complex and multi institutional one. The mosque institution, despite its most prominent and most influential position in society, was just one of many institutions. However, most of those institutions still clustered around the central mosques in Muslim cities and towns — where in fact they initially had been conceived and whence they had originated — while a few other institutions were positioned elsewhere due to the reasons related, mainly, to the unavailability of appropriate and strategic spaces in the central point of a city or a town with a principal mosque (jami’) in it. Some institutions stood away from the central mosques and the cities’ inner focal points, furthermore, due to the fact that their functions would be optimized and their objectives better accomplished if they were positioned somewhere else clear of the bustling and congested nucleuses of the city centers. Some examples of the institutions which were positioned farther than the city centers dominated by the main mosque (jami’) were those institutions which did not always serve the interests of all the strata of society, such as hospitals, detention and rehabilitation centers, specialized educational establishments, etc.

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Building the City and its Main Features

The very site that has been selected for the new city is reported to have been a common field known as al-Mubarakah that was shared by many people – according to al-Tabari, sixty of them.[1] Al-Mansur bought the land from its owners in a manner that satisfied them. There stood various big and small settlements surrounding the city. They, at a later date, became totally soaked up by its rapid development, and as such constituted the city’s immediate suburbs.[2]

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Surveying and Choosing the Site

No sooner had al-Mansur made up his mind to do himself and the ruling family justice and forsake the existing vulnerable seat of government, than he set out to look for a site that may meet the necessary requirements for a new metropolis. He is said to have asked for soil samples from different cities and potentially suitable sites so that a kind of study by the then available means and tools could be conducted.[1] He surely wanted to determine the soil conditions, its fertility, the moisture-retention capabilities, and to what extent it is unsusceptible to some unfavorable environmental factors as well as certain bugs and pests which may at any time severely damage plants and crops.

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Introduction

Islamic theory of general planning and urbanization is as old as the Muslim community. Its fundamental principles have been comprehensively laid in the Holy Qur’an, as well as in the sayings and practices of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Certainly, the best manifestation of the early Islamic planning and urbanization is the establishment of the Muslim society in Madinah in the wake of the migration from Makkah. The matter henceforth was evolving steadily correspondingly with both the rapid spread of Islam throughout the world, and the incredible growth of the civilization and culture inspired by the Islamic world-view.

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What makes a city Islamic?

An ideal Islamic city is the one whose layout, urban fabric, design and function, are inspired primarily by Islam, are permeated with the Islamic spirit, and stand for the embodiment of Islamic principles and values. It facilitates, fosters and stimulates man’s ceaseless ‘ibadah (worship) activities entrusted to him by his Lord, helping him thus to elevate his status over that of the angels and honorably live up to his reputation as the vicegerent on earth.

Continue reading Conceptualizing the Phenomenon of the Islamic City (Madinah) (Part Four) →

One of the most important Islamic principles that govern the relationship between the residents of the Islamic city (Madinah), between them and the government, is the one highlighted in a hadith of the Prophet (pbuh): “There is neither harming nor reciprocating harm”, or “There is neither injury nor return of injury.”[1] The message of the hadith is that everyone should exercise his full rights in what is rightfully his, providing the decisions/actions do not generate harm to others.[2] Likewise, none shall return injury in case it has been inflicted on him, intentionally or otherwise. The people are instead encouraged to share both their happiness and sorrow, care for each other, respect the rule of law, and peacefully settle their disputes. This way, they will secure sound and friendly relations, as well as a healthy environment conducive to all kinds of human constructive engagements.

Continue reading Conceptualizing the Phenomenon of the Islamic City (Madinah) (Part Three) →