(3 minute read)
“Surely, all things We have created in proportion and measure.” (54:49)
Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. He has created the cosmos with an underlying niẓam (order) and qadar (measure), weaving symmetry and harmony together seamlessly. We see this in the multitude of creation and in the geometry of patterns and shapes. A particularly common example of this is the golden ratio: a ratio of two dimensions that equals approximately 1.618.
Infographic showing the golden ratio, golden spiral, and golden rectangle (sketchplanations).
As shown above, we can construct a golden rectangle using two dimensions that obey the golden ratio. If we remove a square from the golden rectangle, a new golden rectangle results and so on. Repeating this process yields what is known as a golden spiral. These spirals are seen throughout nature, such as the shape of some mollusk shells, pinecones and sunflowers.
Examples of golden spirals seen in nature (Pros).
The golden ratio also appears in Islamic art and architecture. For example, the sizing of letters in Islamic calligraphy often relies on the golden ratio to achieve beauty and balance.
Golden ratio applied to the basmallah (Al Yusuf).
Both of these images show examples of calligraphic construction using the golden ratio. Left: letters ṣād and ṭah (Shaukat). Right: the word ʿalayhim (upon them) (Elouaki).
Lattice patterns and star polygons rely on golden ratios for harmony, consistency and symmetry. Golden circles serve as the basis of more intricate patterns, while golden polygons such as pentagons and decagons incorporate complexity into designs. A dazzling example of this is seen on a panel at al-ʿAṭarīn Madrasah in Fes, Morocco.
Left: detail of a panel at al-ʿAṭarīn Madrasah in Fes, Morocco. Right: model of the central ten-pointed rosette. This particular base is then replicated multiple times throughout the panel (Benslimane, flickr).
The pattern in the center (anchored by the burnt orange star) is a ten-pointed star (or ten-pointed rosette) that is replicated throughout the panel. If we examine the lengths of the segments from this particular rosette we arrive at the golden ratio! This same ten-pointed star not only yields this particular pattern, but when arranged differently, a multitude of other patterns as well.
Four different patterns all based on the same ten-pointed star (Benslimane). Curiously, when asked to choose the most pleasing rosette, the left-most rosette (which exhibits the golden ratio) is often selected.
Throughout the Muslim world, we see many architectural applications of the golden ratio, including the Court of Lions (and fountain) in Alhambra, the Great Masjid of Qayrawan (Tunisia), the Sultan Abdul Halim Masjid (Kedah, Malaysia, pre-renovation), the Delhi Jamiʿ Masjid and the masajid of Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan.
The Court of Lions in Alhambra (Maidan Project).
Golden ratio displayed in the Fountain of Lions in Alhambra and each of the twelve lions (Bennis).
Left: the Great Masjid of Qayrawan (Tunisia) shows the golden ratio in its overall plan, court, prayer area, and minaret. Right: Golden proportion mapping onto the minaret (Mazouz).
Top: Suleymaniye Masjid complex (Islamic Architectural Heritage). Bottom: section of the Suleymaniye Masjid complex–the masjid (right) forms a square, while the fountain courtyard (left) a rectangle. When those two shapes are added together, a larger golden rectangle is formed (Jamali).
Perhaps one of the most breathtaking applications of the golden ratio is the Taj Mahal. Built in the 17th century (CE) by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, it displays the golden ratio in several instances like the:
1. calligraphy and inlaid patterns
2. ratio of the height to the width of the arches
3. golden spiral in the main structure
4. golden rectangles in the frame of the main gate and outer frames of the main building.
The golden spiral superimposed on the main portion of the Taj Mahal (Pinterest). The two dimensions obeying the golden ratio a (blue) and b (red) are also superimposed.
Golden rectangles (red) within the main structure (Phimatrix).
The placement and scale of the calligraphy on the main facade of the Taj Mahal exhibit the golden ratio (Asitjain).
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Complexity, geometry, and harmony permeate Islamic art and architecture from across the globe. By striving to replicate the geometric order and proportions that Allah has placed in the cosmos, Islamic art and architecture evoke beauty, harmony, and the complexity and variety of Allah’s creation; and though no human-made endeavor could ever exceed that of the Divine, Islamic art and architecture provide a metaphor for Allah and the multitude of His creation, a multiplicity from One.