Prophet’s Mosque calligrapher describes ‘unbelievable’ life in Madinah

Khan was honored for his efforts and proficiency by President of the General Presidency for the affairs of the two Holy mosques, sheikh abdulrahman bin abdulaziz al-sudais. (Supplied)
Khan was honored for his efforts and proficiency by President of the General Presidency for the affairs of the two Holy mosques, sheikh abdulrahman bin abdulaziz al-sudais. (Supplied)
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Updated 27 August 2024
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Prophet’s Mosque calligrapher describes ‘unbelievable’ life in Madinah

Prophet’s Mosque calligrapher describes ‘unbelievable’ life in Madinah
  • Three works by Pakistani artist Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan hang in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa

JEDDAH: Nearly 55 years ago, a young Pakistani calligrapher embarked on a captivating journey to master the Islamic art form of calligraphy. Today, his work adorns the walls of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, known in Saudi Arabia as “Al-Haram Calligrapher,” is proud that his journey into calligraphy, which began in childhood, brought him to the second holiest and largest mosque in the world.




Three of Khan’s paintings hang in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa, each of which are made of 24-karat gold and took six months of work. (Supplied)

“In my childhood I used to write on the walls of my house, other houses on our street, on school notebooks and the covers of my brothers’ books. I had a passion for beautiful handwriting,” he told Arab News.

Khan, who has lived in the Kingdom for 45 years, said coming to Madinah was the probably the greatest thing happened in his life: “I spent half of my life in Madinah and wish to live the rest of my life there.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, known in Saudi Arabia as ‘Al-Haram Calligrapher,’ is proud that his journey into calligraphy brought him to Madinah.

• He was awarded the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in Pakistan, considered the highest literary award given by the state.

• He finds a peace while doing calligraphy in Madinah that he has not discovered anywhere else, he said.

He continued: “Living in Madinah and at the same time being the calligrapher of the Prophet’s Mosque … that’s unbelievable.”

He finds a peace while doing calligraphy in Madinah that he has not discovered anywhere else, he added.

Born in Rawalpindi and raised in Karachi, the 68-year-old’s passion for calligraphy was ignited while painting signboards for shops around the Pakistani capital to earn a modest living.

I was happy to move to the place that I dreamed of since I was young and the most important thing for me was just to be close to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, Arabic calligrapher

In 1979, a Saudi businessman visiting Karachi saw some of Khan’s paintings and engaged him to work at the company he owned in Riyadh. After proving his prowess as a calligrapher in the advertising industry, he was offered a job in Madinah.

“Despite my good status in Riyadh and the great relationship I had with my sponsor, I was so happy to move to the place that I dreamed of since I was young and the most important thing for me was just to be close to the Prophet’s Mosque,” said Khan.

“In 1991, the management of the Prophet’s Mosque announced a competition to choose a calligrapher to restore the Qur’anic writings in the mosque dating back to the Ottoman era. I decided to enter the competition, but the organizing committee refused my registration because I was not a professional calligrapher and also my native language was not Arabic, and they thought it would be hard to compete against other Arab calligraphers.”




Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, Arabic calligrapher

Khan managed to convince the organizing committee that his skills and passion for his craft meant he should be given a chance. He went on to win the contest.

“There were calligraphers from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and other Arab countries but I was confident and was so happy to be selected as the winner,” said Khan.

His work did not stop at restoring the existing writings and verses. He was assigned to write in a number of domes in the Haram, combining “revitalizing ancient writings with the implementation of new calligraphic paintings.”

He was also entrusted with writing new plaques for several chapters, including the Chapter of Peace, the Chapter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the Chapter of Mercy and the Chapter of Gabriel.

“All the works that I executed carry the same importance, whether they are the Qur’anic paintings that I executed in a number of domes, on the walls, or the names of the doors. This place is unusual for every Muslim, and it was an honor for me to work there,” he said.

After completing calligraphy on the 177 domes, he received positive feedback on his work. One dome takes approximately two months to complete, including the design and implementation.

Three of Khan’s paintings hang in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa, each of which are made of 24-karat gold and took six months of work.

The calligrapher enjoyed a proud moment when the President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, honored him for his efforts and proficiency.

“It was unforgettable moment for me … I will always cherish it,” he said.

Khan has also won several competitions at national and international level and was awarded the President’s Award for Pride of Performance in Pakistan, considered the highest literary award given by the state.

 


Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture
Updated 22 sec ago
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Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture
  • It shows how the role of the camel evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon embodying the Kingdom’s values

PARIS: The Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris this week featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, and offered a glimpse into their enduring place in society, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and the ways in which camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 “The Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of the Arabian cultural identity. Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

UNESCO’s Arab Week, which features 22 Arab nations, was initiated by Saudi Arabia. Guests at the official opening of the event on Monday included Saudi envoys, ambassadors representing other nations, Arab and other international diplomats stationed in France, and officials from UNESCO.


AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Updated 48 min 16 sec ago
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

Green initiative launched in Eastern Region
Updated 05 November 2024
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Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

Green initiative launched in Eastern Region
  • Goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks
  • Scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign

DAMMAM: The Eastern Region Municipality has announced a special initiative involving 30 volunteers to mark National Greening Season, launched by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.

The goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks in a bid to improve air quality, reduce heat and enhance biodiversity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign under the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to promote sustainable environmental development and enhance vegetation cover.

The municipality emphasized the initiative would help combat desertification and promote the achievement of environmental balance through the use of locally suitable plants. 

It highlighted how collaboration with various institutions will raise awareness about afforestation and support green infrastructure, thereby improving the quality of life in the Eastern Region.


Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites
Updated 05 November 2024
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Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites
  • Map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad
  • Forms part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark

RIYADH: The Madinah Research and Studies Center has released an updated version of the Innaha Taybah map, which features 50 historical and archaeological sites in the region.

The map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

This comes as part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark that introduces the place and allows users to view the historical site’s details.

It contains significant landmarks that tourists can visit, starting with the Prophet’s Mosque, the most prominent site in Madinah and a destination for Muslim visitors throughout the year.

Also featured are Baqi’ Al-Gharqad, Al-Safiyyah Museum and Park, the Architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque Exhibition and the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography.

The map also includes prominent historical mosques that were built during the Prophet’s era and are still standing, such as the Mosque of Al-Ghamama, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, Al-Sajdah Mosque, Al-Ijabah Mosque, Al-Suqya Mosque, Al-Manaratain Mosque, Bani Haram Mosque, Al-Fatah Mosque, Al-Rayah Mosque, Bani Harithah Mosque, Al-Shaikhain Mosque, Al-Jumu’ah Mosque, and Quba Mosque.

The Innaha Taybah map includes numerous archaeological landmarks, notably the Sela Mountain, Jabal Aynayn (Al-Rumat), the Martyrs of Uhud Cemetery, and ancient wells that have been rehabilitated as part of a project to restore historical sites in the region. These include Bir Al-Khatam (Well of Arees), Athq Well, Al-Ihn Well, the Well of Ghars and Al-Foqair Well. Other sites include the Urwa Palace, Al-Jamawat, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, and natural landmarks connected to events that took place in Madinah during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and subsequent eras.


Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises
Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s call for an Arab-Islamic summit to address ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in a session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

The cabinet also stressed the urgent need for a political resolution to the crisis in Sudan, urging all parties to honor the commitments outlined in the "Jeddah Declaration" of May 2023. It emphasized the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, a cessation of hostilities, and the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

The cabinet also reviewed the Kingdom’s recent hosting of the inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, which brought together representatives from 90 countries and international organizations.