There it is. The Taj Mahal. A building much talked about, and within the dreams of many travelers who wish to one day lay their eyes upon this sight. For its beauty, splendor, waste, and perhaps even a sort of love as well.
Recently, I saw a rather great program on PBS about the Taj, where experts explained away the Surahs on the buildings what the meant and why. All rather amazing, and all rather different than I had once imagined.
Previously, I was led to believe that the structure was a massive tomb for Shah Jahan's wife. However, the building may have served dual purposes. The second purpose less well known, although not verified was that the massive structure and the surrounding gardens were a model of the thrown of the seat of god, a virtual heaven on earth, by which devout Muslims might realize the world beyond.
This connected quite well to a manuscript Shah Jahan's father held detailing the perceived afterlife heaven, while the Shah's father was rather devoid of religious fervor the Shah was quite the opposite, thus making it at least likely that the Shah at some point in his life saw the manuscript, and then in later life perhaps connected it to the massive palace structure.
Throughout the buildings that encompass the immensity of the Taj there are Surahs written all over the building, as in Islamic practice no images of Allah are permitted, besides a strong aversion to any religious images, thus was born many years before the Taj the artistic calligraphy in Arabic, which survives in all its beauty today.
The last Surah that one sees before venturing into the garden's is the Al Fajr Surah 89. The Dawn, Daybreak. This Surah is especially liberal considering, and you can read it here at Muslim Access. The Surah is assuring in that it promosises the viewer that if they live a good life, then they will be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the most positive verses you may ever read, or perhaps even understand from the Qur'an, of which much is very difficult to understand in Arabic or in English.
Islam in India has always been quite a mix. In my next entry I plan to write a little about the Sufi Muslims just to give you a taste of what it is all about, a rather interesting little tidbit of information to know when traveling to India. I wish I could make it there, even in light of the recent attacks from Pakistan.
(Image courtesy Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons. )
Recently, I saw a rather great program on PBS about the Taj, where experts explained away the Surahs on the buildings what the meant and why. All rather amazing, and all rather different than I had once imagined.
Previously, I was led to believe that the structure was a massive tomb for Shah Jahan's wife. However, the building may have served dual purposes. The second purpose less well known, although not verified was that the massive structure and the surrounding gardens were a model of the thrown of the seat of god, a virtual heaven on earth, by which devout Muslims might realize the world beyond.
This connected quite well to a manuscript Shah Jahan's father held detailing the perceived afterlife heaven, while the Shah's father was rather devoid of religious fervor the Shah was quite the opposite, thus making it at least likely that the Shah at some point in his life saw the manuscript, and then in later life perhaps connected it to the massive palace structure.
Throughout the buildings that encompass the immensity of the Taj there are Surahs written all over the building, as in Islamic practice no images of Allah are permitted, besides a strong aversion to any religious images, thus was born many years before the Taj the artistic calligraphy in Arabic, which survives in all its beauty today.
The last Surah that one sees before venturing into the garden's is the Al Fajr Surah 89. The Dawn, Daybreak. This Surah is especially liberal considering, and you can read it here at Muslim Access. The Surah is assuring in that it promosises the viewer that if they live a good life, then they will be accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the most positive verses you may ever read, or perhaps even understand from the Qur'an, of which much is very difficult to understand in Arabic or in English.
Islam in India has always been quite a mix. In my next entry I plan to write a little about the Sufi Muslims just to give you a taste of what it is all about, a rather interesting little tidbit of information to know when traveling to India. I wish I could make it there, even in light of the recent attacks from Pakistan.
(Image courtesy Wikipedia Wikimedia Commons. )
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