Khat or Script Writing Or Calligraphy
I guess a lot of people find it daunting of the task to write the “Jawi.” A lot of our children, who goes to the Islamic schools are used to it, but what I want to discuss here, is writing it properly for Quranic purposes.
I for one, are not able to read properly the jawi writing. I was the 60's child, where reading the quran was done at home or taught by Uztazah. I was fortunate to have my mum to teach me the basics and when I moved to my kampung, my grandparents took over. It was fun days, where children from close by the house come nitely except Thursday nite to learn from my grandparents. As a reward, they, including me would gravitate to our television after finishing their reading. There were few televisions in the kampung then. And it was a treat for everyone.
To write khat is a skill I think every Muslim ladies (esp.) should learn and experience. It opens up to a lot of possibilities and interesting knowledge. As an example, the font is very proportional. That is the size of the nib of the pen determines the size of the letters, hence the size of the words and so on. There’s some minor calculations and preparations you start to write. For a khat writer, who would have numerous nib sizes, he would just choose one which is appropriate for the occasion or the page.
The font of these khat writings started with kufi/c long time ago. Texts were written on palm fronds, stones, or skins. The writings didn’t have the strokes for easy reading. However, in my opinion it is an ideal font for architectural purposes. Due to it being in block form, it can be even made into buildings, and can be read easily from an aerial point of view and it would be wonderful for some Islamic building, in keeping with its concept.
Islamic Calligraphy like any other calligraphy starts with the pen used. Each and every country has its own type of reed for writing. We were made to understand by a prominent Calligrapher that a Calligrapher value his/her reed for writing the Quran like gold. And if received a reed would cherish it more than anything else.
In Malaysia, we are blessed with a few options like the Ijok (black sugar-palm), bamboo and handam (Dicranopteris linearis [Family: Gleicheniaceae])( the stem from a fern like plant).
The Ijok comes from a palmate tree. It looks like a brush of the tree and if not careful,the fruit accidently broken can sting like acid. Due to its size, the writing is small and fine. Usually used to write the strokes for the writing.
Bamboo is another option for writing. It is selected carefully, as it must be small enough to write but a lot of times it is hard.
Handam is the most suitable as it comes in handy sizes for holding like a pen, and once cured, the ‘nib’ is flexible enough to feel like a pen. It can be found everywhere. It just needs proper curing and can be cut to a comfortable length.
Once it is cured, the handam is like a piece of bamboo. You need to slice it carefully to make it look like a nib and cut the nib to the angle of your two fingers (index finger and middle fingers). This is just a guide. You also need the finest sand paper to smoothen the nib and to get your angle for writing.
This is what make the reed personal, because once you have smootherned it, it is written best by only the owner.
The next thing you must have is an ink pot lined with some gauze. This is to ensure you can put enough ink with some water. The gauze ensures the nib does not pick too much ink.
‘The calamus with which the human hand writes is a direct symbol of that Divine Qalam and the calligraphy it traces on paper or parchment and image of that Divine Calligraphy which has written the very reality of all things upon the pages of the cosmic book, . . . ‘
The paper which a first timer should use must be a smooth paper or coated paper such as matt art paper. This is to ensure that the writer is able to keep the ink longer, and gaining encouragement to practice better. Unlike our normal ‘bought at the shop pen’, it needs repeated dipping into the ink pot. Dependent upon the roughness of the ‘nib’, the ink will be absorbed into the paper faster. It will be extra laborious to dip more often and sometime be discouraging for starters.
I would suggest using a double pencil(halved in the middle), tied by a rubber band for starters.
It will not be so daunting to write without having to worry about ink.
"Thro the qalam existence received God’s orders.
From Him the candle of the qalam receiveds its light.
The qalam is a cypress in the garden of knowledge.
The shadow of its order is spread over the dust."quotes from Islamic Art and Spirituality by Seyyed Hossein Nasar
