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clarity.”30 Zakariya argues that because communication is facilitated by both the form and content of calligraphy, the form must be clear and precise. Ahmad cites an interesting debate about legibility and clarity regarding ghubar, or “dust,” script: For the Lord of the Time, Amir Timur Gurkan, he wrote a copy (of the Quran) in ghubar writing; it was so small in volume that it could be fitted under the socket of a signet ring. He presented it to the Lord of the Time, but as he had written the divine word in such microscopic characters, (Timur) did not approve of it or accept it and did not deign to favor him.31 Qur’an manuscripts of this miniscule size are not the stuff of legends. Indeed, Indiana University has a Safavid miniature Qur’an in its collection, which has been dated to 26 May 1551 and measures 6.3 x 5.7 cm.32 The “Qur’an on Two Pages,” housed by the Aga Khan Institute, is a manuscript in ghubar script, measuring just 48.6 x 69 x 0.8 cm, which has been the popular prototype for copies owned and displayed by Muslim families. While Amir Timur Gurkan appears to have disapproved of Qur’anic manuscripts in ghubar script on the basis of a theological preference for practical legibility, miniature Qur’anic manuscripts have elsewhere been well-received by patrons and the popular audience. The “Epistle of Maulana Sultan-‘Ali” states, “O qalam! Sharpen the tongue of explanation.”33 The varied reactions to Qur’anic manuscripts in ghubar script suggest that there is not a singular understanding of whether by privileging clarity the calligrapher must also necessarily privilege legibility. Zakariya, in fact, creates mirror-writing calligrams, which is illegible except with the aid of a mirror. We also saw in the previous chapter that Nja Mahdaoui seeks to provoke experience through illegibility. Legibility in the strict linearnarrative-textual is challenged by many calligraphic genres, but the invitation to engage knowledge through visual and aural mediums is encouraged.
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Ritual
In addition to adhering to precise guidelines in preparing and utilizing the tools and materials of the calligraphic craft, Zakariya argues that calligraphy when properly executed performs specific religious and social functions. Zakariya’s dedication to precision and legibility are intimately related to his understanding of calligraphy as a religious, ritual 30
Zakariya, “Music for the Eyes.” al-Husaini, Calligraphers and Painters, 24/64. 32 University of Indiana Website. “Miniature Qur’an.” Accessed 24 March 2011. <http://www.iub.edu>. 33 al-Husaini, Calligraphers and Painters, 61/106. 31