April 05, 2007

Chinese Calligrapher

Haji Noor Deen Mi Guangjiang is a master of Arabic Calligraphy. He has taken it to another level incorporating his Chinese heritage into the way he writes Arabic.

Born in 1963 in Eastern China's Shandong Province, Haji Noor is one of roughly 20 million Chinese Muslims. The first Muslims came to China in 631 AD, sent by the second Caliph Uthman and settled peacefully with the natives due to the mutual values shared by the Muslims and the Chinese at that time; tolerance, respect and compassion. The Muslim settlers embraced the Chinese way of living which can be seen in the today more than 35 000 mosques, built in accordance with Chinese traditions.

Haji Noor has held workshops upon invitation all around the w
orld including Harvard and Cambridge University as well as the Zaytuna Institute in California (founded by American Muslim Hamza Yusuf.)

To order handmade originals by Haji Noor online visit; Zaid's Online Store (that is where I ordered mine)

View Haji Noor's online galleries; Gallery 1 and Gallery 2

10 comments:

Sophia said...

Superb !

Optimistic Guard said...

Wow this is amazing, I had posted some calligraphy on by blog some days back. The amazing talent of these artists is breathtaking.

Prometheus said...

Fantastic. Prometheus bonks himself on the head for not having learnt Arabic in his one year in Dubai.

And the soundtrack is beautiful too. Prometheus bonks himself on the head again for not having discovered this blog earlier.

PS: Prometheus will try to create a less scary avatar ;-)

Anonymous said...

I've met him a couple times; he's a very kind and humble man as well as a phenomenal artist in many styles.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Sophia glad you liked it. Try checking Zaid's out. Shipping should be cheaper for you since you're across the waters :)

OG, yeah I saw, it was amazing. But for me haji Noor is in a different league, he is a genious. Check out his galleries and see the different styles he has mastered.

Prometheus! welcome :) Well hey who can learn arabic in Dubai? official languages are urdu, hindi, tagalog and what not. Certainly not Arabic. I was there in January and I only spoke urdu! I was looking everywhere to speak arabic with someone but noooo, koi bhi nahi.

Glad you like the music :) It's part of a 6 song compilation of a famous old arabic islamic poem called Qasidat al Burdah.

Shaykhspeara thinks Prometheus should stop bonking his head so that maybe he will look a bit less scary then :)

Salams musical chef :) You met him? I missed the time he came to Birmingham uni's islamic society and held a workshop last year. His works are just amazing, would love to meet him someday.

Destitute Rebel said...

This is beautiful caligraphy shaira. I wish I had one.

* said...

Mashallah.

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

D reb, go on and order one! I don't know if they ship to the UAE but I reckon they do?

Kaya have you joined the admiration comittee? lol

Raza Rumi said...

Stunning works..thanks for sharing and posting the links.

www.razarumi.wordpress.com

Shaykhspeara Sha'ira said...

Welcome raza rumi! :)

Thanks,it's my pleasure.