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R.E.
TITLE OF UNIT:
Islamic art
KEY THEME:
Symbol
KEY CONCEPT:
Allah
Y6 Autumn 2
STRANDS /
FIELDS OF ENQUIRY:: AT1: Forms of expression
Beliefs, teachings and Sources
AT2: Questions of Meaning Purpose and Truth
AT 1 (See Local Agreed Syllabus)
AT 2
Learning outcomes
Explore how Islamic beliefs, ideas and feelings can be expressed in a variety of images. Explain their
symbolism.
 Explain how belief is communicated through art.
 Reflect on the emotions that Islamic art engineers.
 Identify how different cultures are reflected in religious art.
Expectations – levels of attainment (See Local Agreed Syllabus)
Nearly all can:- (LEVEL 2)
.
Many can:- (LEVEL 2/3)
Some children have progressed further and can:- (LEVEL 3)
Skills
 Reflection
 Communication / Expression
 Enquiry / Investigation
 Empathy
 Interpretation
 Reasoning
 Synthesis
 Evaluation
Key attitudes and values
Respect / Sensitivity for all
 Open mindedness
 Appreciation, Awe and Wonder
Opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
(See Local Agreed Syllabus)
e.g.
 Appreciation and wonder
 Appreciation of art from different cultures
 Aesthetic and historical awareness increased
 Exploration of the concept of revelation and religious experience
Every child matters
Cross curricular links
Being Healthy
Art
Enjoy and Achieve
Maths
Making a Positive Contribution
Science
Staying Safe
Social cohesion
Understanding Muslim culture
Economic Well being
Prior learning
Awareness that many faiths share similarities.
Year 4: Abraham
Year 5: Muhammad
Year 6: The Shahadah
Key vocabulary
Sacred
Depict
Traditional/modern
Image
Geometrical form
Religious/Secular
Faith
Symbolism
Calligraphy
Arabesque
Key questions for enquiry
Possible teaching activities
Look closely at the picture below. It shows the Dome of the Rock. It is regarded as one of the most
beautiful mosques in the Islamic world and sits on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.
Background
The history of Mount Moriah begins with Abraham. Tradition says it was where Abraham was prepared to
sacrifice Isaac (Genesis22 1- 22). King David was said to have built the land but it was Solomon his son,
who built a magnificent Temple there. The history of the temple is long and difficult having been destroyed
and rebuilt several times. When in AD 636 the Muslims conquered Jerusalem the rubble from the previous
destruction was cleared and a new Mosque was built on the site. This was also destroyed when the
crusaders invaded Jerusalem in 1099 and a Church built on the site. In 1187 the crusaders were defeated
and the cross was removed from the top and the crescent shone once again from the top. Since then it has
become one of the oldest and most exquisite Muslim shrines.
Look closely at an image like the one in the picture. You will see that the building is very colourful and
beautiful with a gold dome. It is a fine example of Islamic art:
Muslims believe that it is wrong to create images of Allah. Allah is simply the Arabic name for God.
Throughout the centuries they have created a form of Art that expresses their faith and belief.
There are three forms of art used:
Firstly Geometrical form. Muslims believe that Allah is infinite and begins with a dot.

If we then put two dots together it becomes a straight line
Three dots joined become a triangle
A triangle pointing upwards points to Heaven. A triangle pointing downwards point to Hell.
So a form of art began. Using different geometrical designs the Muslim saw that geometrical design is
present in the natural world e.g. snowflakes and stars.
Below is an example of how this art form reflects the beauty of Gods creation.
The second form of Islamic art is what they call arabesque. Muslims saw that there are bens and curves in
creation. For example plant life. Look closely at the example below
Here you can see how the flowers and leaves twist and turn to express growth and life.
Finally the last and most famous form is called calligraphy. Calligraphy is a form of art created from the
Arabic letters and words of the Qur’an.
These three forms of Art have developed into some amazing and inspirational designs. Each one reflecting
the Power and majesty of Allah. Below are some examples:
The three forms are often all seen together in a mosque. The roof or dome can be a fine example of
geometrical form as can the floor. The walls reflect the arabesque and growth patterns and where Heaven
meets earth in the word of God as found in the Qur’an there is the calligraphy.
Now go back and look closely at the image of the Dome of the Rock. Can you see the way in which
Islamic art has been used to express Allah?
In the words of a Muslim ‘The Qur’an, our sacred book tells us, “Like to Allah there is nothing” In other
words God is beyond anything I can understand. There is nothing like God. How then can I picture God?
Other religions try to picture what God is like but the danger of this is that you end up worshipping the
picture and not God’
Instead they believe that there are 99 names that help them understand Allah For example:
The One, The Creator, the Merciful.
Muslims also believe that only God is perfect so when designing prayer mats or carpets they usually build
in a mistake to reflect this. They also believe that man is forgetful and needs constant reminders of God so
examples of calligraphy will be found on buildings throughout the Muslim world.
Assessment opportunity
Find out the other names that Muslims use to help them understand God. Using the three forms of Art
design a Muslim prayer mat to express one of these names e.g. The Creator.
Resources
Inspire-to-learn.co.uk