Origins of Islam + Artifacts (Gallery Presentation #3)

Photo Credit: Asian Civilisations Museum Website. Left most - rare 8th century North African Qu'ran on parchment. Right most: Shahadah (proclamation of faith) from Pakistan with Persian influence. 

Question: Give an introduction of the origins of Islam. Use the timeline, maps and nearby pieces to help you.

Feedback from mentors: 

1) Always remember to be mindful of visitors trying to come into the gallery, and don't block the passage way.

2) Know other artifacts in the area beyond those you're introducing, in case of questions from visitors. 

3) Use questions to engage visitors - it's ok to just answer it yourself if you waited like 2 seconds and didn't hear a response. 

4) Insert appropriate humor, but always be respectful of others culture. Laughter always attract attention. 

5) Walk around the showcase to point to the appropriate artifacts. The visitors will follow you (this may sound basic, but when you're trying to remember a script, you tend to be "frozen" at one place)

This 10 min presentation is harder than I thought. Note to self - don't try to remember the script. Use stories, or the sequence of the artifacts as cues. 

The Paper:

The world’s population reached 7 billion in October 31 this year. Among the 7 billion people, as much as 1.5 billion people are Muslims, and the number is still growing. Islam is the last of the monotheistic religions, meaning religions that believe the one and only God, to emerge. How was Islam started? What’s its origin, and history?

West Asia is the region which generally comprises the lands from the west of South Asia to Turkey, at the borders of Europe. During the early 7^th century, prior to the beginning of Islam, the Arabian peninsula was surrounded by two dominant empires: the Byzantine empire, also known as Eastern Roman empire, and the Persian Sasanid empire. The Byzantine empire was characterised by Christianity, and predominantly Greek-speaking. The Persian Sasanid empire believed in the monotheistic religion, Zoroastrianism, which was once among the largest religion in the world.

Being flanked by these two monotheistic empires, the Arabian Peninsula was the last area in the region with a major pagan presence. At that time, Mecca was a religious centre where surrounding tribes made pilgrimage to. The object of pilgrimage was the Ka’ba, the square black stone shrine containing images of pre-Islamic gods. Mecca also traded with the frontier cities of Byzantium and Persia, and this trade created a wealthy class, composed of the tribe of Quraysh.

Muhammad ibn Abdallah, later known as the Prophet of Islam, belonged to a clan of Quraysh called Hashim. The current King of Jordon also belongs to this leading tribe. Muhammad was raised by his grandfather who was the chief of the clan, and later, by his uncle. Muhammad also belonged to this group called hanif, men dissatisfied with the pagan environment, and who made retreats to the caves of surrounding mountainsides. It was during one of these retreats in the slope of Mount Hira, that the archangel, or chief angel Gabriel, appeared to Muhammad holding a scroll, and commanded him to read it. Terrified, Muhammad pleaded that he was unable to, as he was illiterate, like most of his fellow men during that time. Thus, Muhammad repeated the words after the archangel, reciting the first five verses of what is now the 96^th chapter of the Qur’an, which includes these words. “Recite! In the name of the Lord who created. Created humanity from a blood clot!”. Subsequent revelations followed, and collectively these revelations are known as the Qur’an, regarded as God’s direct and inalterable word by the Muslims. The term Islam, are often translated as “peace and submission”, or “obedience to God”. It is believed that obedience to God will create peace in the universe.  

Artifact: Rare monumental Qur’an leaf, early 8th century, North Africa

One can see a folio from a massive Qu’ran, produced in North Africa in the early 8^th century. This style of calligraphy is known as kufic, with its well-spaced, carefully drawn and stately writing. Early Qu’ran were written on expensive parchment, or dried animal skin. Such large Qu’ran are rare and were probably made for use in mosques.

The revelations Muhammad received asserted the Oneness of God, and warning of punishments for those who did not abandon polytheistic beliefs. Leaders of the tribe of Quraysh became worried, since they were the protector of the Ka’ba and the sacred city of Mecca, and they were fearful of their authority and revenues being threatened. After the death of his uncle, Muhammad lost the support of his clan. Muhammad and his followers were persecuted, and they were forced to take refuge in Yathrib, later know as Medina, an oasis some 350 km to the north. Muhammad and his followers left for Yathrib on July 16, 622 C.E., and they passed the night in a cave. While they slept, it was said that a spider spun its web across the mouth of the cave. Their pursuers saw the unbroken spider web on the cave and rode on. Thus Muhammad and company were able to reach Yathrib safely. This exodus from Mecca is known as the hijra, which means “migration”. The year 622 was taken as the first year of the Muslim lunar calendar.

Artifacts: Dala’il al-Khayrat (Guide to Goodness) 18th – 19th CE, India; late 18th – 19^th CE, Turkey

The city of Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, and the city of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad took refuge, are the two most important cities in Islam. These are illustrations of the two schematic aerial views of the sacred mosques in Mecca and Medina, from the popular prayer book written by a North African Sufi in 1465. Medina is identified by a large courtyard and the Prophet’s minbar, the speaker stand where he delivered sermons, while the Ka’ba in Mecca is the focus of four mosques representing the cardinal directions. These are stylised renditions of both cities, and the inclusion of essential information is prioritized over naturalistic representation.

HISTORY:

The start of the Islamic calendar is year 622. The Ummayyads Caliphates, caliphates meaning system of government ruled by successor to Muhammad, ruled from about 661, moved the capital from Medina to Damascus. The abandonment of Medina for a cosmopolitan place of Damascus, a city in Syria, symbolises a fundamental change in the development of Islam. The famous Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, was also built in this era.

Another significant phase of the Islamic history is during the Abbasid era starting in 749 CE, where the center of power was shifted from Syria to Baghdad. During this period, Baghdad became one of the wealthiest and largest cities in the world, rivaled only by Constantinople and Xian, capital of Tang dynasty China. Also, Arabic poetry and writing were encouraged, and the One Thousand and One Night stories, based in Baghdad, were conceived.  

Gradually, the Abbasid empire was replaced by regional centres. The Fatimaids ruled from Cairo until the late 12^th century. Other regional authorities included Turkic forces such as the Seljuks and the Mamluks.  By the 16^th century, the Ottomans sultans were ruling from Constantinople, or Istanbul, and the empire dominated North Africa, Near East and Egypt, and much of southeastern Europe. The Mughal empire was started in 1526 in India, and lasted for over 300 years. After which, Islam continue to spread throughout southeast Asia.  

Artifact: Tile Panel Containing the Shahadah. 18th century, Multan, Pakistan

The expanding urban centers of the Islamic world created a cross-fertilisation of Arab, Jewish, Persian, and Hellenic culture. One can see the influence of Persian culture from this tile panel from Multan, Pakistan. This technique of painting blue and black designs before glazing was most probably developed in Iran in the 12^th century for ceramic vessels. The tile panel displays the shahadah, or profession of faith. It was noted that some funerary monuments in the Multan area has the shahadah on their exterior walls, thus these tiles probably came from a funerary monument or religious institution. The shahadah is as followed: “I bear witness that there is only one God, Allah, with no Associates, And I bear witness that Muhammad is his Helper and Messenger”. This is a strong testimony of one’s devotion to the Islamic faith in the face of death.

The expansion of Islam has historically changed the political map of the world. In light of events in the world that involved the radicals, it is imperative that those who are not Muslims gain a better understanding of the Islamic culture and ideology, to know what Islam truly means.

References:

Aga Khan Museum Online Gallery (2007). Arts of the Book: Illustrated Texts, Miniatures. Retrieved 2 December 2011, from http://www.akdn.org/museum/detail.asp?artifactid=1625

Asian Civilisations Museum A-Z Guide (2006) Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum. pp. 74-75, 184-185, 334-335.

Asian Civilisations Museum Lectern Notes. Gallery 5 – West Asia.  Last Referenced 2 December 2011.

BBC Religions (2011). Zoroastrianism. Retrieved 2 December 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/zoroastrian/

Cooper, Alison (2011). World Religions: Facts About Islam. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group Inc. pp 10-13, 42-43.

Gordon, Matthew (2002). Understanding Islam. London: Duncan Baird Publishers. pp.6-19.

Lunde, Paul (2005). Islam: A Brief History. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited. pp.16-79.  

Sequence Lunar Eclipse December 2011

These are my version of the sequence of the lunar eclipse, compared to the professionals'. But truly, the pictures are nothing compared to the real thing. I think this might be the first time I actually paid attention to a lunar eclipse. The shadow moved quite slowly but distinguishable, and the above sequence occurred in a span of about 45 minutes. 天狗吃月亮， I almost feel like I wanted to 敲锣打鼓。

天狗吃月 - 其实是五行生克之说的衍生物：In the Chinese Zodiac signs, 戌狗居西，西方属金；月兔为卯，居东，东方属木。天狗吃月亮，金克木。The ancient Chinese's legend was that a dog from the sky is engulfing the moon, and people have to make loud noise to chase it away. This legend actually was considered an extension from the relationship between the five elements 五行, or Wu Xing. The year of the dog is considered to belong to the west, with gold as it's element. The year of the rabbit (associated with the moon) is considered to belong to the east, with wood as it's element. And gold (or metal) and wood are in conflict. Looks like everything goes back to the I-Ching.

中文，中文 - Challenges in Learning Chinese

Kid's Chinese reading material / 笔记 this week

Unlike in Hong Kong, it's not as easy to create a Chinese learning environment in Singapore (of course, already much better than where we were previously). For one thing, there are not enough Chinese signs in Singapore. I hardly hear parents speak to their children in Mandarin on the streets anymore, unlike 15-20 years ago.

So, without the environment, parents like us have to, well, 自救. Also, unfortunately, both my kids will be too big to benefit from the 50 million dollar Singapore government fund for preschoolers to improve their mother tongue abilities.

Luckily, there are no lack resources. The ones that we are using include:

• Excellent children's Chinese books from the libraries
• Chinese papers, catering to primary school children like 大拇指
• Personal, one-to-one "tutors" - including grandpa, me, and sometimes daddy. 

These are the books we have been going through this week, for about half hour to 45 minutes each day, each kid. I wish we could do more, but that's really their limit (and mine as well - in terms of patience).

In the picture:
(left): 四五快读, book 4  (set of 7 catering to, literally, 四五岁儿童  (children ages 4 and 5)
(middle): 笑猫日记 - 能闻出孩子味儿的乌龟 (second 笑猫日记 book for Kaiser). He has to read it aloud to me, word for word. When he's stuck, I'll explain the new words to him, and copy the associated phrase (with further example of uses that I have to come up myself), and review it with him after reading. This 笑猫 series are the only Chinese books I could find currently, for Kaiser to willing read through - the age-appropriate humor in the books definitely helped.
(right): 凑合的笔记 with new words and phrases, and attempts at 造句 (of course, Kaiser will never initiate one himself, so it's a "join-effort")

I was surprised that even with my level of Chinese that granted me the status of 前联合早报学生通迅员, sometimes I still feel "stuck" trying to coming up with 造句 examples for Kaiser. I guess that's why so many need tutors.

I hope with my more intense effort for the little girl, she'd be able to explore Chinese books herself i.e. less effort from us parents later, when she is Gor Gor's age.

Found: Loud Bird In Singapore's Estates

I finally did some research and figured out the kind of bird(s) which make the loudest sound in many estate around Singapore. Apparently it's the male and female version of the Asian Koel that monopolised the soundscape every morning and sunset (talk about compatibility!). They're from the cuckoo family. They make the piercing sound in the morning and seem more common in the older estate with the abundance of trees.

This is a good video since it showed both the male and female sounds in the same clip.

高木直子Takagi Naoko： 一个人系列

It all started with the first "free" book I picked up from the library book exchange: 一个人的第一次, and I couldn't stop laughing. And now my girl is hooked too - 高木直子 系列 is S's first choice of books for me to read to, before all those we haven't read yet.

五岁小孩可能还没法明白一个人第一次搬离家人的穹态，但生活上的起起落落，失败以后的振作和自我安慰，吃吃喝喝带来的快乐， 配上看似简单却能引起共鸣的漫画，也让小女孩欲罢不能。


我喜欢日本人那种充满元气的动力和人生观。 励志片， 励志漫画也是他们发明的吧。当然，日本人也有另一极端的悲观。

台湾版的质量还是比大陆版更胜一筹， 但在价钱的考量下，还是会屈服。。。

Asian Civilisations Museum Training - Confuciousnism, Stele

My 2nd paper for the Asian Civilisations Museum Volunteer Guide / Docent training. I just love the museum, and was very happy to sign up (and was accepted) into the Volunteer Guide / Docent training program. The last recruitment was 5 years ago!

Thanks to this program (and this particular topic that was assigned to me), it finally gave me an opportunity to read up on Confucianism - which, I am embarrassed to say, that I have never seriously read about. It is interesting and revealing to me, to know that filial piety (孝), actually stems from Confucius idea of humanity (仁), that every ruler should possess, and practice.

Stone Funeral Stele, Six Dynasties 六朝 =  三国, 晉朝, 南北朝 (265-581)

Photo credit: ACM A-Z Guide

Gallery Talk 2C: China

Question: Discuss Confucius’s take on Filial Piety. Refer to the Funeral Stele in the Confucianism/Ancestor Worship section, and tell the story shown.

Background:

To understand Confucius’s take on filial piety, one must first understand the life-long aspirations of Confucius, whose beliefs deeply shaped Chinese culture. Confucius was born around 550 BC, during the Spring, Autumn and Warring States period, where there was much political instability. Alliances were made and broken among the many different regions. Confucius spent his life preaching the virtue of “ren”, or humanity, to the rulers of the warring states. He believed that rulers should treat their subjects as parents should treat their children, and he used the idea of filial piety to illustrate the idea to the rulers.

On the other hand, filial piety, in its most basic sense, means the care and concern shown from children towards parents. Confucians was trying to find a universal example that everyone could understand, in terms of personal relationships. And everyone has parents. It is fair and just to treat our parents with love and care, just like they have treated us. Thus, filial piety is just like the Golden Rule: “treat others the way you would like to be treated”. The idea of filial piety has endured through the years, mostly in terms of the simplest form – the direct repayment of the unconditional love we received from our parents.

Artifact: Funerary Stele Illustrating Filial Piety, Six Dynasties, 220-589

One can see the virtue of filial piety from this funerary stele, probably part of a stone sarcophagus, from the Six Dynasties period from 220 to 600 CE, just after the Han dynasty. The Han imperial government has declared Confucianism as the official ideology, and filial piety was one of the most important virtues.

There are four major scenes on this stele – the first scene bearing the story of Guo Ju from the Eastern Han dynasty. Guo Ju lived with his wife, mother, and son. The family was very poor and often does not have enough to eat, and Guo Ju’s mother often endured hunger to save food for her grandson. Guo Ju decided to make this drastic decision to bury his son, so that his mother will have enough to eat. One night, Guo Ju began digging a hole to bury his sleeping son, held by his weeping wife. Surprisingly, he found a pot of gold, bestowed upon him by the Heavens, at the site where he was digging the hole. The pot of gold came with the following note: “This pot of gold, to reward filial son, Guo Ju”. This scene is depicted on the left of one part of the stele. On the right hand side, separated by a tree, is the happy ending from this story, with Guo Ju kneeling before his mother, who is holding the pot of gold, with the son and wife looks on. The story of Gu Juo is a common theme in funerary art during the Six Dynasty, and reflected the importance of filial piety in the Confucius value systems since the Han dynasty.

Other scenes in this stele include: 1) a man, riding a horse led by a groom, with two servants flanking him with sunshades; 2) a well-dressed man sitting in a canopied seat, with a feast in front of him, and; 3) four female attendants holding a fan or a lotus in their hands. These scenes could indicate the good life held by the owner of this tomb, but on the other hand, these scenes could also suggest the afterlife opulence bestowed upon the deceased by his decedents. Moreover, these funeral art scenes were carved on stone, which has a permanent quality that could imply immortality. In conclusion, the funeral stele was used as a monument to memorise a person’s identity, while at the same time, it also provided an opportunity for the commissioner of the stele to display important Confucius virtues, such as filial piety.  

References:

Asian Civilisations Museum A-Z Guide (2006) Singapore: Asian Civilisations Museum.

Asian Civilisations Museum Lectern Notes. Gallery 6 – China. 

Ding, Wangdao (1997). Understanding Confucius. China: Chinese Literature Press.

Wong, Dorothy (2004). Chinese Steles : Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Use of a Symbolic Form. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Zhou, Kuijie (2005). A Basic Confucius: An Introduction to the Wisdom and Advice of China’s Greatest Sage. USA: Long River Press.

陈永明 (2009). 原来孔子 So that’s Confucius. Hong Kong: Chung Hwa Books.

陈中伟 (2004). 孝的故事 The Story of Filial Piety. Singapore: Asiapac Books Pet Ltd.  

Last Day of School - The Good, The Bad, FT vs Singaporean

Before heading out to school

The good: 1) 1/36 = $20 Popular Gift Voucher + invited to Speech day + went on stage to receive voucher from principal. 2) Last day of school. Big brother picking up little sister at school = good bonding time at lunch, bus trips, or just generally walking around.

The bad: 1) 80/276. 2) Lost S's school bag on bus when bro and sis too caught up with playing on the bus. Hopefully someone gave to lost and found :(

Nonetheless, we gave Kaiser encouragements that this is his first year in Singapore, and he has 1.5 more years till having to take the dreaded PSLE Primary School Leaving Exam in Primary 6. He has his eyes on a few top schools but the truth is, it'll take A LOT of hard work from him to get in. It definitely depends on how much he wanted it, but the fact that he's the sort that never seemed to be too disappointed with anything may actually created less motivation.

From left to right: boy from Shanghai, Kaiser, another friend. (Speech Day, RVPS 2011) 

I am, however, quite happy with his school - luck was on us that he managed to get a place at RVPS - it's not an elite school, but the principal's dedication to moral education, and emphasis on partnership between school and parents does show. Kaiser also clicks well with his classmates.

This thing about foreign talent vs. Singaporean - I still haven't gotten used to the foreign accents I hear on the streets. But how about our family? Even though I consider myself a Singaporean, the truth is we speak Cantonese to each other (and hence, contributing to the foreign accents on the streets!), and our family's Singaporean to foreigner ratio is 1:4. We're probably also contributing to the FT sentiments, when my son, who barely lived in Singapore for 1 year, tops his class and displaced the other local children :P So does #2  - a boy from Shanghai (leftmost in the picture) who attended international school previously, 但是他更厉害 - he was in his school for only half a year - he entered mid-P4!

But not to worry, fellow Singaporean. I see that most of the top spots (judging from the students who achieved over 250 on their PSLE last year who were recognised today) belong to Singaporean. The" FT" are still minority - well, but not in my family. Ok, so does that mean my son will only be among the second best, since he's a FT? From this year's results (not just for his class - but entire P4 level) it certainly seems true :P

Here we go again!

It's been a reeealllly long time since I first posted in a blog (well, if you don't count the business blog). I have decided that enough is enough, I will not let Facebook take all the credit of my thoughts and musing! So there. This long overdue blog. I will attempt to transfer a those notes on FB here.