Muslim and Non-Muslim visitors will be welcomed by the five pillars of Islam as they walk into the museum’s Abu Bakr Gallery of Islamic Faith where exhibits narrate the story of the fastest growing religion.
The pillars - declaration of faith (shahada), prayer (salah), annual charity (zakat), fasting (sawm) and pilgrimage (hajj) constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice.
A detailed explanation about the history and production of Kiswah, which is the black silk cloth that covers Al Kaaba, is provided in writing and in video. Parts of an actual Kiswah are showcased.
Also on display are pictures that document the history of Al Kaaba, Al Masjid Al-Haram - also known as the Great Mosque of Makkah - and other areas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 1920 and 1960.
An image shows the rock which Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim stepped on while building Al Kaaba.
Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museum Authority said exhibits in the galleries illustrate the expansive nature of Islam, and challenges the perceptions people may have of its influence on the world throughout the ages.
Serving the same purpose, she said Sharjah Museums Authority annually hosts exhibitions in cooperation with international cultural institutions.
“The most recent exhibitions include a focus on collections from Italy such as 'Drop by Drop Life Falls from the Sky: Water, Islam and Art', and 'Wonder and Inspiration Venice and the Arts of Islam’ exhibitions,” said Ataya.
And more recently, a display of the Maimūnah Stone, a rare and unique 12th-century marble tombstone was unveiled for the first time outside of Malta at the museum.
The evolution of bookbinding art in Islamic history is highlighted through several displays including dozens of Holy Quran manuscripts some of which date back to the seventh century with one displayed copy attributed to the Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan (644-656 AD).
A section of the gallery has been dedicated to speak about the role of mosques not as places of worship only but as social and educational centres in Islam as well as the evolution of their distinctive styles inspired by the exchange of culture between Muslims and other civilisations.
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