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The Whittier Mosque

Irfana Hashmi, Sonia Chaidez, Amber Rosas, Laura Van Druten, Jarrett Wright, Sayal Shahi, Julie Mauk, Amer Rashid, Ryan Tessman, Anne Cong-Huyen, Ahmad Al Bunnia, Authors

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Interior (Calligraphy/Textiles/Carpets)


A big reason why people feel comfort in a specific place is due to the complicated and well thought of details in the architecture side, which ultimately will add to their experience. I have designed the interior of the mosque trying my best to make it as comfortable and, at the same time, appealing as possible. I looked around the internet and found the best example of what I had in mind. 

A perfect example of how the interior is going to look like.   

What I was really aiming for in this design is the lighting. Such lighting is what we sometimes call 'romantic'. I believe that people inside this mosque will feel soothed by this atmosphere, which will add to their experience in prayer. This atmosphere also saves a lot of energy due to the reduced amount of electricity needed. The windows will play a part in this plan, at least only in the morning where it will be blocking the sunlight and allowing just the amount needed to create that atmosphere. I want to call this design a Mashrabiyya but then it has to be made out of wood.

Moving back to architecture. The praying area is basically a square. Inside this square we will have four pillars, each pillar for each rightly-guided caliph, which without them Islam wouldn't have grown after the prophets death. The pillars will be making arches that will point upwards to the heavens. Those two symbols will act as cues for the worshippers that first (arches), Allah is above you, and he will always be above you. Second (pillars), the four pillars give stability and support for the building, just like Allah and Islam is to the worshippers.

I have decided to combine the colors red, gold and white. Red and gold are shades normally connected with royals. The imperial for this situation is Allah himself. While, white speaks to the purity of the hearts of good Muslims. Together these hues speak to the fundamental characters of Islam, Allah and the Muslims who adore him. Islam would not exist without the presence of both.

Calligraphy

In art history books, it is mentioned that calligraphy's existence is linked with Allah's own nature. The multiple intersecting lines represents the complexity of the nature of Allah and how someone cannot fully understand Allah and his plans. Calligraphy will appear on only three occasions in the mosque. 

1) Allah’s names are of big importance to Muslims. They are not only a source of communication with Allah, but also Muslims can actually have the characteristics of Allah in them. Thus,  Allah’s 99 names will be on the Kiblah wall making up the name Allah, which will act as an incentive for those who are striving to have those characteristics. 

2) Above the three entrances, it will say ‘Oh god increase me in knowledge’ to remind the people entering that this mosque is not just a mosque, it's a center of learning, both intellectually and spiritually.  Thus the classrooms are provided. 

 

3) Inside the dome it will say ‘Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth…’, which will go with the dimly lit interior of the mosque. 

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ  دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

English: Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth; a likeness of His light is as a niche in which is a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, (and) the glass is as it were a brightly shining star, lit from a blessed olive-tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not-- light upon light-- Allah guides to His light whom He pleases, and Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah is Cognizant of all things. (Quran 24:35)


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