ARAB NEWS
Thursday 26 July 2012

The calligrapher of the Prophet’s Mosque, Shafeeq uz Zaman, is from Pakistan.

Since 1990, he has been doing calligraphy work (in the Thuluth script) on the mosque’s 177 domes.

He won second prize at the International Calligraphy Competition in Istanbul, Turkey.

He has also won several competitions at national and international levels.

Hundreds of Arabs and Turkish people are students of Ustadh Shafeeq.

It is astonishing that he learned calligraphy on his own and calls himself the spiritual student of the renowned 20th century calligrapher, Ustadh Hamid Al-Amidi.

Ustadh Shafeeq thinks in the period of computers, calligraphy’s importance will not fade.

He also says he finds peace while doing calligraphy in the Prophet’s Mosque and cannot find this anywhere else. He shared his experiences and achievements in an interview with Khalid Khurshid.

AN: Do you think that calligraphy is a full-time job? How did you get interested in calligraphy?

SZ: Since childhood I was devoted to calligraphy and drawing. I think when I was six there was no paper or wall in my home that had been left untouched by my drawings and calligraphy. Whatever I got hold of chalk, pencil and colors, I made use of it. I used to get beaten by my parents but it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for drawing and calligraphy. After one scolding too many, I took my brush and paints outside and started to draw and write on the walls of my neighborhood. In the beginning, my parents were against my work and were also very harsh with me. After a long time passed, an elder in my family saw my work and was astonished. He told my parents that I was doing wonderful work.
If there was any free period or lunch break at school, all my classmates went outside to play but I didn’t. I used to do calligraphy and sometimes draw on the classroom blackboard. When my teacher and classmates used to go into the classroom they used to be stunned and because of this I became well-known as a calligrapher and artist at school.
I won an interschool handwriting competition and I was also successful in handwriting competitions were held in Karachi. When I was in the fifth grade, I made all the boards and signboards at school. My art teacher used to tell me that one day I would make it big.

AN: We heard that you were employed to work in Saudi Arabia while you were working on a street.

SZ: While I was creating signboards using text from the Holy Qur’an for a company on a street in Karachi, a Saudi sheikh was passing by. When he saw my work, he immediately stopped and asked me to work for his company. At that time, my passport had not been issued, but the sheikh ensured I got one quickly and took me to Saudi Arabia. I worked for a long time in Riyadh as a calligrapher. I designed and made hundreds of signboards and plastic boards and I have also done screen paintings.

AN: Who was your teacher for calligraphy?

SZ: I learned calligraphy on my own. The Almighty Allah blessed me with the skills of calligraphy. At the beginning, I did this for fun but later I learnt from books.

My hard work and tireless calligraphy studies were the key to all my successes in life. During my stay in Madinah, I had the chance to meet the best calligraphers of the world and also saw their glorious work. I think I am most impressed by the magnificent work of the best calligrapher of the 20th century, Ustadh Hamid Al-Amidi of Turkey. You can call me his spiritual student. I always tried to maintain his standards and methods in my work. If we compared my work with his, no one would be able to tell the difference.

AN: How did your appointment as calligrapher of the Prophet’s come about?
SZ: I used to visit Masjid Al-Nabawi many times. I was deeply impressed by the calligraphy done on the domes of Prophet’s Mosque during the Turkish era and used to examine it for hours. While in Riyadh, I got an offer from Madinah to work for a signboard company, which I accepted immediately.
In 1990, the holy mosque’s constructing company Dallah announced a worldwide calligraphy competition because most of the original work on the domes had worn off.
They were searching for a calligrapher who could retrace and correct the calligraphy. Nearly 400 pieces of work were showcased in this calligraphy competition. I was declared the winner, but the competition judges thought the winner would be a Turk or Egyptian. They were shocked to learn I was from Pakistan.
Their selection is a blessing from the Almighty Allah. When this competition was announced, I didn’t want to participate. An Arab friend of mine convinced me otherwise. Even those who visit the mosque are shocked to learn the calligraphy was done by a Pakistani. It’s an honor not only for me but also for Pakistan.

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