Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

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One of the issues in theory field of architecture especially in Islamic architecture which has been considered in academic assemblies in recent decades is the field of symbolism and its different approaches. Basically symbolism is one of the important features of Islamic architecture, to the extent that some scholars in Islamic architecture believe that symbolism is necessary to fulfill this kind of architecture. This article deals with the problem of what is symbol and generally sign in Islamic architecture and consequently, how the symbolism can be implemented in Islamic architecture. The purpose of this article is explaining different approaches that Muslim architects used for symbolism in their works meanwhile with explaining the nature and characteristics of each of these approaches, lessons would be learned for future symbolism in Islamic architecture. To illustrate the problem of this article, a hybrid method consisting of logical-argumentation research and qualitative content analysis research is used meanwhile the method for gathering data in this research is documents studies. The theoretical foundation of this research is based on Islamic wisdom so the research results have enough competence for the application in Islamic architecture. According to these results, in addition to credit architectural landmarks, there are genetic signs which can be manifested in various architectural components such as geometry and form and symbolism in Islamic architecture requires attention to both these two types of signs. Using these two types of signs, two main approaches are available for symbolism in Islamic architecture which is inductive and deductive symbolism. The first approach is based on sensory tools while the second one is often based on rational and intuitive tools. In this paper, meanwhile these approaches are explained, several examples will be presented for each of them.

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Each researcher while studying about a specific issue is influenced by certain philosophical foundations for the research process. These foundations are such as glasses that in fact, researcher looks at research topic from behind it. In scientific communities, these foundations are introduced with the term of «paradigm» which indicates researcher›s approach about issues such as ontological, epistemological and especially methodological assumptions. For example, researchers who believe in objective and positivistic approach, merely accept empirical methods as valid scientific methods and because of non-compliance with the objective oriented philosophical basis, know narrative or non-testable citations as invalid citations. In this article, in addition to introducing approaches (paradigms) affecting architecture and urbanism studies (including two objective and relative approaches), using logical-argumentative method, critique of them from the perspective of Islamic teachings (including philosophical and narrative teachings and etc.) is presented. During these critiques it is shown that neither of two objective and relative approaches does not provide acceptable foundations for applying in architecture and urbanism studies and both of them report only some parts of the truth with a reductive orientation. Accordingly, the strategy used in the body of this article, is a critical strategy which through it, these two approaches foundations are criticized from an Islamic perspective. Meanwhile in the conclusion by comparative comparison of these approaches, Islamic approache is explained too.
Most critiques of the objective approach are the results of this fact that this approach reduces research methods to experimental or empirical methods. Of course from Islamic perspective, empirical method is approved and this issue is discussed in some Quranic verses such as this verse: «Allah brought you out of your mothers› wombs, and gave you hearing, sight and hearts, in order that you be thankful» (Sura 16/ Verse 78). But in some other verses such as this verse, reduceing the methods to empirical methods is negated: «And when you said to Moses: ‹We will not believe in you until we see Allah openly, ‹ a thunderbolt struck you whilst you were looking» (Sura 2/ Verse 55). In addition, objective approach does not provide a reasonable analysis about the principle of causality and neglects the impact of non-material factors on material factors. But this impact has been discussed in numerous verses of the holy Quran such as these verses: «Had the people of the villages believed and been cautious, we would have opened upon them the blessings from heaven and earth. But they belied, and we seized them for what they earned» (Sura 7/ Verse 96); «Whosoever fears Allah, He will appoint for him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect, Allah is sufficient for whosoever puts his trust in Him. Indeed, Allah brings about whatever He decrees. Allah has set a measure for all things» (Sura 65/ Verses 2-3).
On the other hand, most critiques of the relative approach are the results of this fact that this approach neglects of a non-relative truth which is called «fetrat: nature» that exists in all human beings: «Be devoted to the upright religion. It is harmonious with the nature which Allah has designed for people. The design of Allah cannot be altered. Thus is the upright religion, but many people do not know» (Sura 30/ Verses 30).
After evaluating the relative and objective approaches, in conclusion chapter, the Islamic approach is explained. According to the results of this chapter, from the Islamic view, the relation between researcher and the subject of research depends on the nature of the subject. So that in some subjects (especially descriptive and experimental subjects) independence of researcher and in others (especially normative subjects) interaction between researcher and subject is required. In addition, in conclusion chapter, topics such as foundations, resources and research levels in three cited approaches (objective, relative and Islamic approaches) are investigated.

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The Holy Quran and hadiths as the most important Islamic religious texts have significant capacities in various fields of human knowledge which have been often neglected. Among the issues raised in this religious texts are some of architectural problems. One of these problems is quality of bedroom design. In this article, this problem will be probed by citing verses and hadiths to deduct bedroom design principles. These principles will be presented in four main areas, including location, geometry, light and color.
Search in religious texts is done by using two main sources. To search in the verses, the holy Quran has been used to gather verses which are related to the problem of this article especially verses related to the introduction of night and its features and to explore hadiths, “Jame-al-ahadith” software has been used which contains hundreds of narrative books. After searching the key words related to the bedroom design, those verses and hadiths that allow inference architectural results were analyzed using qualitative content method and finally, the results of this analysis are explained in the presented table in conclusion section of the article.
The most important verses discussed in this article are the verses related to night, because it seems that the bedroom (as sleeping location) and night (as sleeping time), have common features. Some of these verses are as follows: «He splits the sky into dawn. He has ordained the night for rest and the sun, and the moon for reckoning. Such is the ordinance of the Almighty, the Knowing» (Sura 6/ Verse 96); «He it is who has made the night for your rest and the day to see. Surely, in this there are signs for people who listen» (Sura 10/ Verse 67); «Have they not seen how We have made the night for them to rest in and the day to see? Surely, there are signs in this for the nation who believe» (Sura 27/ Verse 86); «It is He who has appointed the night a mantle for you and sleep for a rest. The day He has appointed for rising» (Sura 25/ Verse 47).
In addition to above verses, some other verses like these verses are related with topics such as location, color and light of bedroom: «Believers, let those your right hand owns and those who have not come of age ask permission of you three times before the dawn prayer, when you put aside your garments, in the heat of noon, and after the night prayer. These are the three occasions of privacy. There is no fault in you or them, apart from these, that they go about you, you are of each other. As such Allah makes plain to you His verses, Allah is the Knower, the Wise. And when children reach the age of puberty, let them ask permission as those before them asked permission. As such Allah makes clear to you His verses. Allah is the Knower, the Wise»(Sura 24/ Verses 58-59); «When you depart from them and from what they worship, other than Allah, seek refuge in the Cave. Allah will extend His Mercy to you and will furnish you with a gentle issue of your affair. You might have seen the rising sun incline towards the right of their Cave, and, as it set go past them on the left, while they stayed within an open space in the Cave. That was one of the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided; but he whom He leads astray you shall not find for him a guardian to guide him» (Sura 18/ Verses 16-17); «›Call on your Lord, ‹ they said, ‹to make known to us what her color shall be.’ ‹Your Lord says: The cow is yellow, a rich yellow pleasing to the onlookers» (Sura 2/ Verses 69).
In this article, by analyzing the above verses, bedroom design principles are deduced (For position, geometry, color and light of bedroom). Implementation of this article results not only helps to better performance of bedrooms, but also is a step forward towards the achievement to original Islamic architecture.