Page 324 - Proceedings Collega2023

THE ‘NUR’: KNOWLEDGE FROM THE EAST: THE CONCEPT OF ILLUMINATION
FROM AL GHAZALI’S THE NICHE OF LIGHT IN TRADITIONAL MALAY HOUSES.

Roslina Ismail, Suhana Nordin* and Khaled Ramadan
Art and Visual Culture Program
Faculty of Creative Arts Universiti Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: sn.nana2018@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
For the Malay community, light holds profound significance as a guide, steering them on the
correct path in this world and towards the afterlife. In this practice led research, we proposed the concept
of "The Nur" - a luminary notion deeply rooted in Al-Ghazali's the Niche of Light (Misykat al Anwar), found
in surah An-Nur 35:24. We investigate the inherent meaning and knowledge of illumination within
traditional Malay houses, this research employs immersive installation art experiences to cultivate a
transformative "Nur" module. In traditional Malay houses, light contributes to crafting comfortable,
functional living spaces, representing both the tangible and intangible - in spiritual and physical
dimensions. Light and space interweaves with religion, culture, and nature. It mirrors human existence's
rhythm - birth, life, and death - encapsulating Malay beliefs, cultural nuances, spirituality, ethics, and
religious reverence. This synergy imparts a unique significance, elevating the house to a genius loci - a
place of symbolic aesthetic encounters. This experience resonates through architectural elements like
walls, windows, doors, floors, and roofs, culminating in a spiritual connection to nature and the Divine.
Driven by a practice-led research approach, this study employs site-specific installation art. This
methodology unravels the intricate notion of illumination by "The Nur" as an installation art piece. "The
Nur: Knowledge from the East” embarks on a pioneering quest to explore and amplify the profound
cultural and spiritual designed to heighten awareness of local wisdom within communities.

Keywords: Light; Space; Al-Ghazali’s the Niche of Light; traditional Malay houses; site specific installation
art

1. Introduction
In the realm of spirituality, philosophy, and architecture, the concept of light has held profound
significance across cultures and religions. This study embarks on a multidimensional exploration, drawing
inspiration from An-Nur 35:24, which defines Allah as the light and His light as the guide to knowledge.
Central to our investigation is the treatise “Niche of Lights” (Misykat al Anwar) by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali.
Al-Ghazali endeavors to unveil the intrinsic meanings of light and knowledge through the prism of

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