Word Power 📃

Invention/Contribution:

• In Islamic civilization, the power of words was deeply honored — the Qur’an itself is revered as the Word of God.

• Arabic became a global language of science, literature, and diplomacy, spreading across continents.

• Muslim poets like Rumi, Al-Mutanabbi, and Hafiz elevated words into timeless spiritual and artistic treasures.

• Calligraphy turned words into visual art, combining beauty with meaning.

Why it matters:

• Helped unite diverse peoples under a common cultural and intellectual heritage.

• Muslim poetry and literature influenced Europe’s troubadours, mystics, and even Renaissance thought.

• Showed that words are not just communication, but a force that shapes hearts, minds, and civilizations.

“Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”

Jalal al-Din Rumi (13th century)

Famous Muslim Poets & Their Words

• Rumi (1207–1273, Persia)
  “What you seek is seeking you.”

• Hafiz (1315–1390, Persia)
  “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”

• Al-Mutanabbi (915–965, Iraq)
  “If you see the lion’s teeth, do not think that the lion is smiling.”

• Rabia al-Adawiyya (713–801, Basra) (a woman mystic and poet)
  “I carry a torch in one hand and water in the other: with these I will set fire to Heaven and put out the flames of Hell, so that voyagers to God can rip the veils and see the true goal.”