What is "art" in the sense of the Islamic tradition? Mohammed Hamdouni Alami argues that Islamic art has historically been excluded from Western notions of art; that the Western aesthetic tradition's preoccupation with the human body has meant that Islamic and Western art being perceived as inherently at odds. However, the move away from this "anthropomorphic aesthetic" in Western art movements, such as modern abstract and constructivist painting, have presented the opportunity for new ways of viewing and evaluating Islamic art and architecture. Drawing upon classical Arabic literature, philosophy, poetry, medicine and theology, along with contemporary Western art theory, the author uncovers a specific Islamic theoretical vision of art and architecture based on poetic practice, politics, desire and the "gaze." In so doing, he addresses the lack of recognition given to early Islamic thought and aesthetics in comparison with other historical periods and traditions.

什么是伊斯兰传统意义上的 "艺术"？穆罕默德-哈姆杜尼-阿拉米认为，伊斯兰艺术在历史上一直被排除在西方艺术概念之外；西方美学传统对人体的关注意味着伊斯兰艺术和西方艺术被视为本质上的冲突。然而，在西方艺术运动中摆脱这种 "拟人化美学"，如现代抽象和建构主义绘画，为观看和评估伊斯兰艺术和建筑提供了新的机会。作者从阿拉伯古典文学、哲学、诗歌、医学和神学，以及当代西方艺术理论中，发现了一种基于诗歌实践、政治、欲望和 "凝视 "的特定伊斯兰艺术和建筑的理论视野。在此过程中，他解决了与其他历史时期和传统相比，早期伊斯兰思想和美学缺乏认可的问题。