Beauty: Recovering a Forgotten Dimension of the Islamic Tradition

In this talk, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour explores how the Islamic tradition has always been shaped by the beautiful. The Islamic tradition has never been without beauty, whether it be in its mosques, manuscripts, calligraphy, poetry, music or devotional practices. However, this beauty is often treated as ornamental rather than essential to religious life. In this talk, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour challenges this and explores how the Islamic tradition has always been shaped by the beautiful, and how Sufism in particular resisted the idea that beauty sits at the margins of faith. Together we'll consider what it means to restore beauty to the centre of Islam's higher purposes. This talk asks: What has happened to beauty? Why has it been sidelined? And what should happen now? By reflecting on the Qur’anic usage of ḥusn, iḥsān, aḥsan and ḥasana, and drawing on the spiritual tradition of Sufism, it argues that the higher objective of Islamic spirituality is the pursuit, preservation and realisation of beauty; not as aesthetics alone, but as human transformation. Spirituality should not merely teach us to recognise beauty, but to become beautiful in character, conduct, relationships and community. The recovery of beauty, then, is not a return to ornament; it is a recovery of purpose. Open to all. No prior knowledge required. Please note that doors will close shortly before the advertised time so we request that you arrive 15 minutes before the start time. About the speaker: Sheikh Dr Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour is the Imam of Bath Mosque, a lecturer at Al-Azhar University, and a research fellow at the Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford. A valedictorian graduate of Al-Azhar and hafiz of the Qur'an, he holds a PhD in comparative theology from SOAS and is the author of The Higher Objectives of Islamic Theology (Oxford University Press, 2022). About The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts runs from 19 to 29 November 2026, bringing performances, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops to Cambridge's historic colleges, museums, and cultural spaces. Open to everyone, the festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of Islamic arts, and, fifty years on from the landmark 1976 World of Islam Festival, carries that spirit into our own time. Find out more at cfia.co.uk.