AhlulBayt News Agency: Master Muhammad Buhairi, one of the world’s most distinguished calligraphers, is renowned for his mastery of Thuluth Jali, the most complex and demanding style of Arabic calligraphy.
The Algerian calligrapher creates interwoven and composite panels of extraordinary skill and beauty.
According to Al-Akhbar, some of his artworks are preserved in the British Museum, within its specialized section dedicated to Islamic heritage.
For over 30 years, Buhairi has researched the aesthetic principles of calligraphic script (khatt al-rasm), deeply connected to the most sacred words — the Holy Quran.
Throughout these decades, he has lived in many Arab countries, and his elegant inscriptions — adorning walls and panels — continue to attract admiration and affection.
In 2018, he earned his PhD from the Center for Works at the University of Algiers, presenting a dissertation entitled:
“Permitted and Prohibited in the Written Thuluth Jali Script: A Historical, Artistic, and Aesthetic Study”
Earlier, in 2000, he obtained his Master’s degree in Islamic Arabic Calligraphy Art from Mimar Sinan University in Turkey.
Buhairi studied Arabic calligraphy under some of the world’s most accomplished masters, notably the celebrated Turkish calligrapher Hasan Çelebi, from whom he received authorizations (ijazah) in the Thuluth and Naskh scripts.
This Algerian calligrapher, a source of pride for both his hometown Tlemcen and the entire nation of Algeria, was honored to serve as director and supervisor for the transcription of a special Quran manuscript commissioned by Princess Haya, daughter of the late King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan, in memory of her father.
He personally oversaw the writing, beautification, and illumination (tazhib) of this Quran, which was penned on natural cotton-based pages specially brought by Buhairi himself from Germany.
The final work weighs 49 kilograms, incorporates about 1.8 kilograms of pure gold in its decoration, and took approximately five years to complete.
This masterpiece reminds us that the true value of calligraphy and calligraphers lies in their deep devotion to the Word of God — the Word of the Creator of Existence. The paper and ink they use acquire a special beauty and sanctity because of what they write.
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