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02 February, 2026, 14 Sha‘bān, 1447
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Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari: The Calligrapher Who Left His Mark on the Kaaba

27.10.2025   26426   6 min.
Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari: The Calligrapher Who Left His Mark on the Kaaba

When millions of Muslims turn toward the Kaaba in Mecca for prayer, few may realize that the sweeping gold calligraphy on its iconic black cloth, the Kiswa, bears the legacy of a single artist — Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari.

A master calligrapher from Mecca, Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari dedicated his life to adorning Islam’s holiest site with words of divine beauty. His name, though not widely known outside Saudi Arabia, lives on in gold thread, etched into the sacred fabric that veils the Kaaba.

Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari was born in 1917 in Mecca — a city pulsing with spiritual rhythm and Islamic tradition. As a boy surrounded by centuries-old mosques and devotional art, Bukhari was drawn to Arabic calligraphy early in life. What began as a childhood passion grew into a lifelong vocation.

At just 15, he joined the Kiswah Factory, newly established in 1927 by King Abdulaziz. This factory, devoted to producing the Kaaba’s annual covering, became the cradle of his artistic journey. Bukhari trained under the best, learning the subtle curves and disciplined elegance of classical scripts.

By the 1930s, he had risen to become chief technician, and eventually deputy director by the 1960s. His path was defined not only by artistic talent, but by humility and devotion.

Every year, the Kiswa is renewed — a majestic cloth of black silk, embroidered with Qur’anic verses in gold and silver thread. Its creation is a sacred task, and for decades, Bukhari was the pen behind its powerful script.

Specializing in the Thuluth script — a flowing, monumental style favored for religious inscriptions — Bukhari laid out every curve and flourish of the divine text. His designs set the standard, and to this day, artisans use his original layouts when crafting the Kiswa’s golden band (known as the hizam). His was not merely a job; it was an offering.

More than a technician, he was the soul of the Kiswa’s design. The gold lettering that millions of pilgrims see and touch was once inked by his hand on tracing paper, then embroidered stitch by stitch by a team he led and trained.

A Historic Commission: The Kaaba Door of 1944

One of the defining moments in Bukhari’s career came in 1944, when King Abdulaziz ordered the creation of a new door for the Kaaba. The old door, weathered by time, was to be replaced with a gilded masterpiece — and it was Bukhari who was asked to inscribe it with sacred text.

His calligraphy, rendered in bold Thuluth script, graced the new door’s copper and silver panels. The shahada (Islamic testimony of faith), the names of God, and select Qur’anic verses adorned its surface. These inscriptions were engraved into the metal by artisans, preserving Bukhari’s artistry in gleaming permanence.

This door, installed in 1947, became a symbol not just of royal generosity, but of spiritual craftsmanship. It was the first of two Kaaba doors Bukhari worked on — the second being the current door installed in 1979, which also features his calligraphy.

The Man Behind the Script

Though quiet and devoted, Bukhari’s work earned him respect at the highest levels. He wrote verses for early Saudi flags in the 1930s, crafted inscriptions for ceremonial mosque curtains, and even lettered the Rawdah curtain in Medina. King Faisal recognized his service by having Bukhari’s name woven into the Kiswa itself — a singular honor that continues to this day.

Visitors to Mecca who gaze upon the Kaaba’s belt will find his name hidden in gold — Abdul Rahim Amin. It is a subtle yet profound tribute to the man who helped shape the visual identity of Islam’s holiest structure.

A Living Legacy in Silk and Gold

Even after his passing in the late 1990s, Abdul Rahim Amin Bukhari’s calligraphy remains alive, literally sewn into the Kaaba each year. His templates are still used for the Kiswa’s verses, his scripts guide modern artisans, and his legacy continues to bridge art and worship in the most sacred way imaginable.

In the world of Islamic calligraphy, Bukhari stands as a pillar — not only for his mastery of pen and ink, but for how his work sanctified space. Every Muslim who looks at the Kaaba is unknowingly reading the words he shaped. Every stitch of gold thread reflects his lifelong devotion to making divine words beautiful.

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Artificial Intelligence: Between Technical Evolution and Shari’a Responsibility ​A Contemporary Islamic Vision

29.01.2026   11875   6 min.
Artificial Intelligence: Between Technical Evolution and Shari’a Responsibility ​A Contemporary Islamic Vision

The world is currently witnessing rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, to the extent that these tools have become integral to various aspects of life—particularly in economics, education, culture, media, and public services. 

In the face of this profound transformation, there is an urgent need to examine the dimensions of AI from an ethical and religious perspective that balances leveraging modern achievements with preserving human values and Shari’a (Islamic law) regulations.

​In this context, scholars and specialists affirm that AI is a product of human intellect and creativity, falling under the divine indication: "And He creates that which you do not know" (Surah An-Nahl: 8). This verse alludes to emerging scientific and technical innovations that were previously unknown. 

Today, AI has become the foundation for many modern applications, such as e-government, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, drones, and other technologies that contribute to facilitating human life.

​However, regardless of its significant benefits, this evolution is not without difficulties and potential risks. Therefore, there is a necessity to regulate, control, and monitor the use of AI, taking the required measures to mitigate its negative impacts—especially in sensitive fields related to religion and Fatwa (legal rulings), where this issue must be given special attention.

 

​Artificial Intelligence and Shari’a Fatwa

 

​Scholars and researchers in jurisprudence academies and scientific conferences have reached a consensus that AI can serve as a supportive tool for gathering, analyzing, and classifying Shari’a information, as well as facilitating access to it. However, it is impermissible to rely on it independently to derive Shari’a rulings or issue Fatwas.

​Fatwa issuance requires the direct presence of a qualified jurist (faqih), as rulings vary based on the seeker’s circumstances, time, place, customs, and socio-economic conditions. These nuanced human considerations cannot be independently comprehended by AI. Furthermore, a prerequisite for a Mufti in Islamic Shari’a is to be a legally accountable person (mukallaf), a condition that cannot be fulfilled by technical systems.

​Consequently, the role of AI in the field of Ifta (issuing rulings) remains supportive rather than substitutive, in application of the verse: "So ask the people of the message if you do not know" (Surah An-Nahl: 43). Trustworthy scholars remain the ultimate reference in issuing rulings and bearing Shari’a responsibility.

 

​Areas of Practical Application for AI

 

​Practical experience, including that of the Fatwa Center under the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan, has proven that AI can be employed in several fields, most notably:

• ​Analyzing and Classifying Inquiries: Categorizing incoming Shari’a questions by topic and region and identifying the most frequent ones.

• ​Speech-to-Text Conversion: Transforming audio questions and answers into written text and storing them in organized databases.

• ​Supporting Fatwa Experts: Suggesting previously archived answers to experts, which are only sent to the inquirer after review and approval by specialists.

• ​Enhancing Community Security: Through smart, digital, and safe city projects.

• ​Combating Corruption: By reducing human intervention in administrative procedures.

• ​Operating in Hazardous Environments: Utilizing smart technologies in environments that are dangerous or harmful to human health.

• ​Dawah and Education: Facilitating access to Islamic knowledge, lessons, and sermons, and developing educational content that serves the Muslim Ummah.

• ​Humanity at the Center of Technical Evolution

​Specialists emphasize that humans must remain at the heart of the AI development process, and that these technologies must be managed based on a solid ethical and value-based foundation. Technology is not an end in itself, but a means to serve humanity and facilitate its affairs; it should not become a substitute for man or a tool that controls his destiny.

​In this framework, the real challenge lies in reconciling AI with religious requirements, legal standards, and national values, ensuring the achievement of cognitive and technical development without compromising Shari’a and human responsibility.

​In conclusion, AI, if used with wisdom and clear regulations, can be a great aid to humanity across various fields. Religious and scientific institutions in the Islamic world—including the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan—affirm their permanent readiness to actively participate in employing these modern technologies to spread Islamic knowledge, foster dialogue between religion and science, and contribute to finding solutions for contemporary global challenges. 

The ultimate goal remains to harness the blessings of science and technology for the betterment of humanity, in a manner that pleases Allah the Almighty and reinforces the moral values that are the foundation of stability and progress.

Sheikh Nuriddin Khaliqnazar