From a Sufi perspective, what is art?
Art, according to Hazrat Inayat Khan, is “the creation of beauty in whatever form it is created” (349-350). If this is the quality that defines art, then the question is raised as to whether or not only humans can create art. Hazrat Inayat Khan describes the relationship between nature, God, and art by saying, “nature is what God creates as God and art is what God makes as man” (349). Art is part of creation; it is “the completion of nature” (Hazrat Inayat Khan 345). Art can also be a re-expression of nature. This next expression is important because people can not fully experience nature (Khan 350). When the beauty of something is expressed through art, it helps the audience of that art to become more aware of the beauty within life. If beauty is a part of what God is, then art, if it is defined as the creation of beauty, is a natural way for people to become closer to God. Another thing that could be said to be a defining element of art is its source. Our desire to create art is a de
