What is the importance of Kufi in Islam?
Gender Distinctiveness. Although head covering is not mandatory, the kufi may serve an important function in helping a Muslim man to obey wardrobe requirements in other ways. Islamic law requires men to dress distinctively from women.The kufi is a traditionally male accessory, visibly different from a woman’s headscarf or wrap.
What is a kufi script?
Kufi is not one specific style, but a family of scripts that all share the same underlying principles and are mapped on a similar grid. They constitute the early tradition of Arabic calligraphy, which is fundamentally different to the later tradition that is made up of the round scripts.
What is a kufi hat used for?
African and African-American usage. In West Africa, a kufi cap is the traditional hat for men, and is part of the national costume of most of the countries in the region. It is worn by Muslims, African Christians and African Jews.
Is the Kufi unisex?
For members of the Christian faith, the kufi is unisex, and is also worn by women. Crochet and knitted styles are preferred by young girls and infants.
What is a kufi in Islam?
Definition of 'kufi' 1. a rounded brimless cap for men, esp men of African descent, made of cloth or knitted. Islam. a keffiyeh, a similar head covering worn by Muslim men.
Is a kufi required?
The kufi is permitted, even encouraged, by Islamic law and custom, but it is not mandatory.
Are kufi hats religious?
The kufi has no religious significance. It is worn equally by Christians , Muslims , African Jews , and followers of African traditional religion . Many grandfathers and other older men wear a kufi everyday to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs.
What did Prophet Muhammad wear?
Muhammad owned three long shirts (jubbas in Arabic) which he wore during battle. In one of the narrations from Ahmad, he said that it is allowed to wear silk during war.
What is mustahab in Islam?
Mustahabb (Arabic: مُسْتَحَبّ, lit. 'beloved thing') is an Islamic term referring to recommended, favoured or virtuous actions. Mustahabb actions are those whose ruling (ahkam) in Islamic law falls between mubah (neutral; neither encouraged nor discouraged) and wajib (compulsory).
Where did the kufi cap originate?
In West Africa, the traditional hat known for men is the kufi. A brimless cap usually made out of kente cloth, mud cloth, or a variety of knitted or crocheted yarns worn by many older men to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs.
How do you wear a kufi cap?
1:382:43Howto wear an African Hat/Kufi - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo that's one way to wear it okay so now the other way to wear it which I like I kind of wear itMoreSo that's one way to wear it okay so now the other way to wear it which I like I kind of wear it like that very very often is you just kind of tuck it around all the way all the way.
What do Muslims wear on their head?
The hijabThe hijab is one name for a variety of similar headscarves. It is the most popular veil worn in the West. These veils consist of one or two scarves that cover the head and neck. Outside the West, this traditional veil is worn by many Muslim women in the Arab world and beyond.
What is a Kufi cap?
A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, and rounded cap worn by men in many populations in North Africa, East Africa, Western Africa and South Asia. It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora.
Where is Kufi located?
The city of Kufi is located in Yorubaland near Ibadan. Other West African names include fula, fila, and malo hat. This cap is called a kofia in the Swahili language of East Africa (see the kanzu article for further information). In the United States, the West African name, kufi, is most commonly used.
What is a dashiki suit?
A formal dashiki suit will always include a crown style kufi, while the knitted style is most appropriate for non-formal occasions. Other caps worn with the dashiki, Senegalese kaftan, and grand boubou, include: The Aso Oke hat, from Nigeria. The Fez, a wool cap with a stem from North Africa, also called a tarboush.
Is Kufi unisex?
For members of the Christian faith, the kufi is unisex, and is also worn by women. Crochet and knitted styles are preferred by young girls and infants.
What is the significance of the Kufi cap?
In West Africa, a kufi cap is the traditional hat for men, and is part of the national costume of most of the countries in the region. It is worn by Africans of many religions.
What is a Kufi made of?
Often made of kente cloth, mudcloth, or knitted or crocheted in a variety of yarns. In the United States today, many African-Americans wear the kufi during weddings, funerals, graduations and Kwanzaa celebrations. Furthermore, people of mainly West African heritage of all faiths wear the kufi, although it is associated with members ...
Why do Africans wear Kufi?
It is worn by Africans of many religions. Many older men wear a kufi every day to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs. Within the United States, it has become identified primarily with persons of West African heritage, who wear it to show pride in their culture, history, and religion .
Is Kufi unisex?
Furthermore, people of mainly West African heritage of all faiths wear the kufi, although it is associated with members of the Islamic faith more. For members of the Christian faith, the kufi is unisex, and is also worn by women. Crochet and knitted styles are preferred by young girls and infants.
What is Kufi?
This overview is mainly intended to give students and collectors a general understanding of the history and features of the Kufi scripts. At the same time, I feel it is essential to closely follow this with a more in-depth discussion, and to dispel some myths and misconceptions that are running amok around the web. For this reason there is a Short Version offering the essential history, followed by an optional, more technical Closer Look.
What is Kufi calligraphy?
Kufi is not one specific style, but a family of scripts that all share the same underlying principles and are mapped on a similar grid. They constitute the early tradition of Arabic calligraphy, which is fundamentally different to the later tradition that is made up of the round scripts.
What was the first Islamic monument?
Arabic became the official language, new coinage was minted, and the first distinctly Islamic monument, the Dome of the Rock, was built in Jerusalem. Inside the Dome, a mosaic inscription displays the earliest known example of Kufi, possibly the prototype for all that followed (I discuss this more below, under Manuscript Kufic). There we can see an elegant mature script, deliberately proportioned, with a consistency of appearance thanks to a small number of shapes that echo each other from letter to letter. There was no transition period, no gradual evolution between the primitive jazm and this fully developed Kufi: it appeared virtually overnight, so that we can be sure the script was redesigned purposefully. Other inscriptions above the north and east doors, engraved in copper, show this same transformation, with the metallic support allowing for even more pronounced geometry in the letters, some of which are based on perfect circles. In both cases, there is a clear underlying grid onto which the letters are mapped. Kufi was the first Arabic script to be made consciously beautiful.
What is the Kufic script?
While Manuscript Kufic (كوفي مصحفي), in its diverse iterations, was the product of pen and ink on parchment, the new script also developed into the many constructed styles (كوفي هندسي) designed to be rendered in hard materials, sometimes on a large scale: bricks, wood, metal, stucco and so on.
When was Kufi formalized?
Fully formalised Mashriqi (left), and the variant known as “Qarmatian” (right) It is in Persian lands that we find the emergence of more casual, dynamic Kufi formalised into a Qur’anic script, and there that it flourished from the late 11th to the 12th century.
Why did the Qur'an use mastara?
A template called mastara was now used so the calligraphers (no longer mere scribes) wrote in straight lines. The system of proportions binding the letters extended to the whole page, defining the relationships between lines, margins and page size. The binding format also changed to landscape, possibly chosen to stand out from the other book traditions (which used a portrait or square format), but also more suited to the horizontality of the script.
Where did the name Kufi originate?
There are many outdated myths and misunderstandings that get endlessly perpetuated online, top of the list being the idea that Kufi originated in the city of Kufa. The 10th-century chronicler al-Nadim, to whom we owe the term Kufi, believed it did, but he simply didn’t know any better.
Where is the Kufi Hat from?
The kufi hat is part of the traditional costume of many West African countries , but similar styles are used in other parts of Africa and the Middle East.
What color are Kufi hats?
Many kufi hats are white, but a variety of colors and ornamentation are worn. For fancier occasions like weddings, men may wear kufi hats that have colored or embroidered bands to match the traditional African dress.
What is crown kufi?
This crown kufi style is a very tall hard kufi. The kufi style is meant to sit above the forehead with ample room between the scalp and the top of the kufi. The kufi is usually beautifully embroidered and is used to accentuate the rest of the outfit.
What is the Kufi hat?
Although the Kufi is practically synonymous with Muslim hat , the kufi is worn by Christian and Jewish individuals in certain parts of the world. With the rapid spread of Islam during the late 7th century, the apparel and fashion of early Muslims transcended through history and embedded the cultural traditions of many faiths throughout North Africa. Although the majority of African tribes and religions were not muslim, they still accepted the clothing and headwear of Muslim tradesmen who came from Arabia. Eventually, as North Africa began to embrace Islam and convert, the fashion and attire of the region changed as well. The thobe, kufi and shemagh became a traditional garb for many faiths including Christians and Jews in Africa. Even women of Christian faith (specifically in Ethiopia) wear a headcovering similar to a hijab during religious days and ceremonies.
What is a Kufi headband?
The kufi is the most identifiable symbol of Muslim men around the world. Since the kufi is so prevalent throughout the world, each culture has their own version of the Muslim headwear. “Kufi” is an Arabic term which refers to the common brimless knit skull cap that almost every Muslim owns. These are by far the most common form of the headwear anywhere. They can be found in any country around the world. However, there are various other styles of headwear for Muslim; they all have their own names and styles but they all fall under the umbrella of a Kufi. As stated earlier, the term “kufi” is an Arabic word. Although this term is very well known, there are other names for the headwear. The South Asian continents may call this a “ topi ” or “topee”, this term was inspired by the jewish doppah (more commonly known as a yamaka). This shows that the tradition of head covering (for men and women) is a common practice around the world for many faith systems.
What is a Pakistani topi?
The Pakistani topi is a very common style in North India as well. These crown kufis can come in variety of styles. Another version of this hat is the Sindhi cap. This cap is attributable to the Sindhi people of Pakistan. The kufi similar to the Pakistani kufi except that it has a distinctive archway on the front of the Kufi.
Can you wear Kufi?
Sure you can! Just be sure to be respectful to all the people around the world who admire the Kufi. Do not appropriate or mock any culture when you’re wearing it and you’ll be fine. Thousands of years of heritage, religion, and sacrifice are intertwined with every strand of cloth in that kufi. Therefore, be sure to wear it with honor just as millions of others do around the world.
What is a Kufi hat?
A kufi is a round, brimless hat widely seen among African men and their descendants around the world and in parts of Asia. These round caps are nearly flat on top with slightly domed, high sides; in parts of Africa, they are highly decorated and reflect the wearer’s status. Because they are so indelibly linked to the wearer’s culture, ...
Is a head covering mandatory for Muslim men?
Although head covering is not mandatory, the kufi may serve an important function in helping a Muslim man to obey wardrobe requirements in other ways. Islamic law requires men to dress distinctively from women.The kufi is a traditionally male accessory, visibly different from a woman’s headscarf or wrap.
Is Kufi mandatory in Islam?
4 Optional Garments. The kufi is permitted, even encouraged, by Islamic law and custom, but it is not mandatory. Islamic scholars record a number of important precedents for early Muslim leaders wearing a kufi, including Anas Bin Malik, Rasulullah and Wabisah.
Overview
A kufi or kufi cap is a brimless, short, and rounded cap worn by men in many populations in North Africa, East Africa, Western Africa, and South Asia. It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora. It is also commonly called a "topi" or "tupi" in the Indian subcontinent.
African and African-American usage
In West Africa, a kufi cap is the traditional hat for men, and is part of the national costume of most of the countries in the region. It is worn by Muslims, and African Christians. Many grandfathers and other older men wear a kufi every day to symbolize their status as wise elders, religious people, or family patriarchs.
Within the United States, it has become identified primarily with persons of West African heritag…
Etymology
In the Yoruba language, Ade means crown, and fila means cap. The city of Kufi is located in Yorubaland near Ibadan. Other West African names include fula, fila, and malo hat. This cap is called a kofia in the Swahili language of East Africa (see the kanzu article for further information). In the United States, the West African name, kufi, is most commonly used.
See also
Jazz rock/jazz fusion Weather Report frontman and keyboardist Joe Zawinul had been longtime wearing kufi, both on stage with the band and outside of it, in his private/personal life. He is known for having changed various kufi models throughout the passing of time as well, as shown in the live performances of Weather Report from the 1970s and 1980s.
The caps were featured on dancers in the 2018 music video All the Stars by the artist Kendrick La…
Further reading
• Thony C. Anyiam, Jumping the Broom in Style (Authorhouse 2007).
• Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, Celebrating Kwanzaa (Holiday House 1993).
External links
• Media related to Kufi at Wikimedia Commons