Principles of
Islamic Design

The Prophet ﷺ said, “God is beautiful and He loves beauty.” (Mujam Aswat) To attain the pleasure of God ﷻ, every object we design must be made to be as beautiful as it can possibly be. We can achieve this through the careful implementation of the principles of beauty: alignment, proximity, contrast, repetition and space.

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended." (Sahih Bukhari) The act of designing must never be arbitrary. It must always be done with the intention of worshipping God ﷻ. And worshipping God ﷻ is done by serving His creation. Therefore every design must have a function that is useful to people. There should be no design for design’s sake.

God ﷻ says, “The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praise.” (Quran 17:44) Islamic design must be completely devoid of the designer’s egotistical imprint, utilizing Quranic calligraphy and sacred geometry to venerate God’s ﷻ Beauty and Majesty.

God ﷻ said, “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.” (Quran 3:190) Repetitious geometric patterns should be used to reflect the Divine order of the cosmos, reminding us that everything is planned by God ﷻ. As God ﷻ said, ”It is in the remembrance of God that hearts find comfort.” (Quran 13:29)

The Prophet ﷺ said “The world is green and beautiful, and God has made you His stewards in it.” (Sahih Muslim) He ﷺ also said, “God loves to see the traces of His blessings on His servants.” (Mujam Kabir) As stewards of the natural elements, we have a right and responsibility to utilize the best, most noble materials that God ﷻ provides in our designs so as to gain His pleasure.

God ﷻ said, “Transgress not in the Balance.” (Quran 55:8) We are commanded by God ﷻ to preserve the ecological balance that He entrusted us with as His stewards. Therefore design must sit in harmony with nature and not seek to dominate it. Design must conserve resources and minimize physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of a product.

God ﷻ said, “Who is more unjust than one who considers his creation as My creation?” (Sahih Bukhari) Anthropomorphism is antithetical to Islam. Physical products must not take human or animal forms, and software services must not feign personalities or sociability.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Be discreet in order to achieve what you want, for everyone who is blessed is envied.” (Sahih Jami) While private designs such as interiors, home appliances, and personal electronics can be ornate; public designs such as building facades, vehicles, and public attire must be modest. This serves to minimize envy within society.

The Prophet ﷺ said, "God has prescribed ihsan on everything." (Sahih Muslim) Ihsan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection in everything we do. Nothing in design must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process are vital to achieving ihsan.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “The honest and trustworthy merchant will be with the prophets, the truthful, and the martyrs.” (Sunan Tirmidhi) Design should not attempt to manipulate the user with promises that cannot be kept. The duty of the designer is to maximize the value rendered through his design while minimizing the user's expectations. Integrity is essential to Islamic design.