Direct Answer Islamic calligraphy is called khatt (خط), an Arabic word meaning line, design or construction. Search summaries name Sadequain, Ismail Gulgee, Ustad Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, Irfan Ahmad Qureshi and Bin Qalandar among Pakistan's best-known calligraphers, and list Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhani and Tawqi as the six classical pens. MEHMAT's Handmade Grey Marble Resin Wall Clock is not the work of any of them; it is a handmade resin decor piece with a raised gold mirror-finish calligraphy medallion, made to order at Rs. 27,999. Scholars differ on hanging verses or divine names purely as decoration, so read the guidance below and ask a scholar you trust.

 

Khatt: What Islamic Calligraphy Is Actually Called

Search for "what is Islamic calligraphy called" and the answer you get is khatt, written خط in Arabic. The word literally means line, design or construction, which says a lot about how the art is understood. A calligrapher does not simply write beautifully. A calligrapher builds letters on a system of proportion, and when the writing is of the Qur'an or the names of God, that building is an act of devotion as much as of craft. When the script is specifically Arabic, you will also see it called khatt Arabi, خط عربي.

That background changes how a calligraphic object looks on a wall. A framed canvas, a carved panel and a resin clock with a calligraphy medallion are different objects, but each of them borrows the same visual language: a line that is controlled, rhythmic and balanced, with space left around it so the writing can breathe. When you look at MEHMAT's grey marble clock, the medallion at the centre is the part to look at first, because it is the part that connects the clock to that tradition.

The Six Pens and the Scripts You Will See on Walls

Search summaries credit the Abbasid vizier Ibn Muqla, who died in 940 AD, with laying down the proportional system that underlies the classical scripts. The six styles that grew out of that system are known as the Six Pens, or Aqlam-i Sitta: Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhani and Tawqi. Regional scripts such as Ruq'ah, Diwani and Nasta'liq are often grouped alongside them in overviews, and each has its own use.

Kufic is the oldest, angular and geometric, and is popular today for logos and minimalist wall art. Naskh is rounded and highly legible, the standard script for printing the Qur'an and everyday books. Thuluth, whose name means one third, is grand and curved, used on mosque inscriptions and on large statement pieces. Muhaqqaq is stately, with long horizontal strokes. Rayhani is a delicate relative of Muhaqqaq. Tawqi was a smaller, compact script used for official signatures. Diwani is dense and intertwined, developed by the Ottomans for imperial decrees, and Nasta'liq has the flowing, hanging baseline loved in Persian and Urdu poetry. A fuller walk through the main styles is in our guide to Allah calligraphy styles for wall clocks.

People also ask which Arabic calligraphy is best. The sensible answer from the same summaries is that there is no single best style, only the right style for the job: Naskh for reading, Ruq'ah for quick handwriting, Thuluth for monumental pieces, Kufic for geometric design and Nasta'liq for poetry. For a round clock face, Thuluth and Diwani suit a circular medallion because their curves echo the shape of the dial, while Kufic suits a clean, modern room.

Pakistan's Best-Known Calligraphers

Ask who the famous calligrapher in Pakistan is and the answer depends on whether you mean painters who used calligraphy, classical masters or contemporary artists. Search summaries consistently name a handful. Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, who lived from 1930 to 1987, is described as the most iconic calligrapher and painter the country has produced, known for inventing his own style, called Khatt-e-Sadequaini, and for monumental murals and interpretations of Qur'anic verses such as Surah Al-Rahman. Ismail Gulgee, who lived from 1926 to 2007, is celebrated for blending calligraphy with energetic abstract expressionism, and one summary mentions his use of gold leaf and mirror work.

Ustad Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, born in 1956, is often called the Al-Haram calligrapher, and summaries credit his 24-karat gold calligraphy with adorning the walls and dome of Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. Irfan Ahmad Qureshi is described as a premier living master with a classical ijaza and the first calligraphy diploma from the National College of Arts in Lahore, with architectural calligraphy at major mosques and at the Azadi Museum at the Wagah Border. Bin Qalandar, whose name is Tahir Ghulam Rasool, is described as a contemporary master who turns oriental calligraphy into modern abstract art, shaped by his Sufi heritage.

Abdur Rahman Chughtai, who lived from 1897 to 1975, appears in lists of famous painters rather than calligraphers, but is often called the national artist of Pakistan for blending Mughal miniature, Persian aesthetics and Art Nouveau. These are summaries drawn from search results, so check biographies and dates against museum or university sources before quoting them. The point for a shopper is simpler: calligraphy in Pakistan is a serious, living art with national heroes, and any decor that uses it is joining a long conversation.

Gold and Mirror in the South Asian Eye

Gold and mirrors have been part of South Asian decoration for centuries, from gilded manuscripts to mirror-work embroidery and mosque tiling. Summaries describe the most prized calligraphic masterpieces as those using traditional gold leaf, called tezhip when it appears as illumination around the text, and place them at the top of the price range. That tradition helps explain why gold on calligraphy reads as dignified rather than flashy: it is the colour of light, used to lift the words off the page.

It also helps to be precise about what MEHMAT's clock uses. The listing describes a raised, mirror-finish gold calligraphy medallion and raised mirror-finish gold numerals. It does not say the gold is gold leaf, gold plating or real gold, and the specification table marks the exact material of the medallion as something to confirm. So the sensible description is a gold mirror-finish, meaning a reflective gold surface, not a claim of precious metal. If the material matters to you, ask the store before you order.

How the Clock Carries the Tradition, and What It Does Not Claim

MEHMAT's Handmade Grey Marble Resin Wall Clock takes the calligraphic language and puts it to work in an everyday object. The dial is hand-poured grey, white and soft gold marble-effect resin. The calligraphy is a raised medallion in a fine ring, so it catches light and casts a soft shadow onto the marble. The numerals are raised in the same gold finish. The effect is calm and architectural, with the writing as the focal point and the marble as its quiet background.

What the clock is not matters as well. It is not the signed work of any calligrapher named above, it is not a hand-written original, and it is not a replica of a particular masterpiece. It is a handmade resin decor piece with a calligraphy design. If the exact words matter to you, ask the store to state them: one photo description mentions "Allah", and the listing's body text says only "Islamic calligraphy". Our review of the clock and its specifications lists the other points worth confirming before you order.

Displaying Calligraphy With Respect

The question people most often ask is whether calligraphy and calligraphic wall art are allowed in Islam. Search summaries say that calligraphy is generally allowed when the content is respectful and permissible, and that writing poetry, names, proverbs and positive reminders is encouraged. Calligraphy of living beings is discouraged, and making calligraphy for a living is considered acceptable when the subject matter follows Islamic guidelines.

On the narrower question of hanging Qur'anic verses or divine names as decoration, summaries describe two views. The permissive view allows it to beautify a space and serve as a reminder, provided the work is treated with respect. The cautious view discourages hanging verses purely as ornament, on the grounds that the Qur'an was revealed for study and guidance. Turning a verse into a figure, such as an animal or a map, is described as impermissible. This is general information and not a religious ruling, so if the question matters to you, ask a scholar you trust. Our guide on whether Islamic wall art is halal sets out these views at greater length.

In practical terms, many households place calligraphy at or above eye level, in a clean, quiet area, and away from places they consider unsuitable for sacred words, such as a bathroom. A clock is a particular case, because it is looked at many times a day, which many families see as a gentle reminder. Whatever your view, hang it securely, keep it dusted with a soft, dry cloth and treat it as you would any piece that carries meaning.

A Note on the Bismillah and Its Symbol

One calligraphic phrase appears more than any other in Muslim homes: the Bismillah, which Muslims recite before beginning daily activities. Search summaries give its meaning as "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful", and note that it is encoded in Unicode as a single ligature, U+FDFD, written ﷽. In Microsoft Word you can type FDFD and press Alt and X to produce it. If you are curious about a clock with a Bismillah design, MEHMAT's Bismillah black marble and gold calligraphy clock is the sibling to look at.

Where a Resin Clock Fits in Pakistan's Art Picture

When people ask which art is famous in Pakistan, the answers are truck art, miniature painting, calligraphy and murals, Gandhara sculpture, Kashi blue pottery, Phulkari embroidery, Ajrak and Ralli, and Chiniot wood carving. A handmade resin clock is a modern addition to that list. It is not a heritage craft in the sense those are, and it does not need to be. It is a contemporary way of bringing calligraphy, one of the country's strongest visual traditions, into a living room, an office or a café, at a price that a collector's canvas does not allow.

That is the honest case for the clock, and it is a modest one: a well-made, handsome object with a meaningful design, made to order and delivered in about two weeks. If you are choosing where to hang it, our styling and gifting guide covers rooms, sizes and occasions, and the MEHMAT Resin Collection shows the other clocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Islamic calligraphy called?

A: Khatt (خط), an Arabic word meaning line, design or construction. Arabic-script calligraphy is also called khatt Arabi.

Q: What are the six classical styles of Arabic calligraphy?

A: Search summaries list Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhani and Tawqi, known as the Six Pens, with Ruq'ah, Diwani and Nasta'liq often grouped alongside them.

Q: Which Arabic calligraphy style is best?

A: There is no single best style. Naskh suits reading, Ruq'ah everyday writing, Thuluth monumental pieces, Kufic geometric design and Nasta'liq poetry.

Q: Who is a famous calligrapher in Pakistan?

A: Search summaries name Sadequain, Ismail Gulgee, Ustad Shafiq Uz-Zaman Khan, Irfan Ahmad Qureshi and Bin Qalandar, among others.

Q: Is calligraphy allowed in Islam?

A: Search summaries say it is generally allowed when the content is respectful and permissible, and that scholars differ on hanging verses purely as decoration. Ask a scholar you trust.

Q: Is the MEHMAT clock the work of a famous calligrapher?

A: No. It is a handmade resin decor piece with a raised gold mirror-finish calligraphy medallion, made to order.

Q: Is the gold on the clock real gold?

A: The listing describes a gold mirror-finish and does not say it is gold leaf or real gold. Ask the store to confirm the material.

Q: How do I type the Bismillah symbol?

A: It is the Unicode character U+FDFD (﷽). In Word, type FDFD and press Alt and X, or copy and paste the symbol.

 

Verified Product Reference Data

Everything below was read from the live listing on October 11, 2026. Where the page contradicts itself, both statements are shown.

Field	Verified detail
Product title	MEHMAT Handmade Grey Marble Resin Wall Clock – Gold Mirror-Finish Islamic Calligraphy & Arabic Numerals
Meta title	Grey Marble Islamic Calligraphy Wall Clock | MEHMAT
Product URL	https://www.mehmat.com/products/grey-marble-gold-mirror-islamic-calligraphy-resin-wall-clock-arabic-numerals
Collection	Mehmat Resin Collection (https://www.mehmat.com/collections/mehmat-resin-collection)
Price	Rs. 27,999 PKR; struck-through Rs. 49,000. One price shown for all sizes.
Sizes	20", 22", 24", 26", 28", 30", 32", 34", 36", 38", 40" (11 options in 2-inch steps); custom size on request, a listed variant
Colourway	Grey marble and gold only; the page says other colourways can be chosen but no selector appears
Dial and base	Hand-poured marble-effect resin in grey, white and soft gold shimmer on a wood base; the specification table says epoxy resin
Calligraphy	Raised, mirror-finish gold medallion in a fine ring; exact material marked "confirm"; one photo description names "Allah"
Numerals	Raised, mirror-finish gold Arabic numerals; "Eastern Arabic-Indic vs Western: confirm"
Movement	Battery-powered quartz ("steady time"); battery inclusion not stated; silence not claimed
Finish and hands	Smooth, glossy sheen; contrasting hands (image description says black)
Production	Made to order: about ten days crafting and roughly four days delivery within Pakistan (about two weeks in total)
Delivery estimate	3 to 5 working days (Karachi 2 to 3 working days; outside Karachi 3 to 5)
Shipping	Rs. 200 nationwide; free on orders of Rs. 3,000 or more
Warranty and returns	7-day policy from the date of purchase; original condition, packaging and proof of purchase; contact mehmat677@gmail.com or WhatsApp +92 346 0133667
Care	Soft, dry microfibre cloth; no harsh chemicals or abrasive pads; avoid direct, prolonged sunlight
Use and gifts	Homes, offices, cafés, salons and clinics; housewarming, wedding, Eid and new-office gifts
Reviews	None yet (0 reviews)
Not on the page	SKU, weight, depth, battery details, wood type, country of manufacture, exact calligraphy wording

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