A Comparative Study of Art in Islamic Futuwwat and Zen Buddhism

This research aims to provide a comparative study of art in two major religious trends in the East, i.e. Futuwwat, grown out of Sufism, and Zen, arising from Buddhism. The main question is how much Zen Buddhism and Futuwwat are similar in the area of art. In order to answer this question, the authors have used analytical-comparative method to organize this study.This article intends to pay attention to a different and very essential approach to art. The results of this study show that these two sects have significant similarity in the area of art, although some differences are also observable. Generally speaking, it could be claimed that in the East it is always emphasized that art is an inner virtue and one does not achieve it unless he/she has embodied purification and contemplation. In this approach, knowing the form and content does not make the artist but it is the inner illumination which shapes the heart of truth.