Kadhim al-Khattat (Kadhim Abd al-Jawad al-Najjar)
1906–1967 · Najaf
Kadhim ibn Abd al-Jawad al-Najjar was born in Najaf in 1906 (1324 AH). His father, Abd al-Jawad, was a skilled calligrapher who copied Qur'ans in gold, silver and colours, and Kadhim learned the art from him and from his father's pupils, until "al-Khattat" became his surname. He kept a room by the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf that served as a gathering place for scholars, and he wrote many books for lithographic printing at the Haydariyya press, valued for their accurate spelling. In 1930 Hibat al-Din al-Shahristani asked him to stay in Baghdad, where he spent three years repairing and completing old manuscripts. He later worked as an accountant, in Karbala from 1933 and then in Najaf. He was also a poet, known for chronogram verses, and wrote a guide to learning Persian. He died in Najaf on 16 April 1967 and was buried in Wadi al-Salam.
Achievements
- Took the name "al-Khattat" (the calligrapher) from his craft.
- Wrote many books that were printed by lithography at the Haydariyya press in Najaf.
- Spent three years (from 1930) in Baghdad at the request of Hibat al-Din al-Shahristani, repairing and completing old manuscripts.
- Wrote chronogram poems and a book on learning Persian.
Taught by: Abd al-Jawad al-Najjar
His work
His works are out of copyright, but no photograph of them with a free licence was found.
Write in the tradition this hand shaped.
Open Mashq Studio →Living calligraphers you can buy from — signed originals on paper, from AED 550: Anwar Alhulwani (Thuluth) · Ahmed Alhawary (Jali Thuluth, Naskh) · Rasha Kasim (Kufi).
Sources
- Arabic Wikipedia (citing al-Jaburi, Mu'jam al-udaba'; Babtain; Mawsu'at udaba' i'mar al-atabat): born Najaf 1324/1906, father, lithographed books, Baghdad 1930-33, accountant, died 7 Muharram 1387 / 16 April 1967 ar.wikipedia.org
- Babtain dictionary entry (1906-1967), archived web.archive.org
Written by the MASHQ studio · last updated 2026-10-05. Further reading, the standard references in English: Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006) · Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York University Press, 1984) · Yasin Hamid Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy (Thames and Hudson, 1978).