Description
Introduction
Islam and hospitality go together like coffee and cardamom. Islam and trade have also been inextricably linked since the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. As spices and aromatics provide limitless opportunities for both trade and hospitality, the Islamic world has had a vital role for more than a millennium. The endeavours of Muslim merchants, physicians, cultivators and hosts have rarely been examined. Important though their contribution is, attention is usually focused on the products rather than the people.
In the same way that Islam spread gently across many lands, so did the trade in spices. With it came incalculable improvements in health and diet. The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is rich in artefacts that relate to the most sought-after fruits of nature, which shaped the modern world and continue to improve the quality of countless lives.
