He was mesmerised by the sweeping curves of the Arabic script, with its swoops, loops and dots, as his khat teacher, Ustaz Fallah Lai, demonstrated on the blackboard, turning the almost malleable letter forms into graphic images.

“He was the first person to draw my attention (to khat) which led to me falling in love with the art,” Thahar told FMT, reminiscing about the early days of his passion.

Ustaz Fallah, a Chinese convert, was so much better at khat than those who’ve practised it since young, he said.

That love of khat, formed during his days at Sekolah Menengah Ugama (Arab) Maahad Muhammadi Lilbanin in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, blossomed through the years as he went on to join the navy after finishing school.

Twenty-five years later, Thahar, a lieutenant commander in the navy, is still very much in love with khat and a master in his own right.

His works of khat art have featured in exhibitions in Malaysia and outside the country, and some have been commissioned for rulers, high-ranking officials, and celebrities.

Among the notables were the late Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah of Kedah, who served as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in the 1970s and 2010s, former prime ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak, defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the chief of defence forces, Affendi Buang, and singer-actor Awie (Ahmad Azhar Othman).

He also represented Malaysia at a Malaysia-China art exhibition launched by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, and has received orders for his art from overseas. His patrons include non-Muslims as well as Muslims.

“Though many know khat as a form of Arabic art, there are actually some 100 different types of khat. It is not only unique and lovely to look at, but it is capable of drawing the interests of non-Muslims to learn the art and practice it,” he said.

The Arabic word khat translates as “line, design, or construction”, features which are the hallmark of the art as text is shaped into highly decorative forms such as images of buildings, animals such as a horse or tiger, or geometric shapes such as circles and squares.

Thahar is also known for combining khat with abstract paintings, in a style that was developed in the post-colonial era incorporating calligraphy with contemporary forms of art.

He said he’s happy that his creations have helped promote Islamic art and the religion as well to the rest of the world.