Description
Inspired by the lines in Ziyarat Nāḥiyah:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَى الرُّؤُوسِ الْمُشَالَاتِ
Peace be upon the heads raised upon lances.
In this piece, I painted the very heads to which Imam al-Zamān (ʿajtf) sends his salām. Alongside them, the unfolding tragedy of Karbala appears in the distance: the burning tents, and the women and children forced to walk from city to city in captivity.
I also wanted to highlight the ayah from Surah al-Kahf that Imam Husayn (ʿa) recited, which I inscribed at the top of the artwork.
Al-Minhal ibn ʿAmr narrates:
“I saw the head of al-Husayn reciting Surah al-Kahf. When it reached Ayah 9—‘Or do you think that the people of the Cave and the inscription were among Our amazing signs?’—the head spoke clearly, saying: ‘More amazing than the people of the Cave is my killing and my being carried from place to place.’”
(Al-Khasa’is, vol. 2, p. 127, al-Suyuti)
Through this work, I aimed to reflect the eternal bond between the Ahlulbayt and the Qur’an, two realities that can never be divided. The Imams are the living Qur’an, its verses made manifest through their lives and sacrifice.
Original Medium: Digital Painting
