Akunna Iheduru

I’ve created this piece of art as a representation of Muhammad as a rose, a motif in Islamic scripture and art.

A poem entitled ‘Qamar’, from a compiliation of Urdu na’ts, has a line which reads “Even the roses do not possess such a fragrance as there is in your sweat, kind sir!” in reference to Muhammad (from “In Praise of Muhammad: Sindhi and Urdu Poems”). Another na’t from this collection praises Muhammad as the “rose of God’s garden”.

Symbolism is very common in Islam, as Muhammad is revered as everything from an oil lamp to a sage. These verse from Islamic poetry evoke a more awe-inspiring and beautiful image of Muhammad as a gentle and delicate, yet bold. Roses are known for their characteristic fragrance and their strong emotional connections, particularly red roses. It is very interesting to me that Muslims have historically felt such intense and personal connections to their prophet, especially to the extent of loving Muhammad as they might love a close friend or spouse. Looking back at the poem, subsequent lines read “pleasure lies in drinking from the goblet of [your] love. Qamar whoever does not possess love of Muhammad, he is among neither the dead nor the living!”. The passionate imagery provided by these lines inspired me to create this painting of a red rose.

In the bottom corner of the painting, I added a calligraphic interpretation of the Arabic script for Muhammad’s name. I chose this method of writing Muhammad as the final symbol combines two characters, and almost resembles a rose itself.