chriswoodc&b12

With this piece I sought to symbolically represent the martyrdom of Husain as the extinguishing of a fire.  The fire on the left represents not only Husain as grandson of Mohammed, and so with it being extinguished the extinguishing of one of the members of the family of the prophet, but also the strong piety of Husain.  He was an upstanding man of integrity who went to his death knowingly because of what he believed in.  Because of this he shines as an example throughout history.  The dark figures extinguishing the fire are figuratively the army of Yazid.  The figures are shrouded in darkness and the scene is depicted at night, although Husain actually died during the day, to represent the moral darkness of the act, the terribleness of Husain’s murder, and also to emphasize how Husain shines out as a the example of an excellent and pious man against their darkness.  The continuity of Husain as a figure of strong religious significance is represented by the coals on the right of the painting, which are left even after the fire is put out.  Although Yazid’s army was able to kill Husain, they unwittingly cemented his place in history.  Now, in many situations of injustice and oppression, Husain is invoked on the side of those who are oppressed and Yazid on the side of the oppressor.  Yazid’s victory can thus be seen as very temporary.  The coals, stretching off over the horizon in the distance, represent this permanence of Husain.  Despite the extinguishing of the blaze that was Husain the righteous man, his example continues to inspire.  The coals also represent the Imamate which follows from Husain and which is of such significance to Shia Muslims.