During Week Four, we discussed the praise and works of the Prophet Muhammad. The communal love and adoration for the Profit acts as a unifying factor of Muslims across the world. As described by Ali Asani, the “love for the Prophet runs like blood in the veins of the Muslim community” (Asani 106). In his work, Asani discusses four central themes surrounding the view of Muhammad: his role as a messenger, the importance of the sunnah, Muhammad as an intercessor and finally his relationship with Allah.
Keeping this image in mind, my drawing depicts these very same veins of Muhammad. The heart itself represents the Muslim community. Within the heart, there are four symbols that represent Asani’s four themes: the flame, the path, the shawl and the Dome of the Rock.
First, the flame represents the Prophet Muhammad’s role as a Prophet and as a light in the lives of Muslims across the world. Muslims believe that God sent Muhammad as a guide to shed light on their dark world.
This leads to the second image, the path. The path represents the sunnah. The sunnah consists of the actions of the Prophet Muhammad. Because the Prophet Muhammad is considered perfect, members of the Muslim community use this path to dictate how they live out their daily lives and personal characteristics. The path is what Muslims follow to walk in the footsteps of Muhammad.
The third image is the image of a shawl. As described by Sufi poets, specifically in “The Burda,” Muhammad is looked to by some as an intercessor between humans and God. Thus, the shawl incorporates the image of Muhammad “wrapping” an individual to help them specifically in moments of grief or terror, or in “The Burda” Muhammad cures paralysis.
Finally, the fourth image in the heart represents the Dome of the Rock, the temple in Jerusalem to which Muhammad supposedly traveled during the night of the mi’raj. During this night, Muhammad ascended into heaven, met previous prophets, and discussed prayer with Allah. This night represents the Prophet Muhammad’s connection with Allah and his divine guidance.
All of these symbols within the heart are representations of the community’s love for Muhammad. The veins leading off the page and out of the heart represent the love of Muhammad spreading across communities. Finally, the heart itself is surrounded by flames. Professor Asani, in his book, quotes Rumi who asserts that Muhammad was purified by the divine love of Allah. Thus, the fire surrounding the heart of the Muslim community symbolizes their pure love and adoration of Muhammad. I specifically did not draw a picture of Muhammad in this piece because many Muslims fear the idolization of Muhammad.