The Light of Muhammad
For this project, entitled Muhammad’s Light, I was inspired by several of Professor Asani’s discussions as well as readings on the prophet Muhammad throughout the course—particularly those in Week 4, including Marie-Rose Seguy’s “The Miraculous Journey of Mahomet” and Zeren Tanindi and Siyer-i Nebi’s “An Illustrated Life Cycle of the Life of Muhammad and its Place in Islamic Art.” Specifically, I look at the role of Muhammad as being a guiding force—a light, or noor, for the Islamic community. A mystical concept, ‘The Light of Muhammad’ suggests that Muhammad, as a reflection of the light of God, created and inspired humanity: “there has come to you a Light from Allah, and a Manifest Book” (Quran 5:15).
While there are many interpretations of the precise meaning of this phrase—for example, some claim that the Prophet is the light, while others claim that “By Light He means Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), through whom Allah has illuminated the truth, manifested Islam, and obliterated polytheism; since he is a light for whoever seeks illumination from him, which makes plain the truth” (Jami’ al-bayan, 6.161)—Muhammad is a guiding force for most Muslims around the world, and the feature which most saliently separates Islam from other religions (that is, the acknowledgement of Muhammad as the last and final prophet sent by God). Every follower of Islam proclaims in the Shahadah, the basic tenet of Islam, that “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God, and I testify that Muhammad is a Messenger of God.” To his followers, he is the greatest of all prophets and provides guidance toward the pure belief in One God. As such, he is “the supreme example for all [Muslim] people” and his life provides spiritual direction for the faithful (Seguy, 87).
To create this sense of guidance, or light, that Muhammad emanates, I used a collection of tea candle lights with which I spelled out his name in Arabic. I was careful to do so, however, in a rather abstract fashion—to represent the sometimes ambiguous, infinite ways in which we understand Muhammad and his role in the teachings of everyday Muslim life. To emphasize the role of Muhammad as a personal leader for the spiritual and the various meanings he represents, I took photographs of the candle arrangement from diverse angles. This allows us to remember Muhammad as a core part of the Islamic faith, yet one which we can understand individually depending on the particular ‘angle’ of Islam that we take. Lit, the flame of the candles is a reminder of the powerful and eternal light of Muhammad.