Tracy Rubin's Blog

After learning about the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey in class and viewing videos of sama,  I wanted to portray the design that might be left on the floor after they were done, as if they were figure skaters creating  a pattern.   I used a Spirograph computer program.  In an effort to respond to the esoteric, emotional, and ecstatic nature of devotion, each dervish spins in a circular fashion and moves around the floor in a circle.  The dervishes  together move as a circle.  The above design reflects both each individual and the entire group, resulting in an overall circular pattern with interlacing parts.

This form of Sufi devotion, the Mevlevi order, was begun by Rumi’s son, Sultan Walad.  It relates to the primordial nature of man, before language was created, when man connected to God through wordless action and feeling.   Each person has the ability to connect with God without an intercessor.  Sufi devotion is a way to do this.  The Qur’an verse 2:115 seems to speak to this: “To God belongs the East and the West; so wherever you turn, there will be the face of God.”  By turning in every direction one is able to see God.  For the dervishes the dance acts as a form of meditation.

The resulting circular pattern relates to the circular, inclusive nature of the cosmos, seemingly without beginning or end.  This could be understood to be the relationship we each can have with God, as well, giving Him praise and receiving his blessings in an endless cycle.  Each individual’s relationship with God can also intersect with other devotees as evidenced by the intersecting circles.

This image is printed on white paper, symbolizing the white garments of the dancers that represent burial shrouds of the physical world and the creation of a spiritual existence.  Rather than using black ink, which could have represented the robes the dancers discard before the dance but which would have inappropriately remained on the paper, I instead chose blue ink, which stands for protection by God.

The Veil

Multitudes love to wear the veil.
It shows great Muslim care: the veil.

Certain sign of the pure and chaste,
Modesty for the fair: the veil.

Temptation posed by tresses seen,
Closely drawn, hide your hair: the veil.

Devotion strong, Him you adore,
Is this the way to fare: the veil?

But there are those who disagree.
Submissive, must I bear the veil?

Longing rests deep within my heart.
Liberty I must dare, the veil.

Good deeds I’ve done, proclaim my faith.
Condemn me not, I tear the veil.

See Dai for who I am inside.
Outside I will not wear the veil.

The multiplicity of views concerning wearing of the veil inspired this ghazal.  Contemporary socio-political issues are often addressed in traditional forms, so I chose traditional Persian poetry to be the vehicle for a modern day statement about a traditional custom.  The expectation is that by showing respect for tradition in the form of verse, the more modern view of dissent about wearing the veil will be seen as one of thoughtful consideration and not of rebellion.  Additionally, certain words have been used to refer to the Qur’an to demonstrate knowledge of and respect for Allah’s word.  In the second verse the word chaste refers to surah 24:30-31 which encourages chaste conduct, by men and women alike, by their looking (or not looking) and by controlling sexual impulses.  The same surah also recommends drawing veils across the bosom and is similar to surah 33:59 which directs women to draw their veils around them. Verse three refers to these passages.  Submission is a major aspect of Islam and surah 35:35 speaks of submission and chaste behavior as being rewarded by Allah. Verse five brings up this topic of submission by questioning whether one must veil in order to submit and be chaste.  The last reference to surahs is in verse seven where the use of “good deeds” from surah 16:97 is a reminder of what Allah ultimately desires from us.

The poem moves from a traditional view of veiling to a more dissonant one.  Devotion to and longing for Allah, although not specifically named and thus allowing the poem various interpretations, are themes in the ghazal.  The last verse, naming the author, encourages an esoteric and spiritual relationship and appreciation for women, more dependent on inner beauty and character and less on external traits.

This watercolor painting depicts the last stage of the birds’ journey to the Simorgh when only thirty birds remain in Farid Ud-Din Attar’s Conference of the Birds.  I used watercolor because the soft, muted colors are more representative of the ephemeral quality of spirituality, while oil or acrylic would have rendered a more solid sense of the material world.  The many colors of the birds signify that various kinds of birds, or people, can reach the Simorgh, or God, if they have faith.  They are arranged in the shape of an individual bird’s wing span to convey their unity at this point in the journey.  The shape has also been adjusted to resemble the name “Allah” abstractly.  The seven valleys below the birds start on the lower left corner with fire flaring up and brown monsters peering out every so often in the Valley of the Quest.  The second valley, of Love, is obscured by smoke clouds.  The many roads among which the traveler must choose cover the Valley of Insight into Mystery.  For the fourth valley, of Detachment, rather than vary the kind of brushstroke used, I left the paper untouched to resemble the wintry tempest blowing.  After that comes the Valley of Unity, which is austere and vast.  The sixth valley is that of Bewilderment, marked by both fire and ice, so red and orange vertical flames are interspersed with white ice, white paper again.  The final Valley of Poverty and Nothingness is described as a wide sea, so it appears as a blue ocean.  The colors in the painting become more obscure and pale, and the details less exact, the closer they are to the seventh valley, indicating passage from the corporeal world to the spiritual world.

This Qur’an cover was inspired by lectures on the Revelation to Muhammad and on the Qur’an.  The fact that the Revelation was oral, given to an illiterate man, but now is extant in a written form necessitates sanctity of it as the word of Allah.  When recited, the Qur’an is not singing and when written, it is not a book. It is the sacred word of Allah, so the appearance, the cover, of it needs to communicate that fact.  It cannot look like any other book.  For that reason, I chose a lush brown fabric. Solid brown communicates the serious nature of this work.  The texture of the material adds a tactile quality to the book.  This book is special both in appearance and in the feel of it.  Gold cording, representing the finest of metals, adorns the edges, encompassing the entire book figuratively.  The cording, made up of small circles, forms larger circles at the corners, softening the angularity and signifying the eternal quality of Allah.   The center is decorated with a circle of gold cord, again signifying Allah’s eternal, all encompassing nature and unity, yet oneness, tawhid.  The circle is accented with polychrome “jewels” that represent the diversity and high value of Allah’s creation, where all are united by one loving god.  Within this circle, at its core, is Allah.

As I worked on the design for this cover I found that my mind and my eye were bringing my heart along so that I wanted this to be as beautiful as I could make it.  I wanted it to truly present the sacred and unique status and quality of the Qur’an.  I experimented with various designs considering aesthetics as well as symbolism.  The inability to create something that truly reflects the majesty of the Qur’an, which resulted in frustration for me, may in fact be unavoidable because of the Qur’an’s divine nature.

The readings this week impressed upon me the concept of the mosque as a place where one prostrates oneself, prays, rather than as a building or particular site. This was a profound moment for a non-Muslim who has been conditioned to see religious structures as being sacred in and of themselves, regardless of what activity occurs within the walls or who is there.  Recognizing the sanctity of all places because of their being the creation of Allah, just as humans are, creates a sense of unity and oneness. Without any intermediary a Muslim can connect directly with Allah wherever they are.  What an immense comfort to know that God is present and accessible anytime and anywhere.  To communicate this conceptually I used soil to cover the land masses on a picture of the Earth (ideally the image would include all continents) indicating that every place, every bit of land is a mosque if you prostrate yourself there.  It is not the building that makes a place fit for prayer;  it is the person who stands on the soil.  Even if the soil has a prayer rug or concrete floor over it, the soil is underneath and forms the foundation for any structure above it.  The ocean areas are filled with sequins mimicking the effect of glass mosaic, a common artistic form in mosques.

This sachet, decorated with a rose and filled with dried rose petals, is a result of learning that the rose is a symbol for Muhammad and that the Qur’an can be experienced on all sensory levels, although rarely through the sense of smell.  The Qur’an can be heard with the ears when recited, seen with the eyes, touched with the hands, and spoken with the mouth.  It is even tasted by swallowing the diluted ink with which it is written in the Sudan.  However, it is not often experienced through the nose.  Thus a challenge arose: how can a follower experience the holy word of Allah with all five senses? This solution is to fill a sachet with dried rose petals so that it can be crushed gently in the hand, thus releasing the scent, and then place it in the clothes dryer so that all contents come out smelling of roses.  Wearing clothes, sleeping in sheets, or drying off with towels that carry the aroma would be a constant reminder of Muhammad and the Qur’an.  Furthermore, the rose on the outside is a visual reminder of Muhammad.  Ideally, a believer could use their mouth to recite the Qur’an while holding it with their hands and reading its words with their eyes, simultaneously listening to the sound of the recitation while smelling the aroma of roses rising from their clothing, incorporating all five senses.