Pen and Ink (Color)
My inspiration came from our Week 5 reading about the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam. While I struggled to get a clear picture in my mind when imagining Sunni Islam, I always got the same clear image in my mind when picturing Shi’a Islam. Since Iran is a major hub for Shi’a Muslims, my mind initially went straight to Persian culture, particularly architecture. I first saw the outlines of an enormous home constructed in traditional Persian style. Then beautiful tile work accents across the façade with large open doors facing outward. In the middle, huge arches allowing entrance to a beautiful indoor courtyard.
Across the main entrance hangs a sign marking the house as Ahl Al-Bayt, the people of the house, referring to the house of the Prophet. This represents Shi’a Muslims because their sect chose only those descendants of Muhammad to be Imams, leaders of the community and religious leaders. Above the many doors in the house are signs with the names of important descendants of Muhammad/members of his family. Ali, the first leader of the Shi’a sect, and his wife Fatimah along with the leader of the Shi’a Muslims through the Battle of Karbala, Hussein and his brother Hasan, their story made famous by Ta’ziyah. Below them are doors labeled with Imams and Shi’a Muslims, since these are the groups that more recently make up the sect. My drawing strives to represent Shi’a Islam as an actual household made up of the descendants of Muhammad and those who followed their leadership. They are connected by their blood and their ideals as to who the “Seal of the Prophets” would have wanted to continue leading his people.
I love this imagery because it does not depict the violence amongst the Islamic sects that is so commonly shown today. It represents Shi’a Muslims as a family, connected by their love for the Prophet and his kin, rather than merely a group in opposition to Sunni Muslims.