The Straight Path
“And he holds firmly to Allah is guided to the straight path”
One of the readings that struck me was the “External Rules of Qur’an Recitation” from week 3. In this reading it laid down very strict regulations on dealing with reciting the Qur’an. As I was doing research on the Qur’an to hopefully better understand it as a whole, I came across the quote in this painting. Later, as we discuss the Sunnah, or practice of the Prophet, I was reminded of this quote and decided to do a piece of artwork surrounding the quote. The piece itself received inspiration done in a similar manner to the manuscripts shown in lecture of the Qur’anic verses on the same page as a depiction.
The winding paths represent the discord experienced by those without a guide. Islam provides that guide to those who are lost to the many different choices that face them everyday. It provides a means of determining which choice is the guided choice. This guidance is the one of the key components, if not the main component, of Islam from what I understand so far. That is, in order to follow God’s teachings accurately and look favorably in his judgement, one must follow the example of the prophets, and most specifically, of Muhammad. Though divergent on how to best follow the Prophet and which of his practices this quote discusses, I believe that no Muslim wants to diverge from Muhammad’s guidance.
One obvious flaw of this as existing as a true Islamic piece of art is the golden gates. This was done in an effort to show that the “straight path” leads those who are just and righteous in God’s eye’s follow the path to heaven. The golden gates are very apparent in popular Western culture and appear in a wide variety of forms from movies to cartoons to books. This symbol shows my background and experiences. Also, the rolling hills represent a return to what I see as nature’s most beautiful and divine characteristics.