Zayd Depaor Artwork Details

 

 

Detailed Description

Al Haadee meaning 'The Guide' a Name of Allah from the Qura'n. This painting is in the style of Islamic Symbolic Expressionism. The hidaayah [guidance] symbolized in this painting is manifested by various known Islamic signs:- The beautiful moon that we see in the sky at night and day is one of the important signs of Allah, a beautiful creation symbolizing order, power, design, causality, beauty, progress and guidance. The Quran says, “Blessed be He Who hath placed in the heaven mansions of the stars, and hath placed therein a great lamp and a moon giving light!” (al Furqaan 25:61) and “…He covers the night with the day, seeking it rapidly and the Sun and the moon and the stars subjected to his command, Verily His is the creation and the commandment. Blessed be Allah the Lord of the A’lameen.” (al A’raaf 7:54) and “And He has subjected to you the night and day and the sun and the moon and the stars are subjected by His command, surely in this are signs for people who use their intellects.” (an Nahl 16:12) and “And for the moon We have appointed mansions till she return like an old shrivelled palm leaf. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.” (Ya Seen 36:39-40) The moon is also a symbol of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself according to Islamic tradition. The moon is not only a sign of religious and spiritual knowledge but also a sign of worldy knowledge, science and material progress as the moon is used for visual guidance, the lunar calendar etc. Allah says is the Qura'n, “It is He who made the Sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out its stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not this but with truth. He explains the ayaat [verses/signs] in detail for people who have knowledge.” (Yoonus 10:5) and "They ask thee, (O Muhammad), of new moons. Say: They are fixed seasons for mankind and for the pilgrimage...." (al Baqarah 2:189) The moon is also a sign of the blessed month of Ramadaan in which the Qura'n was sent down and the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commenced. Talhaa bin U’baydullah reports that on sighting the new moon the Prophet Muhammad (saw) would say “O Allah do let the appearance of this moon be a forerunner of imaan, salaamah [peace] and Islaam (O moon) my Lord and Your Lord is Allah may this moon be of guidance [rushd] and good [khayr].” (TIRMIDHI) and Abu Hurayrah reports that The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said “Start fasting on seeing the new moon and sop fasting on seeing it. If you are unable to see it then treat sha’baan as thirty days.” (BUKHAARI, MUSLIM) The moon and trees also also symbols of the universal power of Allah over creation and tasleem [submission] and i'baadah [worship]. This is because all things in the universe are under the control of Allah and submit to Him in their physical realities and attributes. The Qura'n says “Hast thou not seen that unto Allah prostrates whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah disgraces, there is none to give him honor. Lo! Allah doeth what He will.” (al Hajj 22:18) The water is also a symbol of 'tahaarah' [purity] and guidance indicated by the following hadeeth, Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent.'' (BUKHAARI, MUSLIM) The moon itself is also symbolic of knowledge and guidance in general. It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) said “The a’lim [scholar] is more superior to the a’bid [worshipper] as the full moon is superior to other planets. Scholars have not left behind dinaar [gold coin] nor dirham [silver coin]. Rather they left behind knowledge. Thus whoever seeks it will have an abundant gain.” (TIRMIDHI, ABU DAWOOD) The trees in the painting are not only a sign of forgiveness but a sign also of dhikr [remembrance of Allah], Paradise, which will have many trees of wonder and a sign of tawheed [monotheism]. The blessings and symbolism of trees are mentioned much in the Islamic Divine texts. The Quran says, “See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly word, as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches (reach) to the sky. Giving its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember. And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth having no stability. Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and in the hereafter and Allah will cause to go astray those who are the zaalimoon.” (Ibraheem 14:24-27) The moon also is a symbol for purifying the soul. The Quran says, “By the sun and his brightness, And the moon when she followeth him, And the day when it revealeth him, And the night when it enshroudeth him, And the heaven and Him who built it, And the earth and Him who spread it, And a soul and Him who perfected it And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it. He is indeed successful who purifies it,And he is indeed a failure who corrupts it.” (ash Shams 91:1-10) There is an odd number of trees, odd numbers being preferred in Islamic theology and ritual purity and worship. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: There are ninety-nine Names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number) and He loves odd numbers." (BUKHARI, MUSLIM) The circular movement of the sky around the moon is a symbol for tawheed [monotheism], the circle being a sign of tawheed in Islamic culture. The trees and water incline to right. The right is a sign of righteousness, the Straight Path and success in the next life. The dominant green colour in the vegetation and trees is another sign of Paradise. The Qura'n says "For them will be Gardens of Eternity; beneath them rivers will flow; they will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade: They will recline therein on raised thrones. How good the recompense! How beautiful a couch to recline on! " (al Kahf 18:31) Green is also a symbol of life and resurrection, the Qura'n says "Seest thou not how Allah sendeth down water from the sky and then the earth becometh green upon the morrow? Lo! Allah is Subtile, Aware." (al Hajj 22:63) The water in this painting represents the journey of a soul towards the light of Divine Guidance.