Artwork Description:
The painting is transpired by verses 4 and 5, of surah At-Tiin of the Holy Quran. In these verses the grand Creation of human-being has been mentioned. They are the best creation and possess fairest stature. Therefore, the man can rise to the highest degree of eminence, if he sets before him the right principles and acts accordingly. But if he acts contrary to it, he would degrade himself to the lowest position in creation. Therefore, we must know our Nafs (self) and find out in what way we can re-shape, train, nourish, and transform it from its lower position to a higher level of existence.
I painted this piece of artwork using modern Arabic calligraphy embroidered by patterns of Islamic conceptual texture and shape to symbolize man, nature and knowledge. The Arabic numbers emblematize mans intellectual endowment and certain Arabic alphabets to signify the sign of knowledge significance to man for now and the Hereafter. In the centre is the pivotal element of man, the heart where his faith in Allah is sustained or otherwise. His devout faith is reflected in the beauty of his heart. The heart here is the spiritual heart where the conscience of man dwells. The conscience of affirmativeness changes to higher degree of faith when the spiritual heart is purified at different stations of Nafs during the journey to God.