pinkyaliya

Sketching in Najaf
July 2018

In the summer of 2010, I made my first trip to Iraq to visit the graves revered by the Shi'i Muslims. Among them is the grave of Imam Ali, the first Shi'i Imam, in Najaf. I was curious and would often wander when I found myself on the top floor of the hotel I was staying at. There I found dozens of oil paintings depicting the tragedy of Karbala when the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, his family, and friends were brutally martyred and taken captive. That's where I stood, faced the direction of Imam Ali's grave and told him I wanted to paint for him too. Every time I return to the holy city of Najaf I repledge however, my most recent visit was different. 


It's been a testing past few years - physical pain became perpetual and it felt like it was growing worse and more widespread every day. Some days I couldn't walk; I'd collapse on the ground, paralyzed; my chest would feel like it was about to rip apart; my ribs would burn with fire; I was too tired to function; wasn't able to concentrate or understand with a foggy mind; I couldn't hold a spoon etc. However, I hadn't begun to worry until I started experiencing intense pain in my fingers and wrists... after all, one's hands define her.

I was recently diagnosed with chronic illness that causes sensitivity to pain. However, I don't want this to be the reason I stop making art. I made a promise to Amirul Mu'mineen that I would make art for him (oddly this was the same time I first began experiencing challenges).
God knows best. 

Send strength, Mawlai. 

Watch this space for more works in the upcoming weeks iA... I can't back down. 

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
"Allah loves the Muhsineen" [2:195]

This may not hit many as much as it continues to hit me every day. However, I made it a year goal this past Muharram to discover the meaning of "Ihsaan" and every clue gets me closer to understanding it. This struggle to understand three letters has become the definition of my artwork this year and I think this is important to share.

ن س ح ha seen noon. The root word of Ihsaan means beauty/perfection/excellence/good. This root word, and alternatives of it make up many other words/names/titles such as,

Hassan - means beauty
Husain - means beauty
Muhsin - means striver of beauty
Umm Kulthum - means mother of beauty
Zainul Abideen - means beauty of the worshippers
Qamar bani hashim - means beauty/full face of the hashimites.

So if these personalities encompass "beauty", it makes Imam Ali the father of beauty, the father of the mother of beauty, the father of the beauty of the Hashimites, the father of the striver of beauty, the grandfather of the beauty of worshippers and it could go on. I mean, we're talking about Ameerul Mu'mineen, Asadullah, Abu Turab, Ali.

But "Zaynab"... This name means the "beauty of her father" only signifying that the two Zaynabs, daughters of Ali, are the beauty of Imam Ali. This is no interpretation of mine that the children of Ali and Fatimah are examples for us to become beautiful as well. We have hadith that the Prophet received revelations from Allah for the names of Hassan, Husain, and Zaynab.

The Ahlul Bayt are beauty upon beauty, huh? And even more beautiful are the women of the Ahlul Bayt, as ultimately the peak of beauty lies with Zahra (sa). She is Umme Abiha, the mother of her father Muhammad al-Mustafa (s) and Muhammad is the best of creation.

Ultimately, the owner of Beauty is Allah swt who is Beauty and loves beauty.

There are secrets of the Ahlul Bayt that are unspoken, unwritten, and undepicted by the lovers. They speak, write, and paint but they cannot find themselves to even mention them without burning inside. They try to share these secrets so that they may teach the world of the injustice done to the Ahlul Bayt, but they can never and should never be shared in fear that the foundation of the earth may shatter. If they were ever publicized, grieved hearts would never heal and would cease to beat. It's a searing pain, but a shia must live their life in taqiyya.


Ya Zahra,

Your next child is preparing to meet his fate.

- The Door

So I told my brother that I think I was developing arthritis. He responded to me saying that that was impossible since I've only been drawing for a year and that the first 4 years don't count because I sucked (He was obviously kidding, lol. Negative reinforcement!). My family always knows how to encourage me, alhamdulillah.