Sirat al-Mustaqeem - The Ascension

Title: Sirat al-Mustaqeem - The Ascension.

Artist: Nadia Zeeshan

Description: 

40 x 40 x 1.5 inches (HxWxD)

Painted on gallery wrapped canvas using acrylic paints and ink. Textured using modeling paste and beach sand plucked from the East Coast and layered with 24 Carat pure gold leaf and pure silver leaf.

Concept:

Sirat al Mustaqeem – The Ascension , is my way of  painting harmony between faith and the conduct of a person. 

Without harmony between these two concepts, spiritual completion cannot be achieved. Religious Preachers refer to these as Huqooq ul Allah (matters related to Allah) and Huqooq ul Ibad (matters related to people) . I call it serve and pray. The balance between these two makes a Muslim a Momin. 

On the canvas, the blue represents everything between the heavens and earth. The duality of the Kaabah is intentional. The Celestial Kaabah (Bayt al Mamur) on the upper right corner surrounded by Angels symbolizes the “Pray” philosophy ( Huqooq ul Allah). The temporal Kaabah (Khana Kaaba) surrounded by human pilgrims portrays the “Serve” Philosophy (Huqooq ul Ibad).

The intersection of the two circles is “Sirat ul Mustaqeem” or the right path where these two realms meet. The verse of Surah Fatiha is inscribed in the intersection of the two circles:

" Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem"  Quran (1:05)

Translation: Guide us to the right path

“Sirat al Mustaqeem” is what Allah wants us to follow and this is what Ascension means.