Observations – Isra & Mi’raj in Miniature

A few days ago, amidst the COVID-19 scare around the world, we Muslims celebrated a night on the 27th of Rejab (corresponding to 22nd of March, on a Sunday), a night that we called the Isra’ & Mi’raj.

Also known as the Lailatul Mi’raj (Arabic) Israk Mikraj (Malay ) Mirac Kandili (Turkish) and Shab-e-Miraj (Iran, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), it was a celebration of remembrance of the night where the Prophet Muhammad traveled on a creature named the Burak from Mecca to Palestine in a single night – unheard of  during his time – and his ascension to the heavens above where he met other prophets such as Ibrahim Alaihi Salam (Abraham), Musa Alaihi Salam (Moses) Isa Alaihi Salam (Jesus) and other prophets before meeting Allah himself. On this night Allah commanded us Muslims to pray five times a day.

The Isra and Mi’raj is one of the most significant of events in the Islamic calendar, particularly because on this night Allah commanded the five daily prayers, one of the key pillar of Islam. Throughout history, Muslims remembered this event in their own way, some offered extra supplications and prayers. Some dedicated artworks to commemorate this miraculous event, as this article will shed a light upon. Many artworks, in particular miniatures, were made to remember this night.

NOTE : I will not add any miniatures that features the Prophet Muhammad unveiled, as this is for me at least disrespectful towards the holy image of the Prophet. I will only feature those that have the Prophet’s face veiled. Also the Burak and the Angels depicted in the miniatures are purely of the imagination of the painter, so please, especially if you are not  Muslim, do not take the miniatures to be the rightful images of the holy beings. Should you be interested in the miniatures that feature the Prophet unveiled you may Google them, bearing in mind that those images are merely the imaginations of the illustrators, as usually these miniatures were made long after the demise of the Prophet. 

This work is coming form a Khamseh of Nizami. It is ascribed to Sultan Muhammad (Wikipedia). This work depicts the Prophet (centre, with his face veiled ) upon the Burak ascending into heaven. The angels surrounding him carries various items, such as an incense burner, a crown, a robe as well as food, offering them to the Prophet as he rode the Burak. One of the angel with the fire halo in front of the Prophet is thought to be Jibril (Gabriel). The angels and the clouds were clearly Chinese influenced.

Creator:Nizami (Ilyas Abu Muhammad Nizam al-Din of Ganja) Book Title – Iskandarnama (The book of Iskandar) (Wikipedia). In this miniature we see again the Prophet upon the Burak, with his face veiled, being lead on by an angel (probably Jibril the Archangel) while being looked upon by other angels.  The crown and the hair of the angels were characteristically Persian. 

Makhzan al-Asrār by Niẓāmīمخزن الاسرار Folio 3v The Prophet on Burāq (From https://classicalastrologer.me/2015/12/24/thisra-and-miraj/)  Here you can see the Prophet on the top right with angels following him, in front of a map of the constellation.

Prophet Muhammad travels the seven heavens on Buraq, (from https://classicalastrologer.me/2015/12/24/thisra-and-miraj/) Here the image of the Prophet is fully replaced by a fire, visiting each level of Heaven.

A Persian miniature taken from the Siyer-i Nebi is a Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, completed around 1388. The Ottoman ruler Murad III commissioned a lavish illustrated copy of the work. The calligrapher Lutfi Abdullah completed the work in 1595. The Prophet Muhammad is always shown veiled. The Isra and Mi’raj, are the two parts of a Night Journey, according to Islamic tradition, the prophet Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621, described as both a physical and spiritual journey. In the journey, Muhammad travels to “the farthest mosque” where he leads other prophets in prayer. The illustration depicting the Isra is captioned: ” During the night journey, Muhammad led patriarchs, Old Testament prophets and angels in prayer in a celestial mosque.” (fromhttps://www.sciencesource.com/archive/The-Isra–Muhammad-s-Night-Journey–621-AD-SS2439414.html)

Appreciation – Istanbul Pt.12 – Fuad Pasa Mosque and Tomb

After the sun sets in Edirnekapi, and as the night falls on Istanbul, we made our way back to the Fatih district. We headed to back to Fatih Camii to offer our Isya’ prayers. After the prayer service we went to a coffee house, where we had a nice relaxing cup of Turkish Coffee. It was my first time and by golly, what a first time it was. Thick and rich, not bitter and not too sweet, it is a taste that I will never soon forget. After taking in the beautiful but cold night view of Fatih Camii and the whole of Istanbul on the rooftop of the cafe, we called it a night, said our goodbyes and parted ways.

Istanbul is a very, very large city. Walking from place to place takes time, and thanks to the many steep hills that dot the old part of the City, it was a tedious task as well. As there is no transport systems around the area I was staying in (Kadirga) I was to traverse these hills every so often, and I had to walk for quite a time.  By the time I arrived to my hotel, it was already 1 am. You would think after a long long day of walking around and touring the city, I would be so tired I would sleep as soon as I hit the pillow, but no, I stay awake until around 2, watching Turkish drama reruns that I do not know the language at all.

After waking up quite late (around 8, which is late for me) I decided to explore the nearby Sultan Ahmet Square or the Hippodrome and the surrounding areas on my own. While on my way upwards the hill towards the square, I came across a delicate little jewel of a mosque with unique designs. I decided to stop before continuing on my journey.

The full name of this small mosque is Kececizade Fuat Pasa Camii, and apart from an educated guess that this mosque and tomb complex was built by someone named Fuad Pasa sometime in the 19th century, I did not know much of any information on this moque. I swore I had taken a photo of the mosque’s information but I do not know where I stored it.

The mosque is small and given the location that it is nestled between tall more modern building, the modesty of the mosque is even more pronounced. The building is heavily decorated inside and outside, although not in the usual language of other Ottoman mosque. What I see here is an experimentation of different styles, an encroaching western aesthetic values so common in the late Ottoman era. You can see the influences of Noe-Gothic style in the tall windows and portals, with very peculiar type of Arabesques and geometric designs carved into the walls. All these mosque and tomb is set inside a delicate little garden, surmounted by a modest minaret, which looks more traditional than the rest of the mosque.

Inside, the late Ottoman painted style lavishly decorated the walls and ceilings. The small dome is decorated with painted Ottoman murals in mustard yellow and blue. Eight pointed stars dot the perimeter of the dome. The pillars of the prayer hall is painted with a unique design of Arabesques and celtic-knot like decoration, in red and blue. The tall gothic windows illuminate the hall richly, and all these beautiful paintings cometo life with the light. Dark red prayer rugs were spread upon the floor under a modern looking metal and glass chandelier. A mihrab and a Mimbar in grey marble, a characteristic of any Ottoman mosques, stood in silence in front of the hall.

I did not take long visiting the mosque, and before I know it I was out of the building and making my way up the hill towards Hagia Sophia. Although I had a slight confusion as the mosque compound can be entered from two streets and I exited from a different street from when I entered it, I nevertheless can see myself out of the counpiund rather easily, giving that the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque can easily be seen from either of the streets. Although small, if you ever had the chance to visit Istanbul, you should stop by this beautiful little gem and appreciate the work that had been put into it.

 

 

 

A Gothic style window on the main mosque building.

The Turbe (Tomb) of Fuad Pasha. The intricate doors and carving is really unique.

A Marble carving featuring the eight pointed star under where the Imam would read his Khutba on the Mihrab. Unusual as these geometric patterns are usually tessellated.

The painted decoration under the dome of the mosque.  Again the disjointed  eight pointed stars are featured prominently in this mosque – perhaps a breakaway from the usual Ottoman design language.

A closeup of the decoration under the dome

The marble Mimbar of the mosque, in a simple shape

An overhead view of the main prayer hall. I think this is taken from the Hunkar Mahfili (The Sultan’s lodge)

Another view of the main prayer hall and this time showing the mihrab as well.