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Manuscript/Mixed Material Saying about Imam Husayn

About this Item

Title

  • Saying about Imam Husayn

Created / Published

  • 19th century

Headings

  • -  Calligraphy, Arabic
  • -  Manuscripts, Arabic--Washington (D.C.)
  • -  India
  • -  Arabic script calligraphy
  • -  Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
  • -  Islamic calligraphy
  • -  Islamic manuscripts
  • -  Thuluth

Notes

  • -  A calligraphic panel about the martyrdom of Imam Husayn at Karbalah in 680 A.D., in Arabic and written in Thuluth script, produced in India during the 19th century.
  • -  Although this fragment is not dated, it is possible that it was produced in a Shi'i milieu in India during the 19th century. However, it is rare to find the use of thuluth script at this time.
  • -  Dimensions of Written Surface: 22.3 (w) x 14 (h) cm
  • -  The gardens of Heaven (riyad) smiled with the announcement and welcomed the star who was killed by the sons of prostitutes (awlad al-baghayah). They announced that Husayn became a martyr (shahid) at Karbalah. There is for us a community whose nobility exceeds that of any other community in the world.
  • -  The text is executed in a large black thuluth script and is fully vocalized. It is on a beige paper divided into three horizontal panels. Several frames in gold and pink decorated with blue flowers border the text panel. All frames are cut out from separated pieces of paper and pasted to a cardboard for strengthening.
  • -  This calligraphic panel contains a saying about the martyrdom of Imam Husayn at Karbalah in 680 A.D. It reads:
  • -  This text is clearly Shi'i as it recalls the murder of Imam Husayn at the hands of Yazid and his troops (here, cursed as "sons of prostitutes"). It also seems to promote Shi'i Islam beyond a particular community's borders.
  • -  Script: thuluth
  • -  1-04-713.19.33

Medium

  • 1 volume ; 29.2 (w) x 19 (h) cm

Repository

  • Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2019714643

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The contents of the Library of Congress Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Saying about Imam Husayn. 19th Century. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714643/.

APA citation style:

Saying about Imam Husayn. 19th Century. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2019714643/.

MLA citation style:

Saying about Imam Husayn. 19th Century. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2019714643/>.