Ayat 7: The Mishkat al Anwar (Lantern of al Anwar)

Size: 18” x 24” Medium: Acrylics on Canvas

In the original construction of the masjid, historians write that Imam Hakim ^AS illuminated the masjid with 400 gilded lanterns. When the time came to find a way to illuminate the newly restored masjid, a serendipitous discovery took place.

One morning, Syedna Burhanuddin ^RA glanced at the stone façade of al-Jami’ al-Aqmar, the last masjid constructed by the Fatimi Imams ^AS, and pointed out that an engraving depicting a lantern hanging in a niche. The mishkat was then planned and finalized based on this design.

In the Fatimi tradition, the Imam, the repository of Allah’s light, shines for his people illuminating for them the path to true guidance.