I have many names: I am Muhammad; I am Ahmad (the Greatest of Praisers); I am Mahi (the Dispeller) through whom Allah dispels disbelief; I am Hashir (the Gatherer) at whose feet mankind will be mustered; and I am Aqib (the Last in Succession).
(Bukhari and Muslim)
This exquisite masterpiece is a reproduction of an Ottoman hilye that places a focus on the beautiful names of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
At the top of the hilye panel is the Basmala (In the Name of God, the Infinitely Good, the All-Merciful) written in a single line of black muhaqqaq script with a beautiful image of the Holy Ka'aba.
The blue center contains the phrase: 'Muhammad is the Messenger of God, God bless him and grant him peace' and the lattice circular text-block contains the traditional fifteen-line description of the Prophet ﷺ, in naskhi script, as narrated by Sayidna Ali. It reads:
The Prophet was neither excessively tall nor extremely short. He was of medium height. His hair was neither curly nor wavy. It was not too curly nor was it straight. It was both curly and wavy. His face was not swollen or meaty. It was fairly round. His mouth was white. He had black eyes that were large with long lashes. His joints were rather large. He had little hairs that stood up, extending from his chest down to his navel, but the rest of his body was almost hairless. He had thick palms and thick fingers and toes. When walking, he lifted his feet off the ground as if he were walking in muddy water. When he turned, he turned completely. The Seal of Prophethood was between his shoulders. That was the sign of the fact that he was the last Prophet. Prophet Muhammad was known as the most generous, the most righteous, and the friendliest of all people, and one with a mild nature. Those who saw him were taken aback by his grandeur, however, those who knew his high virtues would love Him more than anything else while conversing with him. A person who tried to depict Muhammad’s superiority and beauty would state their inability and incapability to represent him correctly, saying “I have never even seen a person like him. May the grace and peace of Allah be upon him!
Four circular devices surround the description of the Prophet ﷺ and each contains the name of the four caliphs; Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, Umar Al-Farooq, Uthman Dhū al-Nurayn, andAli al Murtadha.
What makes this hilye particularly unique are the 201 Prophetic names, spread out in the rectangulars and outside the central lattice. The names of The Messenger of God ﷺ are taken from the classical Islamic prayer book, Dala'il Al Khayrat, which was written by the Moroccan Shadhili scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli (died 1465). Below is a video containing the recitation of the names.
At the bottom of the hilye is another single line of Quranic text, in muhaqqaq script, that reads ' We sent thee not save as a mercy for the worlds' (21:107). To the left of the verse is an image of Masjid an-Nabawi.
Details of the hilye with Prophetic names
۩ Country of Origin: Ottoman Turkey
۩ Time Period: 1865
۩ Artist: Muhammad Fuzy
۩ Size: Approximately 46 x 34 cm (including frame)
۩ Print: High-quality matte print and detail finishings
۩ Frame: Wood frame with a gold finish
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