Surah Qadr

In this artwork, Surah Al-Qadr is translated into a luminous night-scene where revelation and creation meet. The central calligraphy—cut with precision from deep black paper—anchors the composition as the spiritual core, while surrounding ornamentation evokes the beauty and fragility of the world it transforms. A field of star-like Islamic patterning glows in gold, suggesting the celestial vastness of Laylat al-Qadr and the unseen grandeur that descends within it. Butterflies drift downward in gentle formation, serving as a poetic metaphor for the angels’ descent; at the centre, a larger butterfly signifies Jibrīl (Gabriel), guiding the movement of the entire scene toward the earth. The work then turns toward dawn: a rising horizon and expanding rays lead the eye into morning, with a golden sunflower placed below as a symbol of the first light and renewed life. Birds emerging above the rays complete the transition from sacred night to living day—echoing the Surah’s promise of peace “until the break of dawn.