Unknown Maker, Persian

Originally an album page, this work depicts ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first male convert to Islam. Across religious iconography, radiant haloes denote important people. As an alternative, some Islamic artists veil holy subjects’ faces. This differs by the country, culture, ethnic group, generation, and time period in which the artist is practicing.

The death of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) created an early schism in Islam, resulting in the Shi’a and Sunni as predominate branches of the religion. ‘Ali is, however, revered throughout the ummah (global Muslim community), especially as the husband of Fatimah, the prophet’s youngest daughter and the mother of his male descendants.