#6
Giant white rooster in Islamic heaven—
His comb reaches the second heaven—
Crows the name, “Allah”—
They have seen an angel—
Aniconism—
Calligraphic roosters and eggs
In Islam, the rooster enjoys a particular veneration and is greatly esteemed by Muslims as a divine symbol. In the year 621 CE, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) traveled on his winged steed Buraq during the Miraculous Night Journey and Ascension to Heaven (Isra and Mi’raj). When he reached the gate of the First Heaven, he beheld a mighty white rooster (Malak Aldiyk) so tall that his comb reached to the Second Heaven. The giant cock began crowing, “There is no God but Allah.” The cocks below on Earth begin to crow when he opens his mouth and all mankind is awakened by him. Even today, many roosters replicate this marvel by crowing the name “Allah,” as proliferated today on YouTube. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had much respect for roosters, saying, “Do not revile the rooster, for it wakes you up for prayer”; and, “When you hear the crowing of roosters, ask for Allah’s Blessings for they have seen an angel.” The chicken egg, symbolic of rebirth and purity, has been used for centuries as decoration in mosques. In the Islamic tradition, there is a prohibition against the creation of images (aniconism), including God, religious figures, and all living beings. However, within Islam there is also the practice of ornamental Arabic calligraphy that includes inscriptions on eggs and elaborate lettering in the shapes of animals such as the rooster. The Arabic words for rooster and sun are frequently incorporated into these designs.
Eman Alkotob
Rooster (2018)
Arabic calligraphy
Ink on paper
Rooster (2018)
Arabic calligraphy
Ink on paper