An-al-Fizzat - “I am silver”

In yet another verse Husain AS explains his pure lineage through the following verse:

فضة قد صبغت من ذهب
و انا الفضة وابن الذهبين

Translation: “Silver that is hued with gold! For I am Silver and the son of the two Golds” (my father and mother).

An-al-Fizzat translates to “I am silver”, is a phrase that is the foundation for this artwork. The inspiration is drawn from a multi petal medallion that appears on the facade of a Fatimid Jame’ - al Aqmar in Cairo.

This monument is themed around planets, stars and most importantly, the moon. The name Aqmar itself translates to “Moonlit, Luminous”. In ancient sciences throughout the world, the moon is often equated with silver, and the sun with gold.

The medallions in Al-Aqmar are pierced so that the sunlight and moonlight would shine through them beautifully inside the mosque, illuminating it. The sunlight glows mimicking gold, and the moon shines like silver.

Beauty of the space and the believer is celebrated within the act of worship. For this reason, mosques are ornamented and worshippers are encouraged to present themselves at their best. However, the best kind of beauty derives from good character. One can understand this better through the words of Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abideen (AS), the son of Imam Husain (AS). He says:

اذا رايت الناس اشتغلوا ب‍‍زينة الظاهر فاشتغل انت بطهارة الباطن

Translation: “When you find people preoccupied with superficial beauty, occupy yourself with inner purity.”

Superficial beauty typically stems from the desire to project a glamorous or successful image to society. In contrast, inner purity transcends external appearance, urging us to cultivate a beauty that is deeper than the surface and everlasting.

Here gold and silver emerge as reflections of inner purity, as these pure metals transcend their physical form into derivation of the Divine Light. Imam Husain (AS), his ancestry and his progeny shine in their beauty and purity as the finest of gold and silver.