Newborn of the Ka'ba (painting)
The Newborn of the Ka'ba (painting) (Persian: تابلو مولود کعبه) is a painting by Mahmoud Farshchian, a Shi'a miniature painter, depicting the birth of Imam Ali (a) inside the Ka'ba.[1] The painting depicts Fatima bt. Asad, the mother of Imam Ali (a), at full length as she emerges from the Ka'ba carrying her infant son, Imam Ali (a), while angels surround them.[2]
The painting was created in 1995 using acrylic paint on a miniature board measuring 81 × 56 cm.[3] It is held in the collection of Farshchian's brother.[4]
The painting's message connects the concepts of the Perfect Man (al-insan al-kamil) and Wilaya with Tawhid. The presence of angels is interpreted as emphasizing the sacred nature of the birth[5] and as representing their assistance to Fatima bt. Asad.[6]
The painting is based on a narration according to which, when Fatima bt. Asad began experiencing labour pains, the wall of the Ka'ba split open by God's permission, allowing her to enter the House of God. Three days later, she emerged from the Ka'ba carrying her infant son.[7]
Notes
- ↑ Fahīm, The Aesthetics of Shi'ism through the Integration of Tradition and Modernity, (Persian).
- ↑ Images of Imam Ali (a) in 4 Paintings by Farshchian, (Persian).
- ↑ Miniature Painting by Mahmoud Farshchian Titled 'Mawlid al-Ka'ba, (Persian).
- ↑ Jawānī et al., Barrasī wa taḥlīl-i mawḍūʿ wa maḍmūn-i Shīʿī dar nigārah-hā-yi Maḥmūd Farshchiyān, p. 23.
- ↑ Fahīm, The Aesthetics of Shi'ism through the Integration of Tradition and Modernity, (Persian).
- ↑ The Face Farshchian Showed of the Imams, (Persian).
- ↑ Ṣadūq, ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, vol. 1, p. 135.
References
- Jawānī, Aṣghar, et al. "Barrasī wa taḥlīl-i mawḍūʿ wa maḍmūn-i Shīʿī dar nigārah-hā-yi Maḥmūd Farshchiyān". Faṣlnāma-yi Nigara, No. 54, Summer 2020.
- Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ. Qom: Kitābfurūshī-yi Dāwarī, 2006-2007 CE.
- The Face Farshchian Showed of the Imams, (Persian). Hamshahri Online. Published: 23 January 2015. Accessed: 26 September 2025.
- Fahīm, Ārash. "The Aesthetics of Shi'ism through the Integration of Tradition and Modernity", (Persian). Mashregh News. Published: 11 August 2025. Accessed: 24 September 2025.
- Miniature Painting by Mahmoud Farshchian Titled 'Mawlid al-Ka'ba, (Persian). Tebyan Images Website. Accessed: 25 September 2025.
- "Images of Imam Ali (a) in 4 Paintings by Farshchian", (Persian). Faradid Website. Published: 12 April 2023. Accessed: 25 September 2025.