The artist in this panting believes that the mishkat (lantern) is a similitude of the Divine. This similitude is depicted by this medieval glass lamp meant to protect a flame. The work as a whole sees the Divine as a source of light, as spirituality, and is meant to signify humanity’s timeless quest for the Divine.
The mishkāt is adorned by the Quranic verse: “Allah is the Walī of all believers; He leads them from the depths of darkness towards the light” (2:257). The painting, playing artfully with shades of light and darkness, elucidates the concept that true enlightenment is not possible without Allah Taʿālā.
