Nurayn Khan
Many verses in the Quran highlight both Allah’s beauty and majesty through rain. Throughout history, rain has been hailed as a blessing of God, ending droughts and feeding the world. God reminds us that “We [God] send down pure water from the sky. That with it We may give life to a dead land and slake th thirst of things” (25:48-49). Without rain, life does not exist, and thus God enables life through his gift of rain. At the same rain, and thereby God, has the power to end life — creating a conflicting and unsettling line between blessing and doom. God warned the people of prophet Nuh to “serve Allah and be careful of (your duty to) Him” (71:3). When they failed to submit to God, He sent down an “abundance of rain”, drowning a civilization for their refusal to obey the most Forgiving. Through the story of Nuh, it is clear rain embodies both the Jalal and Jamal of Allah. How can Allah create an entity necessary for life yet grant it the potential to destroy civilizations? This symbolizes the great power of God, reaching beyond human reason. In my art, I depicted rain falling upon a green land, proving nourishment and life to Earth. The rain falls in the shape of “Allah” to remind us that it is Allah who allows life to thrive. The rain is in the forefront of the image, highlighting the greatness of God. I made the rain the biggest feature of the art to instill a sense of fear through the great size and capabilities of God.
