The word “shamail” is translated from Arabic as “amulet” and from Persian — as “portrait” and “image”. It is wall art that first appeared more than a thousand years ago and is found in modern Islamic homes and mosques. Shamail is a distinctive form of fine and religious art, a phenomenon of Muslim culture.
A shamail can be painted in ink or oil on canvas, paper, or glass. It is a pictorial utterance that combines a painted image, a sacred ornament and a calligraphic inscription. Shamails are meant to protect the home and its inhabitants, to be a constant reminder of faith and the presence of the Most High. “And wherever you turn, turn to Allah”, the Quran says.
A shamail contains texts of Holy Scripture, philosophical sayings, faces of Muslim saints, aphorisms, and quotations from Eastern poetry. The creator of the shamail from the collection of the Museum of the History of World Cultures and Religions is unknown. The work was executed in a unique technique: the image is made on glass, which is backlit with foil. The shamail features the names of Allah and the family members of the especially revered Islamic Prophet Muhammad, who passed on the text of the Quran to Muslims.
Repeating the name of God helps believers to save themselves from trouble and misfortune. Shamails bear distinctive inscriptions, “I invoke the mighty words of Allah against the evil of every shaitan and pest and against every evil eye”, “Allah is the best guardian and the most merciful of the merciful”. There are often images of birds on the shamails with the phrase “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Gracious!” written in Arabic script inside them.
The color scheme of the shamail is full of symbolism; each color has its own meaning in the Muslim tradition. White is the color of goodness, chastity, truth and purity. Green is the main color in Islam, it symbolizes youth and abundance, a fertile oasis, the rebirth of nature, and full life. The color yellow or gold had a special status as a sign of wealth, success, fame and creativity. Red is the sacred and magical color of blood and feelings.
A shamail can be painted in ink or oil on canvas, paper, or glass. It is a pictorial utterance that combines a painted image, a sacred ornament and a calligraphic inscription. Shamails are meant to protect the home and its inhabitants, to be a constant reminder of faith and the presence of the Most High. “And wherever you turn, turn to Allah”, the Quran says.
A shamail contains texts of Holy Scripture, philosophical sayings, faces of Muslim saints, aphorisms, and quotations from Eastern poetry. The creator of the shamail from the collection of the Museum of the History of World Cultures and Religions is unknown. The work was executed in a unique technique: the image is made on glass, which is backlit with foil. The shamail features the names of Allah and the family members of the especially revered Islamic Prophet Muhammad, who passed on the text of the Quran to Muslims.
Repeating the name of God helps believers to save themselves from trouble and misfortune. Shamails bear distinctive inscriptions, “I invoke the mighty words of Allah against the evil of every shaitan and pest and against every evil eye”, “Allah is the best guardian and the most merciful of the merciful”. There are often images of birds on the shamails with the phrase “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Gracious!” written in Arabic script inside them.
The color scheme of the shamail is full of symbolism; each color has its own meaning in the Muslim tradition. White is the color of goodness, chastity, truth and purity. Green is the main color in Islam, it symbolizes youth and abundance, a fertile oasis, the rebirth of nature, and full life. The color yellow or gold had a special status as a sign of wealth, success, fame and creativity. Red is the sacred and magical color of blood and feelings.
