Mi’ragnama: The Apocalypse of Mohamed

Mi’ragnama: The Apocalypse of Mohamed

A meaningful testimony of Islamic and Central Asian manuscript art is found in the National Library of France in Paris: also known as Miraj-Name, this grandly illustrated manuscript depicts the ascension of Mohammed. The Uyghur manuscript from the 15th century retains its colorfully magnificent miniatures of the rarely pictorially depicted Islamic prophet. In wondrous, very ornamental, and also realistically designed pictures, the story of Mohammed is explained, who explores the different spheres of Heaven with the angel Gabriel.

A Grand Testimony to Timurid Art

Originating ca. 1436 in Herat, in modern day Afghanistan, the so-called Mi’ragnama stands as a premier example of 16th century oriental manuscript art. It was allegedly finished for Shah Rukh, an important patron. He was the son of Timur, the founders of the Timurid Dynasty in Central Asian, which today consists of the areas of Afghanistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. A cultural bloom occurred within the empire under his rule, especially in the area of literature and art. Despite Islam’s prohibition of pictures of Mohammed, if anything he was depicted with a masked face, the first drawings of the Prophet appeared ca. 1300. The miniatures of the Paris Mi’ragnama show him in a circle with other people, with only one of them having an open face.

The Wondrous Story of Mohammed’s Ascendance

The gorgeous manuscript of the Mi’ragnama was presumably made by the Timurid Baysungur. The text is not in Arabic, but rather composed in the Uyghur language, which indicates the development of the national language of the Timurid Court. Still, the actual highpoints of the manuscript are the 61 miniatures. The story of the ascendance of the Prophet Muhammed together with the Angel Gabriel is explained in unbelievably striking ways. The Angel Gabriel’s visit with Mohammed and his subsequent invitation to his ascendance is depicted. Together with the Angel, Mohammed embarks thereafter on a journey towards heaven, wherein he visits the various spheres and parts of heaven. These events are depicted in multiple ways in the countless miniatures. The ornamental design of the grandly colored miniatures are quite impressive. Not only is the background often rather ornamentally decorated, even the sky with its constant white clouds appear beautifully. The large formatted images are raised in their magnificence and splendor through the rich application of gold. The Islamic style of painting, especially clear through the ornamentation and all of the gold, mixes itself excitingly with Central Asian influences. Thus, a very impressive depiction of the Ascendance of the Prophet Mohammed is made available not only to Muslims, but for Western observers as well.