Basmala - Framed Calligraphic Panel

Description of Maghrebi Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim

The artwork is a printed reproduction of a remarkable page, composed by the Muslim saint Shaykh al-Qandusi, containing the phrase Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim  ﷽ which can be translated to:

In the Name of God, the Infinitely Good, the Ever-Merciful.

Shaykh Muhammad Bin Al-Qasim al-Qandusi was born in Qanaadasa along the Sahara Desert of southwestern Algeria and later moved to Fez in Morocco. He was initiated into the Qadiri and Nairi Sufi orders and was known for his esoteric knowledge and spiritual insight. As a master calligrapher who created his own unique script, He composed by hand, a copy of the Holy Quran that consists of twelve large volumes, which is presently preserved in the Bibliothèque Générale in Rabat, Morocco. The basmallah of this panel is a recreation of one of the pages from his handwritten Quran.

For Muslims, The Basmala is recited in order to consecrate all permissible actions, since all things should be accomplished for the sake of God and in His Name. Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani, in his Tafsir ibn Arabi, explains that the order of the three Divine Names in the phrase Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim can be seen as an expression of the levels of Divinity in relation to God's creation: Allah refers to the Divine Essence; the Infinitely Good (al-Rahman) refers to the unity of God's attributes; and the Ever-Merciful (al-Raheem) to the unity of God's acts.

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shiite Imam and a major intellectual and spiritual figure within the Sunni tradition who taught Imam Abu Hanifah & Imam Malik ibn Anas, has said that the Basmala is the greatest verse in the Book of God.

Details of al Qundusi Basmallah Calligraphic Panel

• Style: Maghrebi al-Qandusi Naskh Script.

• Country of Origin: Morocco

• Size: Approximately 14" x 18"  (including frame)

• Frame: Wood frame with a gold finish