"Bilal Calling to Prayer While Prophet Muhammad and Ali are Visited by Emissaries," Folio from a Hamla-yi Haidari
ca.1820
Medium
Translucent and opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 19 5/8 in. (49.8 cm) W. 11 1/3 in. (28.8 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2015
Accession Number
2015.577
Art Historical Context
This vibrant folio, titled *"Bilal Calling to Prayer Prophet Muhammad and Ali areited by Emissaries*, comes from the *Hamla-yi Haidari*, a 19th-century Persian manuscript by Muhammad Rafi Khan around 1820. It captures a pivotal moment in Islamic history: the Prophet Muhammad and his son-in-law Ali receiving emissaries as Bilal, the first muezzin, calls the faithful to prayer. Rendered in the Qajar style of Persian miniature painting, the scene blends reverence with narrative drama, highlighting key figures central to Shia devotion. TheHamla-yi Haidari* is an epic poem celebrating Imam Ali's v...