Sultan Muhammad & Shah Mahmud Nishapuri: Khamsah of Nizami; the Israʾ and Miʿraj of Mohammed (1539–1543)

(British Library, London, UK)

An illuminated page made by Iranian artists. This page comes a copy of the 'Khamsah of Nizami'. The Khamsah of Nizami was written in the 12th century by the Muslim poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209) and consists of five long narrative poems. This copy of the Khamsah was written for the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp I of Iran (1514 – 1576). Shah Mahmud Nishapuri (d. 1564–5) calligraphed this manuscript and the court painter Sultan Muhammad, made the illustrations. This page shows the Israʾ and Miʿraj, the Night Journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According to the story Muhammad was sleeping at the Ka‘ba in Mecca when The archangel Gabriel woke him up. The archangel showed Muhammad the Buraq, an angelic winged creature, which could move ahead to the furthest horizon with each step it took. Buraq took Muhammad first to Jerusalem where he prayed on the temple mount. After this Muhammad was brought to the heaven where Muhammad spoke with Adam, Jesus, Moses, Abraham and finally God. Before Buraq returned Muhammad home, he was also shown the different stages of hell. An illuminated page from 1539-1543.