tonight commemorates the Prophet Muhammad’s night journey - carried by the creature buraq from Mecca to Jerusalem and then into the heavens, he met Adam, Jesus, John the Baptist, Moses, and Abraham, finally reaching the Throne of God. buraq images in Indonesia - a thread 🧵 1/
Images of buraq were part of the decorations carved into traditional wood buildings used for public and ritual purposes in Aceh, in northern Sumatra. Here is buraq in the fable of a meunasah, a traditional village hall, built in 1950. photo from Maritime Asia Heritage Survey
Here’s another image of buraq in Acehnese carving, this one from a traditional wood house. This style of building is pre-colonial. Photo from Kominitas Beulangong Tanoh
You can see from the picture of the whole house that the panel of buraq is central to the building.
Given the association of buraq with both homes and community buildings in Aceh, perhaps it is not surprising that the Free Aceh Movement (1976-2005) included buraq in their coat of arms. Photo from Wikipedia.
buraq is also found in the material culture and ritual practices of other parts of Indonesia. Here is a female buraq made of wood, hide, colored cloth. From the Johnson Museum of Art @Cornell
Interestingly, buraq is often depicted as female - but not always. Here’s a male buraq, also made of wood, hide, and colored cloth. Also at the Johnson Museum @Cornell
In Cirebon, Java, the arts of buraq are part of a regional festival culture which includes processions and floats/rides. Photo in the city of Ciledug by Kenz Hanson, November 2019.
the buraq festival tradition in Cirebon is known in Indonesian as burokan, which includes large scale buraq (using that as a plural here). Photo from tkl_cell on Flickr.
buraq is also a subject of contemporary painting. This 1982 screenprint by artist A. D. Pirous is titled ‘Sura Isra II: Homage to My Mother.’
The artistic representations of buraq are found in many different mediums. Here is buraq in a glass painting from West Java by artist Nina Merlina.
Here is buraq wearing shoes, wearing anklets, carrying a canopy with Islamic royal regalia. Note the phoenix-like birds and date palm tree (of life). Watercolor by Teungku Teungah, pre-1907, Aceh. Museum @Volkenkunde in Leiden (give it back to Aceh, yo).
buraq in the exquisite practical art of batik
And also in ceremonial textiles, embroidered with gold thread. From Aceh. Held by @NatGalleryAus
a contemporary painting of buraq by artist Nasirun (2015).
There’s now a motorcycle ride sharing service named after buraq, too: Buroq. I’d be remiss to leave that out. “Ayo, naik!” “Naik apa?”
If you want to learn more about Muhammad’s Night Journey (the #isra and #miraj), here is a talk by my wonderful colleague and friend Omid Safi @ostadjaan of @IslamicAtDuke.
// wassalaam / fin.
m.youtube.com
// wassalaam / fin.
m.youtube.com
Whoops! That first image, a painting of buraq, is from Wong Cirebon Tulen 2020. And in the third tweet fable = gable 🤦🏽♀️
Loading suggestions...