"Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation", Folio from a Majma' al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Histories)

Hafiz-i Abru

ca. 1425 · Opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper · Islamic Art

Shah Rukh (r. 1405–47), son of Timur, commissioned Hafiz‑i Abru to write an extensive world history, beginning with Adam and continuing down to his own time. Early manuscript copies of the text are heavily illustrated in a simple, direct style—as seen in this example. Here, the angel Gabriel appears to the Prophet Muhammad, calling him to spread the word of God, and transmitting to him the first of God’s revelations—which would become the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an.

Artist

Hafiz-i Abru

Date

ca. 1425

Medium

Opaque watercolor, silver, and gold on paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Cora Timken Burnett Collection of Persian Miniatures and Other Persian Art Objects, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956