In the name of God, the All-Merciful
The opener. Believed to be a synthesis of the entire Quran, Al Fatiha is undoubtedly one of the most important elements of Islam. Its seven verses are read at least 17 times though the five daily prayers. They are also used as a prayer for the guidance, lordship, and mercy of God. While it is also called "the Mother of the Book" (Umm Al-Kitab) and "the Mother of the Quran" (Umm Al-Quran), some claim Al Fatiha (the opener) is a reference to an ability of the surah to open a persons to faith in God.
This piece venerates the holiness of Al Fatiha. It uses a Kufic script, the oldest calligraphic form of Arabic, in a simple circle design. The Kufic script is said to pre-date Arabic, being developed from the old Nabatean scrip, and was used for the first copies of the Quran. In-line with traditional Islamic artistic principles of symmetry and aniconism, the piece includes the seven Al Fatiha verses enclosed in a double circle with the Native Threads stamp on the outside.
