Marvel's first Muslim superhero is coming to our screens with the new series, Ms Marvel. Set to release on June 8, it follows Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani American girl.
The poster for #MsMarvel is giving us Pakistani truck art vibes…
A thread on this artform…
1/ If you’ve spent time in Pakistan you’ve surely seen colorful, ornate trucks rumbling down roads & highways. In Pakistan, truck art is more than just cultural expression, it’s also a deeply rooted tradition. So what is the history & meaning behind these movings pieces of art?…
2/ Pakistani truck art has origins dating back to the 1920s, when Bedford trucks imported from England invaded the country’s streets.
In the late 1940s, when trucks began long-haul journeys, each company designed ornate logos so that people would understand who owned the truck…
3/ Over time these logos became increasingly ornate. They were badges of competition; the more flamboyant the design the better business became. In the 1950s Karachi became a hub of truck art—when Hajji Hussain, an artist known for his elaborate palace frescoes, settled in town…
4/ Artist Hajji Hussain, was renowned for his enormous palace frescoes. After the Partition of India it was clear no more palaces were being made, so he relocated to Karachi and turned to decorating trucks. His lavish, floral, elaborate style propelled the genre ahead…
6/ Decked in vibrant colours & bells, inscribed with romantic couplets, spiritual & political images, each truck tells a unique tale. But with the arrival of transportation companies, traditional truck art is becoming less common…
7/ To decorate a truck, drivers can easily spend up to $2,500, which is two years’ salary. Truck art for many is more than a business expense; it’s also a ritual that harkens back to the Sufi tradition of painting shrines to carry religious favour - as a mark of gratitude…
8/ Truck art is a way of gaining religious value, similar to the way Sufis decorate religious sites. Owners who decorate their trucks in this way hope that their trucks will remain stable on the road without breakdowns or accidents. An example of a painting of a Sufi saint…
9/ This truck features an image of Burāq. In Islām it is believed Buraq transported Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) to heaven. In some traditions he became a steed with the head of a woman and the tail of a peacock…
10/ Truck art is connected to and reflect the Islamic values and beliefs of the painters and truck owners. This front face decor of a truck features the miniature of Masjid-e-Nabvi in the centre…
11/ Some academics have suggested Pakistani truck art is also influenced by Mughal art and architecture. These frescoes from Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore reflect similar colours, patterns and compositions found in truck art…
12/ In the 1960s, a strand of truck art in Pakistan began to incorporate politics…
South American revolutionary, Che Guevara, on a truck
A driver wipes off dust from the portrait of Ayub Khan which was originally painted on this truck in 1966.
13/ Internationally renowned Karachi Artist Haider Ali uses truck art is a tool to brighten people’s mood & spread love & peace. He painted a portrait of George Floyd, who was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis - which led to Black Lives Matter protests around the globe…
14/ The images and designs that appear on a Pakistani truck reflect the wishes of its owner and driver, but ultimately, the artists are the ones whose imagination dominates the truck art, and can convince the owner if they want…
15/ The truck art details are meticulous and highly embellished with mirrors, bells and tassels. Here are some truck details…
16/ with truck art, the interiors of decorated trucks are equally as elaborate…
16/ At night the ornate trucks glow in the dark with luminous reflections from mirror works, embellishments and strategically placed patterned lights…
17/ Truck art inspires design across the world, and is popular in Europe. Italian fashion giant Dolce & Gabbana in collaboration with Smeg launched a vividly colourful series of kitchenware, which looks almost like something a desi Pakistani truck artist would have created…
18/ The art in the background of the #MsMarvel poster is by Pakistani illustrator, @shehzilm Shehzil took to social media & shared how things aligned for her to work on this project.
@shehzilm also created this amazing artwork for @msmarvel official Eid celebration posts…
19/ We are excited to celebrate the first Muslim @marvel Superhero.
We really admire how in the story Ms Marvel draws strength from the Qur’an.
Here is our favourite Ms Marvel moment so far…
Credit @MsMarvelUK
20/ In the #MsMarvel trailer we spotted an Eid Mubarak banner outside the mosque confirming one of the episodes will take place on Eid!
21/Looking forward to the first @marvel Muslim superhero on our screens soon…
Drinking coffee as a beverage is said to have originated in Yemen in the 15th century in Sufi Shrines. It was there that coffee berries were first roasted & brewed in a way similar to how the drink is prepared today
For #InternationalCoffeeDay a thread on coffee & Muslim culture
1/ Coffee was originally consumed in the Islamic world and was directly related to religious practices. For example, coffee helped its consumers fast in the day and stay awake at night, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan #InternationalCoffeeDay
2/ Known in the Muslim world at least for its medicinal properties from the early 10th century, coffee drinking became widespread through Yemeni Sufi orders in the 15th century, spreading from there to the rest of the Muslim world, and then to Europe #InternationalCoffeeDay
The very foundation of Islam is literacy - to read & seek knowledge. The first word of the Qur’an revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was “Iqra” which means Read.
To celebrate International Literacy Day, here are beautiful Qur’anic manuscripts in museums across the world…
1/ ‘Read: In the name of thy Lord who created. Created man from a leech like clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bountiful. He taught by the pen. He taught man which he knew not’ (Al-`Alaq 96:1-5)
Folio, Manuscript of the Qur'an
Iran, 1550-1575
@LACMA #InternationalLiteracyDay
@LACMA 2/ In Islam, the duty of seeking knowledge & learning is obligatory for every Muslim. Islam affirms the right to education for all, without discrimination.
Qur’an leaf in Muhaqqaq script
Mamluk period, c. A.H. 728 / A.D. 1327
Egypt
In 1807, Omar ibn Said, a Muslim scholar, was stolen from Senegal & sold into slavery in America. He left behind an autobiography written in Arabic.
To mark the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade & its Abolition, a thread on the remarkable story of Omar…
1/ Written in Arabic and recently acquired by the @librarycongress, "The Life of Omar Ibn Said” is not only a rare handwritten personal story of an American slave, but it's also one of the first intimate accounts of the early history of Muslims in the United States.
@librarycongress 2/ Omar wrote his brief autobiography, 190 years ago, & it spent much of the last century forgotten in an old trunk in Virginia. When he wrote it, Omar was 61 and more than two decades into a long enslavement in America, first in Charleston and then North Carolina
Did you know that in Arabic there are 12 levels of friendship? With every level of friendship there is an Arabic word to describe it.
From Sadeeq to Khaleel it is rare to find all 12 levels of friendship in one person.
For #FriendshipDay the 12 levels of friendship in Arabic...
1/ 𝙎𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙦 (صديق) - a true friend; someone who doesn't befriend you for an ulterior motive. The word "Sadeeq" is commonly translated as truth, so honesty and loyalty is at the core of this friendship
2/ 𝘼𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙨 (أنيس) - someone with whom you're really comfortable and familiar with.