Sabr
About Sabr
100 × 100 cm Acrylic on canvas
I painted Sabr in the weeks after the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017. Like many Muslims, I found myself reaching for something to hold onto.
What I reached for was Sabr. Patience. Not passive, not defeated, but deeply rooted. Because the truth is, we should never have to justify ourselves. Someone who commits an act of terror in the name of Islam is not acting from Islam. Full stop. And yet so often we find ourselves in the position of having to explain that, to apologise for something we had no part in and everything against.
Sabr is the answer to that. Not silence, not submission, but a quiet, unshakeable certainty in who we are and what our faith actually teaches. The Quran says God is with the patient, and I have come back to that truth more times than I can count.
This painting is for every Muslim who has ever been made to feel they need to answer for someone else's actions. You do not. Stand firm. God is with you.
Sabr is held in a private collection.
Sabr, patience, is one of the most profound virtues in Islam, and this painting is its visual expression. A reminder of the Qur'anic promise that God is with the patient. Not sometimes. Not conditionally. Always. In every difficulty, in every moment of standing firm, He is there.
NOW IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION
Commission an original painting
This painting is now in a private collection. If you are looking for an original painting for your home, I would be happy to discuss a commission with you.