Mohammed the Prophet (1929) by Nicholas Roerich – Tempera on canvas 74.2cm x 117.3cm
Beautiful, intense and filled with awe, this painting captures the essence of spiritual inspiration. Magnificent!
Mohammed was born in 570 CE in Mecca. Orphaned at a young age, he was brought up by his uncle. He married at age 25 and worked as a merchant. He was discontented with his life so went into the mountains to meditate and reflect. At age 40, in the month of Ramadan, Mohammed received a revelation from God. The illustration right shows Angel Gabriel giving Mohammed his first revelation. Three years later he began speaking about his revelations. The Noble Qur’an is a collection of God’s teachings through Mohammad. It says…
59:24. He is the One GOD; the Creator, the Initiator, the Designer. To Him belong the most beautiful names. Glorifying Him is everything in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, Most Wise.
5:16. GOD guides those who seek His approval. He guides them to the paths of peace, leads them out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guides them in a straight path.
Nicholas Roerich (Himalayas, 1929) says …
"Highly interesting are the words of At-Tabari about the prophetic mission of Mohammed (“History of Prophets and Kings”): “The revelation of the divine messenger began with impartations of truth, which came to him as the morning glow. Then he was filled with the desire for solitude and remained in the cave on Mount Hira. And so to him came the eternal True One and said, ‘Mohammed, thou art God’s messenger. I knelt,’ God’s messenger says, ‘and I waited. Then I slowly left. My heart was trembling. I came to Hadija and said to enwrap me, enwrap me, and my fear left. And He came again and said to me. ‘Mohammed, I am Gabriel, and thou art the Messenger of God…’ ‘” The exclamation ‘Enwrap me’ gives authentic occult character to the narrative."
Nicholas Roerich (1874–1947) — ). Russian scholar, mystic, painter, and designer. He cofounded the Agni Yoga Society with his wife Helena, a channel of El Morya. Master Morya’s heartfelt messages became the foundation of Agni Yoga. The messages from El Morya are available at agniyoga.org. Nicholas Roerich Museum contains a collection of his paintings. Prints of Roerich’s paintings are available at agniart.ru.
~Bonnee Klein Gilligan
Rassouli, born in Isfahan, Iran was inspired by his mystical uncle. As a result he developed an early appreciation for painting and mystical poetry. He studied classical and impressionistic art as well as mysticism. In 1963 he immigrated to the United States where he continued his education in art and architecture. You can view more of his beautiful works at his rassouli.com.
