The caption reads: “bi-smi Allahi al-rahman al-rahim—(Q 9:111) inna Allah ishtara min al-mu’minin anfusahum wa-amwalahum bi-anna lahum al-janna, yuqatiluna fi sabil Allah, fa-yaqtuluna wa-yuqtalun, wa‘dan ‘alayhi haqqan fi al-tawra wal-injil wal-qur’an wa-man awfa bi-‘ahdihi min Allah, fa-stabshiru bi-bay‘ikum alladhi baya‘tum bi-hi, wa-dhalika huwa al-fawz al-‘azim” (“In the name of God the merciful and compassionate—(Q 9:111) Indeed Allah has bartered with the believers, for their souls and possessions, theirs is paradise; they fight in God’s path, they kill and are killed, based on a promise, a truth, in the Bible, the Gospel and the Qur’an—and who is more faithful to his promise than God? So delight in the deal you have struck, for that [bargain] is a great attainment.”).
The image includes several important elements. First are the palm trees, which are inextricably linked to Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Islamic cultures (particularly date palms). Because of their historical importance, palms may evoke the time of the Prophet, his companions and early Islamic history in general.
The image also features clouds, which are a sign of Allah’s total inscrutability prior to creation in the Islamic tradition. Lastly, the appearance of a mosque is a universal symbol of Islam.
