The Saudi exhibition "In the Footsteps of the Prophet" tells the local and global audience the migration of the Prophet Muhammad - may God bless him and grant him peace - from Mecca to Medina, one of the most pivotal events in the history of Islam, using representational photography and contemporary artworks.
These artworks, displayed in the Ithra Museum in Dhahran, trace the 400-kilometre journey that the Prophet Muhammad made in the desert in 8 days after the intensification of pagan persecution in Mecca 1444 years ago.
The exhibition was opened to the public this week, and will continue for 9 months in the museum built by the oil company "Aramco" in the city of Dhahran, in the east of the Kingdom, before moving on a tour inside the country and then abroad, with potential destinations in Asia and Europe.
Immigration story in detail
Saudi researcher Abdullah Hussein Al-Qadi - who crossed the migration route himself 60 times - says, "Most Muslims know the outlines of the migration story, but it has never been presented in such a detailed and comprehensive way, as the exhibition includes various types of collectibles and media, from centuries-old artifacts. It went to recent footage taken by drones."
"In the Footsteps of the Prophet" exhibition embodies the strong ties between the Muhajireen and the Ansar (French)
As for members of the non-Muslim public, the judge hopes that the exhibition will be an opportunity for them to learn about the story of migration and its "messages of tolerance with immigrants, a topic that can be linked to the present."
It is known to those familiar with recent studies of the Prophet’s biography that Dr. Al-Qadi is the owner of the first digital map of migration that came to light after he read “everything that was written about the Prophet’s migration,” including modern and historical narratives and previous maps, according to what was stated in his interview with blogger Omar Theban.
Moreover, the distances he traveled during his field trips to complete his books related to migration exceeded 32,000 kilometers, which is equivalent to circumnavigating the globe 3 times.
About the light that emerged from Mecca to Medina in the greatest journey in human history, about that march that changed the world with its events, and about that impact that only began to remain, and only set out to lay with its lights an immortal civilization.
Today we take you at the #Migration_Exhibition: In the footsteps of the Prophet, who opens its doors in #Ithra.
pic.twitter.com/hNYQ7qmOqx
— Ithra (@Ithra) July 30, 2022
'We are all refugees'
Short films by American director Ovidio Salazar depict how the leaders of the Quraish conspired to kill the Prophet, which prompted him to leave Mecca and meet Suraqah bin Malik, who first wanted to hand the Prophet over to the Quraish for 100 camels, before believing in his prophethood.
Among the exhibits in the museum are a life-size copy of the Prophet's she-camel, contemporary images from the migration route, and textiles from the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.
The exhibition took 3 years to prepare, and it includes works by academics and artists from 20 countries, and about the message that the exhibition wants to convey to its visitors, Ashraf Ihsan Fakih, Head of Programs at the Ithra Museum, said, “This is the exact message of the exhibition: “We are all refugees in this world, we are all migrants.” ".
The entrance to the Ithra Museum in Dhahran, eastern Saudi Arabia (French)
Brotherhood concept
Among the participants in the exhibition is the Saudi artist Zahra Al-Ghamdi, who has previously exhibited her works at the Venice Biennale and the British Museum. She presents a work of cloth dipped in clay and clay that restores the spirit of solidarity among the city's residents.
"With this work, I wanted to restore the concept of brotherhood, which gives meaning to life," Al-Ghamdi says.
In a tweet to her on Twitter, Al-Ghamdi described her piece of art participating in the exhibition as "expressing the altruism of the supporters represented in receiving immigrants in their homes, and supporting them by sharing everything they own, so I sought to implement a synthetic work that highlights these ties and the strength of their rooting."
“In the Footsteps of the Messenger”… an art exhibition that narrates the migration of the Prophet, peace be upon him, with contemporary artworks. In this tweet, I will share with you some excerpts from #Ithra_Museum.# In the Footsteps of the Prophet ﷺ#Ithra pic.twitter.com/8GHTxp0IQT
— F (@_z0wy) August 7, 2022
Islamic history books tell that the Prophet - may God’s prayers and peace be upon him - succeeded in establishing a state in Medina that was based on unprecedented solidarity between the sons of tribes that had a bitter history of wars among them, and on economic interdependence between the residents of Medina or the "Ansar", and those fleeing to them from pagan persecution or from They are called "immigrants".