Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar, a Pakistani scientist, and Sue Wickison, a botanical illustrator based in New Zealand, worked together for six years to gain an insightful understanding of the plants mentioned in the Qur’an. Their collaboration resulted in an exhibition titled “Plants of the Qur’an,” which showcases 25 paintings by Wickison and is currently being displayed at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art in London’s Kew Gardens.
As a Muslim, Ghazanfar was personally and professionally interested in exploring the historical and cultural significance of the 30 most commonly mentioned plants in the Qur’an, given her work at Kew and as an honorary research associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens and a Gibbs Fellow at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.
When researching her book “Plants of the Qur’an: History & Culture,” she went back to ancient Mesopotamian cuneiform texts and semitic languages of Aramaic and Hebrew to trace those plants which do not have modern Arabic names. “Those were more difficult to trace back. Every plant has a historical and cultural attachment to it which we must never forget or lose,” she said, according to Arab News.
Dr. Ghazanfar, who specializes in studying Middle Eastern plants of medicinal, historical, and economic importance, has recently returned from conducting a national survey of plants in the nature reserves of Tabuk and Al-Wajh in Saudi Arabia. She explained that it is crucial to identify and conserve populations of plants that are of special importance in a specific location.
Meanwhile, Wickison, who previously worked at Kew Herbarium, became interested in the plants mentioned in the Qur’an after visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and noticing the unusual botanical motifs throughout the building. She then traveled to the deserts and mountains of the UAE and Oman to observe the region-specific plants for her artwork, which takes several hundred hours to produce. Wickison finds it essential to work from living plant material, often growing some of the plants herself or traveling to remote locations to observe and study them. Wickison expressed her delight in discovering the Haloxylon Salicornicum, a flowering desert shrub that grows in Sharjah, which she found to be visually stunning.
When Wickison first encountered the Haloxylon Salicornicum, she initially thought it was insignificant stems on the ground. However, upon closer examination under a microscope, she discovered tiny flowers and seeds with wings that change color from apricot to pink and white.
During her years-long collaboration with Ghazanfar, Wickison received support and assistance from various individuals, including pomegranate farmers in the mountains of Oman and date palm growers in Sharjah. She credited the success of their project to the cooperation and support of many people.
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery also features the works of Pakistani-American contemporary artist Anila Quayyum Agha. Her exhibitions, “Stolen Moment Bouquet 1 & 2” and “All the Flowers are for Me,” complement “Plants of the Qur’an.” “Stolen Moment Bouquet 1 & 2” conveys the fragility of nature and addresses issues such as climate change, appropriation, commerce, and resource depletion. On the other hand, “All the Flowers are for Me” draws inspiration from Islamic art and architecture and aims to elevate women.
