I need help identifying blanket with Arabic writing on it.

April 6, 2009 12:45 PM

I have a blanket with Islamic (Arabic) writing (maybe parts of the Quran, Koran?) woven around it that I found and need help identifying it?

The blanket is beautiful but the interesting thing is that it has metal threads woven in the fiber. Very very small flat threads that are woven into the yarn it's self. When I first felt the blanket I thought I was feeling some very raw wool because of its ruff hand, but after using my loop (field lens) I saw the metal. It looks to be brass, maybe gold. It doesn't show very much from the front or back so doesn't seem to be ornamental. I also think that the writing that is woven around the inner and outer edges are Arabic but I don't know what they say, someone suggested passages from the Quran. Any help would be great. It is such an unusual piece. I should mention that the fibers are all natural.

posted by Listening to religion & philosophy (11 comments total)

Do you have a photo?
posted by watercarrier at 12:54 PM on April 6

A photo would help, but dollars to doughnuts it's the shahada.
posted by jquinby at 1:14 PM on April 6

At the risk of insulting you, are you sure it's a blanket and not a prayer mat?

I'd be terribly surprised if the writing isn't the word, "Allah," a descriptor of Allah such as "the Merciful, the Compassionate," the declaration of faith, "No God but Allah, etc." and/or a verse from the Quran.
posted by MasonDixon at 1:15 PM on April 6

Nthing the fact that it's probably the shahada.
posted by proj at 1:18 PM on April 6

Pictures (or at least a more detailed description) would be quite helpful. In their absence here are some general comments:

Nothing that can conceivably be put on the floor or touch your feet is going to have "Allah" or anything from the Quran on it (just a bit too disrespectful to said diety or holy book). Not even a prayer mat.

The writing could be in a different language with a similar looking script such as Persian or Urdu. It could also be Arabic but just not a quote from the Quran (perhaps from a poem).

Another possibility is that your blanket is not a blanket at all but a wall covering of some sort.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:58 PM on April 6

A photo would help. Agreeing with all previous responses. If it's a prayer mat or carpet/rug then it cannot be Quranic verse or shahada or other religious verses. The gold metallic thread woven into the fiber should be zari/zardozi. See 1, 2, 3. Zari is a type of fine gold or silver threading used for embroidery mostly in Indian/Pakistani garments/shawls/blankets etc. I've also seen them in some Irani and M.eastern wall-hanging designs as well.

So rupees to vada pavs, the gold threading is zari/zardozi. Give us some pics, only then we can identify the rest of it.
posted by forwebsites at 3:15 AM on April 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

How do I add a photo?
posted by Listening at 12:00 AM on April 11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78747433@N00/sets/72157616614171242/
posted by Listening at 12:27 AM on April 11

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78747433@N00/3430337493/in/set-72157616614171242/
posted by Listening at 12:28 AM on April 11

posted by Listening at 12:31 AM on April 11

That's not Arabic writing, it's just a pattern. If you look, you'll see that on numerous occassions the same pattern is repeated both ways so it is symmetrical. Arabic doesn't go both ways. That and no matter how much I contort the "letters", I can't find any way of forming Arabic letters out of them.
posted by Biru at 8:25 AM on May 22