When I joined Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University in Washington DC last semester break, he gave me the magnificent illustrated book of his friend Professor Akmal Hussain, Dean IT University, Lahore. He enquired whether I would like to review it. I saw this as an exciting and novel task and readily agreed. The themes of compassion and kindness that run through the book reflect great universal figures like Maulana Rumi and were perfect for a young Indian scholar from Bangalore to use as a bridge in these times of ethnic and religious conflict as there is nothing more important than healing at this time.
When reflecting upon the title of Akmal Hussain’s medley of nature-based photography, one begins to appreciate the simplicity in such a weighted phrase. The idea of life’s temporary nature has struck as a forewarning but also motivates to increase our pace of living and work towards our dreams and aspirations in the short period of time that we have been granted on this Earth. This driving force, however, can lead us to the lost ability of appreciating the indefinite and wondrous aspects of existence. One may argue that being able to find something lasting and permanent does not manifest itself in the material alone. Through the natural world provided to us by God, we find a sense of divine tranquility that can only be achieved through appreciation of our environment and surroundings.
Rather than commenting on the quality of the photography along with the poetic captions, which are exceptional in nature, one might introspect about the introduction written by Akmal Hussain which describes the themes and inspiration behind these photos. This inspiration serves as the true purpose and stimulated reflection behind capturing the external world and creating a visual cue which triggers the meditations proposed by Hussain.
The heart is defined as an entity that “designates the center of consciousness…” (Hussain, 2014) in the introduction. I believe this invites the reader to reflect on the hyperawareness that this age has stimulated in us. We look at the world through a lens of logic and reasoning rather than one which relies on instincts and humble admiration. Although we continue to experience the works of the heart, it becomes increasingly difficult to be in tune with what it conveys to us through the experience of nature and human love. It takes a large amount of exposure and meditation to learn how to transcend from the material world and become transparent eyeballs as quoted by American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson in his work regarding the same subject. By understanding life and exploring its facets beyond the limits set by mankind, we enter a state in which mores and traditions no longer dictate our actions, but rather, divine command.
Hussain references Sufism and inspired poetry throughout his book, which provides a very appropriate context for the message he is conveying. The path to understanding and righteousness does not lie in wealth, prosperity and institutionalized conformity, but rather through the continuous and unceasing appreciation of what we consider to be ephemeral. This captures the essence of Sufism, the notion that one doesn’t require uniformity and instruction to experience passion and transcendence. When we place ourselves in an environment of tranquility and boundless possibility, we find ourselves vulnerable to the word of God and discovering the true meaning of love, i.e. sincerely willing the good of others. This realization becomes the eternal and permanent promise that remains with us in this everchanging world.
Through this understanding one is also able to deduce the connection that human beings have with one another despite caste or creed. There exists the innate ability to connect to one another with our hearts and the potential to understand the transient nature of our souls and this life. With this idea, religion becomes a force which must lead to the eventual merge and coalition of thought processes, ridding this world of oppression, discrimination and pride.
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Image: NASA Public Domain/Wikipedia
When initially browsing through the array of photographs taken by Akmal Hussain, I found it slightly taxing to find a correlation until I realized that each setting and landscape, despite their differences, backgrounds and stories, all evoke the sense and mood described by the title of the composition, i.e. finding something everlasting and consistent in the ever changing. I noticed a large variety of photographs that were divided into seven sections. The division itself displays how our multifaceted environment can evoke the same sense of divine providence and poetic reasoning.
Light
Hussain uses mountains, valleys, plains, streams, cathedrals, and painted skies to represent a singular phenomenon which is the emotional illumination that light brings to us in its purest form. The common photography aesthete may have seen hundreds of photos exactly like these. However, the intentional juxtaposition of these specific images drew my attention towards the presence of the cathedral. It was interesting how the chapter focuses on natural light and pure settings while also adding the image of a ray of light shining in a cathedral. This could possibly be interpreted as Man’s institutionalized understanding of God is as natural and pure as the light sparkling on the streams flowing through a rocky mountainside.
Water
Water is an elemental form of the biological being. Something so ecological becomes spiritually connected through its temperaments and similarities to human nature. Hussain has captured the multitude of water’s phases from raging to perfectly still as well as our interaction with the water through commerce. It is fascinating how the disposition of our hearts change when we see various states of water. Roaring seas may fill us with a heightened sense of thrill while the still water produces the sounds of singular drops falling on a pristine surface, leaving us feeling calm and tranquil. God created an entity that covers a large percentage of this Earth; a being that mimics us and understands our temperaments and our emotions just as much as He does.
Music and Silence
The juxtaposition of these two themes really struck me as beautiful due to the deep and thought-provoking experiences that both entities have the capability of evoking. Music in its purest form, a guitar strumming or a wooden drum being beaten, the deep, husky voice of a street busker, all bring us back to the same place of appreciation and love for the inexplicable wonderment that this world constantly provides us. The manipulation of sound in order to produce the angelic melodies of music and its power to bring people of all phases of life together is a phenomenon that I will always adore but never be able to explain without reference to God. Along with this music, God gave us the power of silence, a state of being where we can hear His voice in the plains, the rivers and the places untouched by Man. We hear ourselves in the clearest timbre in silence.
Arches
Frames always create a certain appeal to the artist’s eye as they focus our attention on the beauty being displayed. Frames in nature take the form of trees, stones, caves and now architecture. Architecture has become Man’s way of creating permanence through art. The carefully calculated beams, materials, colors and settings allow us to enhance our view of nature and the love we see in our cities, towns and communities. Arches always create a sense of grandeur and appreciation for others’ talent, no matter how much pride we have in ourselves. They ground us and allow us to marvel at the works of men and women through the centuries, tying all of mankind together and letting us witness the richness of the world through their frame.
Time
Hussain juxtaposes two aspects of nature in this section of his composition: Flora and Man. Human beings have always appreciated and marvelled at the beauty of flowers and their bright petals and vibrancy. It reminded me about how we all go through a life cycle: flowers, ferns, the wild cats of the jungle and smallest insect in our backyard gardens. This life cycle in itself becomes a millisecond of God’s “time”, granted to us to embark on our individual journeys towards discovering the meaning of coexistence and beauty. Towards the end of that singular divine moment, we are to reflect to what extent we fulfilled our purpose of building bridges and appreciating the minute but significant aspects of creation.
Magnificence Trapped
Hussain’s Sadness of a Snow Leopard directs our attention towards the majesty and presence of the animal kingdom, an entity which not everyone gives as much reverence to anymore. The two simple photographs display the dignity of the leopard with its pointed gaze and beautiful coat. One can’t help but appreciate the regalness possessed by the leopard and the majesty in its design. I believe this section of the book aims to provoke our understanding of richness and royalty as something that God himself created in the form of multitudes of creatures, rather than our institutionalized idea of monarchy.
Homes in the Lap of Light
Hussain’s final section of photography consists of many different images of homes in nature, cities and villages. The diverse display of images illustrates how different each living creature on this Earth is, yet, our homes evoke in us all the same feelings of belonging, stability and familiarity. From the tiny bugs that reside on the pink petals of a flower to the successful owner of a penthouse in Milan, at the end of every day, we return home to the sanctuary that God granted to us to reflect on the opportune experiences of the day we just lived and felt.
Akmal Hussain created a simple yet vivid amalgamation of images in order to bring readers to a place of introspective solitude and to remind us of the true essence of beauty and clarity which the natural world provides to us.
