The miniature painting Shaqq al-Qamar in the Tahmasbi Falnama (9th century AH), whose folios are today preserved in the Dresden Library in Germany, is among those images that possess multiple and layered dimensions of meaning, including symbolic, numerical, and chromatic aspects. This miniature does not merely function as an illustrative image but operates as a complex visual structure through which meaning is articulated. The present study aims to identify and read the hidden meanings embedded in this miniature based strictly on the teachings of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi concerning the human being, the moon, and the mirror, while adopting an aesthetic and hermeneutic approach. The research method is qualitative and descriptive–analytical and is conducted through library-based studies. Within this framework, the miniature is examined as a visual text that, like a written text, requires interpretation, reading, and hermeneutic engagement.



The event of Shaqq al-Qamar, as a religious and sacred occurrence, has been approached and reread throughout history within exegetical, mystical, and artistic traditions, each offering different interpretive perspectives. In the context of the Tahmasbi Falnama, this event is represented not simply as a historical narrative or miraculous episode, but rather as a symbolic field that allows for divination and the expression of esoteric and inner meanings. Since the Falnama itself functions as a mediating object situated between text and image, its miniatures inherently possess a hermeneutic structure. Consequently, these images, like written narratives, demand interpretation and cannot be reduced to mere visual representation.



In this study, the image is regarded as a mediating entity, because art itself operates as a mediator between different levels of meaning. On this basis, the miniature of Shaqq al-Qamar can be examined across several semantic layers. When viewed from Ibn Arabi’s perspective, the concept of the world of imagination (ʿalam al-khayal), also referred to as the imaginal world (ʿalam al-mithal), assumes a foundational role in understanding this miniature. According to Ibn Arabi’s ontological framework, the imaginal world is an intermediate realm that is neither pure existence nor pure non-existence. Rather, it functions as a bridge between opposites and as the domain in which symbols, forms, and meanings become manifest. From this standpoint, the Shaqq al-Qamar miniature may be understood as an imaginal manifestation of a metaphysical truth that has found expression through visual form.



Within the internal structure of the miniature, the visual relationship between the veiled face of the Prophet (PBUH) and the human-like face of the moon reflects the dialectic of tashbih (similitude) and tanzih (transcendence). This dialectic constitutes one of the central concepts in Ibn Arabi’s thought. The veiling of the Prophet’s visage signifies transcendence, exaltation, and the refusal of direct visual access, while the moon, depicted with a human face, represents manifestation, similitude, and the appearance of the Divine within the realm of multiplicity. The coexistence of these two poles—similitude and transcendence—is articulated in Ibn Arabi’s mystical discourse as “similitude within transcendence and transcendence within similitude,” and this conceptual relationship is rendered visible within the visual language of the miniature.



In this image, the moon holds a significant symbolic position not only within Iranian and Islamic visual culture but also within the conceptual framework of Ibn Arabi’s teachings. The moon is associated with the concepts of the Perfect Human (al-Insan al-Kamil), the mirror, and reflection. In Ibn Arabi’s thought, the Perfect Human functions as the mirror of the Divine Names and Attributes, serving as the most complete locus of manifestation. Similarly, the moon, as the mirror of the sun’s light, is regarded as the most complete manifestation of light after the sun. This mirror-like relationship is symbolically expressed in the Shaqq al-Qamar miniature through the reflection of the Prophet’s image within the moon.



Moreover, the numerical symbolism present in the miniature—particularly the numbers 14, 28, 40, and 50—is directly connected to Ibn Arabi’s numerological teachings. Among these, the number 28 holds a central position, as it is associated with the lunar mansions, the letters of the alphabet, and the ontological degrees of the Perfect Human. This numerical structure reinforces the ontological and aesthetic coherence of the miniature and contributes to its layered system of meaning.



In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the Shaqq al-Qamar miniature in the Tahmasbi Falnama functions as a visual text that reflects Ibn Arabi’s mystical teachings through symbol, imagination, number, and visual structure. The miniature thus represents a clear and coherent example of the close relationship between the art of miniature painting and profound epistemological and ontological concepts within the Islamic tradition.