Analyzing the Effects of Heavenly Nature in the Holy Qur'an and Its Reflection in the Works of Mahmoud Farshchian

The Holy Qur'an is a book of guidance for all eras that deals with all phenomena; all the teachings of the Qur'an are perfectionist and for the upliftment of human beings. It has also been mentioned that more than 200 verses in the Holy Qur'an deal with paradise and its features and paradise in the form of: 1-Paradise of the Prophet Adam; meaning the place where he and his wife Eve lived before being transferred to the world and enjoyed complete comfort. 2- Paradise of the world means gardens and orchards that exist in the world before death. 3- Paradise of Purgatory; meaning the place of the souls of the virtuous in the world after death.4- The promised paradise is stated in the hereafter. In the Qur'an and Hadith, features and attributes such as: the sky of paradise, earth of paradise, springs and streams of paradise, trees of paradise, inks and animals of paradise, colors in paradise, etc. have been expressed, and considering that nature is one of the objective manifestations of Iranian painting and has always had a place in Iranian paintings, this study aims to examine the above-mentioned subject. Iranian nature is found in the form of a heavenly landscape, full of emotion and spirituality, and far from dominating its material aspect, it manifests itself in the eyes of the viewer; a manifestation that has been of special interest to the Iranian artists, not only in painting, but also in all literary and artistic forms of Iran. Many contemporary Iranian painters have also considered this heavenly nature in their works, including Professor Mahmoud Farshchian (born January 24, 1930 in Isfahan) as a contemporary Iranian painter who has had a significant impact on the process of traditional Iranian painting and other traditional arts. His works have been exhibited in many cities around the world, such as Paris, New York, and Chicago. In 2014, he was awarded the Jihadist Medal of Honor in the field of culture and art. In his numerous works, he has paid attention to various manifestations of nature. This study seeks to answer these questions: 1- How is the heavenly nature described and discussed in the Qur'an and Hadith? 2- What is the reflection of the heavenly nature of the Holy Qur'an in the works of Master Mahmoud Farshchian? The present research method has been done in a descriptive-analytical manner and its data has been collected by searching library-documentary sources using books, articles, dissertations and internet resources. Present research community of this article includes: three works by Master Mahmoud Farshchian that are thematically and structurally representing the nature of paradise. The method of data analysis is qualitative. Background studies, except for the author's dissertation, have not found a completely relevant background on the subject. With a specialized analysis of his works, it can be concluded that the heavenly nature is taken from the Holy Qur'an in the painting of Ascension, which narrates the story of the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The most important part of this painting is the circular composition that holds the hand and draws attention to the center of gravity of the work of the Prophet (PBUH). The predominant and pervasive color is azure blue, which has influenced the spiritual expression, and the warm color of the Prophet's clothes attracts attention in the center of the work and appears as the promised paradise. Master Farshchian has painted the painting of the martyr influenced by the events of the holy defense and the sacrifices of the youth of Islamic Iran. In this painting, symbolic symbols such as six and seven can be seen. The body of the martyr, which is the seventh body, is perfect. The martyr in the center of the image is dressed in white, which is a symbol of holiness and purity, and we observe the paradise of purgatory in the painting of the martyr. In the painting of Simorgh, another work by Master Farshchian, which represents one of the stories of Attar Neyshabouri, after passing seven stages, only "30 birds" remain from a large group of birds. The circular composition with warm yellow color in the form of light directs the gaze to the center of the image. In this work, the design of birds and their colors, as well as the entanglement of their lively life, show the association of heavenly birds. It shows that in the simultaneous combination of moving from the bottom to the top of the birds, we observe a kind of paradise of purgatory, and by moving in a circular motion, where the Simorghs reach the peak of the image, we imagine the promised paradise. Furthermore, the painting titled "Ya Zamen Aho" evokes the signs of the nature of the worldly paradise, to which the artist has given a heavenly effect by creating a circular composition and by skillfully mixing the colors.