The shape of this lion is made up of the words of a prayer, known as nadi ‘aliyyan, to ‘Ali (Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law). It asks for ‘Ali’s intercession before God. This has been wonderfully done with a skilful and imaginative arrangement of the various letters. The lion is often depicted as a symbol of ‘Ali due to his fearless nature, he was known as Asadullah or ‘Lion of God’. The lion motif and the nadi ‘aliyyan prayer are generally associated with Shi‘ite piety. Shi‘as are Muslims who believe that the leadership of the Muslim community, after the death of the Prophet, should rightfully go to ‘Ali and his descendents. Scholars, however, have pointed out that, similar lion compositions made for Sunni patrons have also been found in Ottoman Turkey.
