“OATH BY TIME” (MOVING IMAGE, 18:47) — 2024

© THIS MOVING IMAGE WORK HAS NO CREDITS COPYRIGHT ALLAH — ALLAH RIGHTS RESERVED 2024 AND IF YOU DONT KNOW GET TO KNOW CAUSE YOU DID KNOW

"OATH BY TIME" FEATURES A NAMELESS WOMAN STANDING IN BUSY PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ASKING FOR THE TIME REPEATEDLY. OVER THE COURSE OF THE FILM, REACTIONS EVOLVE, CHANGE AND COLLECTIVISE AS BYSTANDERS BECOME AWARE OF THE CONTINUOUS LOOP THAT THE SUBJECT REMAINS IN.

THE TITLE IS ADAPTED FROM THE QUR'ANIC MOTIF OF ALLAH SWEARING BY THE MOST MAJESTIC PROOFS OF HIS CREATION IN THE FIRST PERSON VOICE. AT ONE POINT WHERE, HE SWEARS BY TIME (103:1) AND EVEN PROCLAIMS IN THE HADITH AL QUDSI TRADITION TO BE IT: "ON THE AUTHORITY OF ABU HURAYRAH (NARRATOR), WHO SAID THAT THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (ﷺ) SAID: ALLAH SAID: SONS OF ADAM INVEIGH AGAINST [THE VICISSITUDES OF] TIME, AND I AM TIME, IN MY HAND IS THE NIGHT AND THE DAY.”

THE WORK ACTS AS A DEVOTIONAL INTERVENTION IN THE MOVING ANIMATED WORLD, ATTEMPTING TO DIRECTLY ENGAGE WITH THE DIVINE MOVER IN REAL RECORDED TIME AND EXPERIENCE CAUSALITY IN PRACTICE BY THE ARTIST SUBJECTING THEMSELVES TO IT.