One lives and crosses between two worlds, the World of the Unknown (Ghaib) and the World of the Known. The tangible represents the Known World, and the intangible represents the Unknown World. Therefore, faith in the Unknown (Ghaib) is the faith in the unseen. The discourse in Abrahamic religions always brings about examples concerning the Unknown World, in order to activate one’s imagination to bring the unseen meanings closer.

All Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) believe in the Unknown, and the most important of the Unknown is the Judgment Day and its events.

In one of these events, each person will receive a book inscribed with every deed that one has committed and every word that one has uttered, during their life in the World of Known. This book is written by two angels, “Raqib and Eatid.”

This concept is referenced in verse 18 of Surat Qaf in The Holy Quran, (ما‭ ‬يلفظ‭ ‬من‭ ‬قول‭ ‬إلا‭ ‬لديه‭ ‬رقيب‭ ‬عتيد). The translation of the verse is: (not a word does a person utter without having a ˹vigilant˺ observer ready ˹to write it down˺). This artwork deals with the sacred meaning of the writing that the two angels, “Raqib and Eatid,” do. This concept from the Unknown world transferred to our Known world, by the artist, in an attempt to simulate and visualize the notions of writing, recording, archiving, and display of the immense work that the two angels do throughout the one’s life.

The artist recorded and wrote all his words within a time period, and he chose the scientific language of physics to write and express this concept visually. The ABCs of this language, the timeline (the most important dimension in this process) and the frequency of sound (the dimension that happens as a result of pronunciation), represent the concept.

This artwork represents visual dimensions for the continuous communication occurring between the two worlds, the Unknown and the Known. Additionally, it deals with the different forms of the ‘unseen’ words and it contributes in understanding the unlimited meanings that language carries within.


AlObour, 21,39, Saudi Art Council, Jeddah, KSA.

Raqib Eatid 2019 .
Print with inkjet on 100% cotton paper.
small size: 2 pieces- each piece is 29*42 cm.
Ed: 10

Raqib Eatid 2019 .
Print with inkjet on 100% cotton paper.
Big size: 120*160 cm.
Ed: 3