One of the most emotional moments of my life was standing in front of the Kaabah during Umrah and thinking to myself:
“What if I could wake up to this feeling every single day?”
But the reality is, no matter how deeply connected we feel to the Kaabah, we cannot remain there forever. We return home carrying memories, emotions, and a spiritual longing that never truly leaves us.
That feeling became the beginning of my journey with Kiswah artwork.
At the time, I had the opportunity to work with members of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia, and through that connection, I was gifted Kiswah for the very first time. It was not something I viewed as fabric or material. To me, it felt like an amanah, something sacred carrying the emotions and prayers of millions of Muslims.
As my work evolved, the concept of preserving Kiswah through artwork began gaining attention. Later, members of the Royal Family of Bahrain approached me for commissioned Kiswah artworks and also gifted me another piece of Ghilaf-e-Kaaba. That moment made me realise that this was becoming more than art. It was becoming a way for people to preserve a spiritual connection within their homes.
Over time, the work started reaching larger audiences across Pakistan and internationally. The response was overwhelming. People connected deeply with the emotion behind the artwork because many Muslims around the world share the same feeling after visiting the Kaabah, the desire to hold onto that connection forever.
As the concept became widely recognised and discussed, I was also gifted Kiswah through the Pakistani government as appreciation for being among the first artists to introduce and pioneer this form of Kiswah artwork on such a scale.
Eventually, because of increasing demand and my commitment to preserving authenticity and respect for the material, I also sourced Kiswah through the Makkah Museum, where official documentation and certification were preserved as part of its history.
Today, every Kiswah artwork I create carries a story beyond art itself. Some pieces come from my own collection, while many are entrusted to me by families who have preserved their Ghilaf pieces for generations. Many tell me they kept these sacred fabrics hidden safely inside lockers, books, or storage for years, only opening them occasionally before carefully putting them away again.
For me, Kiswah was never meant to remain hidden forever.
It deserves to be preserved, experienced, and transformed into timeless artwork that keeps the spiritual connection alive inside a home for generations to come.
