Original Islamic Paintings by Saleha Contractor
Islamic History, Turned Into Art
Original mixed media paintings, each one telling a verse of the Qur'an or a moment from the Seerah through layers of detail.
2026 Collection · Releasing November
Throne of Allah
Did you know?The Qur'an has 6,236 verses, and the Prophet ﷺ named one of them the greatest: Ayatul Kursi.
This year, I've created a collection as one body of work: a series of paintings that all respond to a single theme, the Throne of Allah. I studied everything I could find in the hadith and Qur'anic tafseer about Ayatul Kursi and the Throne, and each painting answers one piece of what I discovered.
The collection will be released in November, privately to waitlist members first. Join the waitlist to receive your invitation and the release date.
My Work
Preserving Islamic History Through a Creative Lens
I spend hours each day in the studio, painting while lectures on the Qur'an, hadith and Seerah play on repeat. Each painting is built in layers of calligraphy, typography, concrete, texture, Islamic geometry and textile until the story comes to life.
Every original takes months to finish and is never painted again, becoming an heirloom for the next generation to treasure and learn from.
"Your paintings are like a mental puzzle. Aesthetically pleasing & intellectually stimulating"
The Making of an Heirloom
Months of study and countless layers of detail, until each original finds the one collector who will keep it for generations.
-
1
Research
Months of study
Lectures, tafseer and hadith on one Qur'anic verse or moment from the Seerah, before a single brushstroke.
-
2
Create
In my Toronto studio
Mixed media collage on wood panels, with calligraphy and heavy texture built up layer by layer.
-
3
Annual Release
Release
The collection is released privately to waitlist members first, with your invitation and the date sent by email.
-
4
Acquired
To your home
Secured in a wooden crate and shipped by freight from Toronto, ready to hang and pass down.
Why So Few Originals?
Throne of Allah · Releasing November
Join the Waitlist
My next collection, Throne of Allah, will be released in November: six original paintings and five minis.
It will be released privately to waitlist members first, with your invitation and the release date sent by email.
Certificate of Authenticity
Signed, Titled and Made to Pass Down
Every original arrives with a signed Certificate of Authenticity bearing the painting's title, so its story and provenance stay with it when you pass it down.
Where the Originals Live
Now in Private Collections Worldwide
From my Toronto studio, most originals now hang in homes across the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
Past Collections
2025 Collection
Key Pivotal Moments in the Seerah
2024 Collection
Gardens of Jannah
2023 Collection
Prophetic Stories
2022 Collection
Stories from the Qur'an
2020 Collection
2019 Collection
2018 Collection
Missed these?
The next collection, Throne of Allah, is releasing in November, privately to waitlist members first. Join the waitlist to hear about it first.
FAQ
Questions from Collectors
Everything you need to know about owning an original.
Have a question about collecting?
I'm happy to help with anything about the release, shipping or a past painting.
The releaseHow can I own an original painting?
I release one collection each year. This year's collection, Throne of Allah, will be released privately to waitlist members first. Join the waitlist above to receive your invitation and the release date.
The releaseCan I buy a painting before the release?
No. To keep it fair, there are no individual sales or holds before release day. Every original is released at the same time, to waitlist members first.
The releaseWhy an annual online auction?
In 2017, the collection sold out within minutes. Collectors suggested an online auction so everyone would have a fair chance at an original, and each collection since then has been released at an annual online auction.
At those auctions, collectors have set the price of each original, with past paintings selling for $8,000 to $25,000 USD.
Details on this year's release format, whether set prices or the same auction format, will be shared soon. Waitlist members will receive them first by email.
The releaseHow many originals are made each year?
Between 5 and 7. Painting is my full-time work, and I spend the entire year on one collection. Each piece takes months of research and many layers of collage, calligraphy and texture, so that is how many I can finish in a year.
PricingHow much do original paintings cost?
Past originals have sold for $8,000 to $25,000 USD. Details on this year's release, including pricing, will be emailed to waitlist members soon.
CommissionsDo you take commissions or custom requests?
No, I don't accept commissioned or custom work of any kind. This includes custom paintings, names, requested verses and size or colour changes.
I dedicate the entire year to researching and painting one meaningful collection, and each piece takes layers of texture and intricate detail to guide the viewer through Qur'anic stories and hadith.
CommissionsWill you repaint a past painting?
No. Each original is painted once and never recreated. Many past paintings are available as fine art prints.
ShippingHow are originals shipped?
Each painting is packed in a secure wooden crate and shipped by freight from my studio in Toronto, Canada, to collectors worldwide.
PrintsAre the originals available as prints?
Yes. Selected paintings are released as fine art prints, printed locally in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Over 20,000 prints are now in homes around the world. Shop prints.
PrintsDoes the 5-star hotel in Makkah have original paintings?
No. Only 5 to 7 originals are painted each year. Makarem Ajyad Makkah Hotel ordered a large number of prints, framed to suit each space from the dining hall to the guest rooms. Most of the Best-Sellers can be seen there.
Look closer
Heavy Texture, Up Close
Layers of paint, collage and texture that photos can only hint at. Tap any photo to see it larger.
Behind the Scenes
From the Studio to the Exhibition
A glimpse of the work that goes into each collection, from photographing the finished originals in the studio to hanging them for the exhibition.
In the studio
The Process
Lecture notes, sketches and late nights in my Toronto studio.
Throne of Allah · Releasing November
Acquire an Original
Six original paintings and five minis, one body of work on Ayatul Kursi and the Throne of Allah, releasing in November.
Join the waitlist: the collection will be released privately to members first.