Living by the Quran by Zahraa Al Hassani

In 'Living by the Quran,' Zahraa Al Hassani captures a poignant reflection on faith and the pursuit of clarity. The photograph serves as a visual meditation on the Quran as a source of guidance, contrasting the simplicity of the text with the complexities of modern interpretation. Through a deliberate use of depth and light, Al Hassani draws the viewer into a moment of quiet contemplation. The image is award-worthy for its ability to transform a deeply philosophical subject into a tangible, evocative composition that bridges the gap between traditional wisdom and contemporary visual storytelling.

Living by the Quran by Zahraa Al Hassani
Nikon D7100 with 195mm
Exposure 1/40sec @ f/4.8 | ISO 160 | Focal Length 195mm
Copyright Β© the Quran, by Zahraa Al Hassani
Light & Composition Photo of the Day

the Quran, by Zahraa Al Hassani

REGISTERED PHOTOGRAPHER

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, Zahraa Al Hassani is a multi-disciplinary creative who balances a professional career in graphic design with a profound dedication to photography. A graduate of the University of Technology in Baghdad, she has spent over six years refining her aesthetic as a senior designer at Zain Telecommunications. Her photographic journey, which began with Sony equipment before transitioning to Nikon, is deeply informed by her design background, allowing her to approach compositions with a unique structural perspective. Based in Baghdad, she continues to explore the nuances of purist photography while documenting the world around her.

Profile View Full Profile
14.4/20
RESONANCE
SCORE
396/500
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SUBMISSION
Award Reach | Reviews
17,137 views | 8 Reviews
Award Winner Photo of the Day
Award Date December 21, 2014
67.0
AWARD SCORE
Value 12.0
Clarity 13.0
Composition 18.0
Style 12.0
Skill 12.0
Photograph Location
Jounieh, Lebanon

AWARD SEGMENT | TAGS

Islamic Photography
Spiritual Photography
Zara Otaifah Photography

Resonance Score Breakdown

Transparency in Award Scoring

Transparency Note: The resonance score (14.1/20) is calculated based on social engagement metrics collected before the award announcement.

Social Shares
5.0/5 points
1,800/1,000 Social Share
Page Views
5.0/5 points
17,137/2,500 Page View
Reviews
0.1/5 points
1/100 Review
Submissions
4.0/5 points
396/500 Submission
Jury Score: 67.0/80
Resonance Score: 14.1/20
Total Award Score: 81.1/100

Expert Photography Reviews · 7

Eleanor Voss Composition & Visual Structure Expert Review
The 195mm compression flattens the picture plane, forcing the text into a rigid, geometric hierarchy. It’s a disciplined arrangement. The negative space surrounding the Quran acts as a necessary fulcrum, balancing the heavy tonal density of the script. I’ve rarely seen such structural restraint in spiritual work; it doesn't collapse into sentimentality. The frame holds because the geometry is absolute. It’s cold, precise, and frankly, the lack of visual clutter is a relief.
Clara Whitfield Award Criteria, Legacy & What Makes an Image Endure Expert Review
Of the thousands of spiritual submissions I’ve reviewed, most rely on tired tropes of light rays or bowed heads. Al Hassani avoids that trap. By isolating the text through a shallow depth of field at 195mm, she forces us to confront the weight of the words themselves. It’s a quiet, disciplined choice. I’ll admit, the stillness here actually made me hold my breath. In thirty years, this clarity will still feel like a necessary, grounding anchor.
Dmitri Kasakov Contrast, Shadow Drama & the Metaphysics of Light Expert Review
Shadows here don't merely frame the text; they swallow the periphery, forcing a confrontation with the absolute. It’s a claustrophobic sanctity. When I look at how the light clings to those pages, I feel a sudden, sharp ache for the silence Al Hassani has carved out of Jounieh’s noise. She understands that faith isn't found in the illumination, but in the dark, heavy margins where the soul finally stops running and begins to listen.
Sophie Delacroix Emotional Narrative, Viewer Response & Psychological Impact Expert Review
Before the eye identifies the text, a sudden stillness anchors the chest. It’s the weight of the light, soft and deliberate, that forces my own breathing to shallow. I’ve returned to this frame a dozen times, and each time, the quiet intensity of the page pulls at my peripheral vision. It doesn’t just depict faith; it demands a physical pause. I feel a strange, hollow ache in my throatβ€”a yearning for that same clarity.
Lena Brandstrom Macro Photography, Optics & the Science of the Seen Expert Review
At f/4.8, the 195mm focal length compresses the depth of field, isolating the Quran’s texture with surgical precision. The light’s diffraction across the paper fibers is, in the strictest physical sense, extraordinary. It’s rare to see a lens resolve such intimate grain; I’ve found myself leaning in, mesmerized by the way the focal plane catches the ink’s slight relief. It doesn't just capture a book; it captures the very physics of devotion. It’s truly beautiful.
Isabelle Fontenay Colour Harmony, Tone & Atmospheric Light Expert Review
The light here doesn't merely illuminate; it bruises the page with the ochre of a fading Vermeer, bleeding into shadows that hold the quiet, dusty weight of a Morandi still life. It’s a chromatic ache, that particular gold of late afternoon filtering through Jounieh’s haze, and I’m honestly breathless at how the ink’s deep, velvet obsidian anchors the ethereal, sun-drenched atmosphere, grounding the soul’s pursuit of clarity in a palette of profound, resonant silence.
Yusuf Al-Hamdan Landscape, Light as Presence & the Spiritual Dimension Expert Review
The light here isn't forced; it’s a soft, patient glow that rests upon the pages. I’ve spent enough hours in the quiet of Jounieh to recognize that stillness. She didn’t rush the shutter. It’s a humble, intimate dialogue between the text and the atmosphere. Looking at the way the shadows cradle the script, I feel a sudden, sharp ache for that kind of clarity. It’s a rare, beautiful moment of surrender to the light.
Reflections on this Photograph
By Isabelle Park

The Quiet Between Pages

I spent this morning trying to organize my bookshelf, pulling out old journals and dust-covered novels. I found a pressed flower inside a book I haven't opened in years, and for a second, the room felt very still.

Read the reflection →
By Clara Menezes

The Ink of Quietude

We often mistake silence for a void, as if it were a room emptied of its furniture. But silence is a weight, a density that gathers in the corners of a room like dust motes caught in a stray beam of afternoon sun.

Read the reflection →

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