The tiger depicted on this panel is made up of an inscription which reads: ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet'. This phrase is known as the 'shahadah' or the profession of faith. This tiger is known as 'macan Ali' or the tiger of Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Ali is often referred to as the lion of God, however as there are no lions in Southeast Asia, the lion has been transformed into a tiger here.
