ove letters in Musnad at the Islamic Arts Biennale

Love Letters in Musnad  

Any mixed kid knows what it means to live in between — between tongues, between lands, between selves. I was no different. At some point, the ache of not fully belonging to either side becomes too loud to ignore. 

So I went looking. 

Among the ruins, the dust, and the wild nature of Dhofar. That’s where I found the ancient signs. Symbols etched into stone, familiar in energy but unknown in form. And thus began my deep dive into the Musnad script — the writing of my ancestors. 

The Musnad is an ancient South Arabian script, first appearing around the 9th century BCE. It was used across the southern Arabian Peninsula for more than a thousand years by the kingdoms of Saba’, Hadramawt, Qataban, and others. It wasn’t a language, but a script — a vessel that carried several ancient languages. One of the earliest in our region, it is the root from which many others sprouted, including Dadanitic in AlUla and Mismari in Dhofar.  

I knew that I wanted this script to be at the heart of my second workshop. 

When I proposed a session centered on the ancient South Arabian Musnad script — a shared root across Dhofar, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia — the Biennale team saw its resonance. That proposal is what led to my selection as a Knowledge Provider. 

My first workshop was deeply Dhofari. This one was about what connects us — across borders, across time and I named it: 

Echoes of the Past: Crafting Silver Musnad Amulets 

Together, we created amulets of love, drawing on the Musnad letters for “ح” (H) and “ب” (B) — spelling “حب” in Arabic. I also designed a few extra letter charms, so participants could spell out their initials, or the names of loved ones.  

And, in true Rahina spirit, it was practical art: meant to be worn, seen, asked about. 

Because another core belief in my work is this — your jewellery should speak. It should hold stories. When someone asks about the curious symbols around your neck, the story begins: a spark of curiosity, a sharing of ancestral knowledge, a reclaiming of something once buried. 

We used handcrafted silver Musnad charms and gemstones from my trusted supplier of four years. I guided the participants through the process —  Giving them a brief about the alphabet, and sharing stories of a select few artefacts found in Oman and Saudi Arabia, they chose their stones, assembled their design, and I taught them how to finish and close the piece. 

To all the women who came: you were awesome. 

Special love to the Jeddah girls who attended both workshops and to those that messaged me afterwards with such warmth. Your presence made this experience unforgettable. And thank you to the public programs team — you are absolute legends. 

This workshop will travel next to Oman — to its homeland. Stay tuned.