fiqar

Fiqar, commonly transliterated as fiqar, fīqār, or Zulfiqar, refers primarily to the legendary sword associated with Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. In Islamic tradition, especially within Shia Islam, the sword is said to have been presented by Muhammad to Ali in the early Islamic period. The blade is frequently described as bifurcated or two-pointed, a form that has made it a enduring symbol in art and heraldry; but descriptions vary among sources and no single canonical depiction exists.

The symbol of Zulfiqar is linked with courage, justice, and rightful leadership. It is used in religious imagery, poetry, and popular culture to denote strength and moral authority. Inscriptions and illustrations often show a forked blade, sometimes with inscriptions invoking Ali or Allah.

Historically, there is no universally accepted physical artifact identified as Zulfiqar; relics and legends arise from later chronicles and literary traditions. Because of its symbolic resonance, the image of Zulfiqar has endured in material culture across the Islamic world, appearing on banners, coins, architecture, and contemporary logos.

The term fiqar is also part of Arabic linguistic context referring to ideas of splitting or cleaving, a root that underlines the blade’s emblematic meaning. In common usage related to the sword, fiqar remains the principal reference, while its mythic dimensions persist in religious and cultural discourse.