Depictions of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet, can be a contentious matter. Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second-largest religion. ... A prophet is a person who is believed to speak through divine inspiration. ...

Oral and written descriptions are readily accepted by all traditions of Islam, while Muslims differ as to whether or not visual depictions of Muhammad are permissible: Some Muslims believe that to prevent shirk, or ascribing partners to God, visual depictions of Muhammad and other prophets of Islam should be prohibited. Other Muslims believe respectful depictions should be allowed. Both sides have produced great Islamic art — the aniconists through calligraphy and arabesque, the pictorialists through book illustration and architectural decoration. Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second-largest religion. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... For other uses, see Allah (disambiguation). ... Islamic art is the art of Islamic people, cultures, and countries. ...

The vast majority of Muslims are hurt or shocked by negative portrayals of Muhammad, whether spoken, written, drawn, or filmed, see Muslim veneration for Muhammad.

Verbal descriptions

Muhammad's name written in Arabic calligraphy

In one of the earliest sources, Ibn Sa'd's Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, there are numerous verbal descriptions of Muhammad. One description sourced to Ali ibn Abi Talib is as follows: Image File history File links Muhammad_callig. ... Image File history File links Muhammad_callig. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... The stylized signature of Sultan Abdul Hamid I of the Ottoman Empire was written in an expressive calligraphy. ... Ibn Sad was a Sunni Muslim scholar of Islam. ... Ali ibn Abu Talib (Arabic: ) (c. ...

The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him, is neither too short nor too tall. His hairs are neither curly nor straight, but a mixture of the two. He is a man of black hair and large skull. His complexion has a tinge of redness. His shoulder bones are broad and his palms and feet are fleshy. He has long al-masrubah which means hair growing from neck to navel. He is of long eye-lashes, close eye-brows, smooth and shining fore-head and long space between two shulders. When he walks he walks inclining as if coming down from a height. I never saw a man like him before him or after him. (Ibn Sa'd, undated Indian translation, pp. 486-487).

Athar Husain gives a non-pictorial description of his appearance, dress, etc. in "The Message of Mohammad" ^[1]

According to Husain, Muhammad was a little taller than average, sturdily built and muscular. His fingers were long. His hair, which was long, had waves, and he had a thick beard, which had seventeen gray hairs at the time of his death. He had good teeth and spare cheeks, brownish black eyes. His complexion was fair and he was very handsome.

He walked fast with firm gait. He always kept himself busy with something, did not speak unnecessarily, always spoke to the point and without verbosity, and did not behave in an emotional way.

He usually wore a shirt, trousers, a sheet thrown round the sholders and a turban, all spotlessly clean, rarely wearing the fine clothes that had been presented to him. He wanted others to wear simple, but always clean, clothes.

Visual depictions

Muhammad at Mount Hira (16th century Ottoman illustration of the Siyer-i Nebi)

While nothing in the Qur'an forbids representations of Muhammad, a few hadith condemned pictures of Muhammad, and pictures in general. One hadith reads: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (724x1113, 473 KB) Muhammad on Mount Hira Istanbul, 1595. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (724x1113, 473 KB) Muhammad on Mount Hira Istanbul, 1595. ... Hira or the Cave of Hira is the location where Muhammad, according to Islam, received his first revelations from Allah (God) through the angel Gabriel(جبريل ). The cave is located at the peak of Jabal al-Nour in the Hejaz region of present day Saudi Arabia. ... The Siyer-i Nebi is a Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, completed around 1388, written by Mustafa son of Yusuf of Erzurum, a Mevlevi dervish on the commission of Sultan Berkuk, the Mameluke ruler in Cairo. ... The Quran (Arabic , literally the recitation; also called or The Noble Quran; also transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

Allah, Most High said: "And who is more unjust than those who try to create the likeness of My creation? Let them create an atom, or let them create a wheat grain, or let them create a barley grain." ( Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 648)

Some Muslims believe that such hadith forbid all pictorial representation. Other Muslims believe that there is nothing wrong with pictures in general; it is only idolatry that is condemned. They believe that pictures of Muhammad are allowable if they are illustrations to encourage faith and practice, not idols for worship. Sahih Bukhari is a hadith collection written by Muhammad al-Bukhari. ...

Paintings

The long history of Islamic art contains many examples of pictures respectfully representing Muhammad. They are not to be considered lifelike portraits. In some, but by no means all cases, the face is left blank so that Muhammad is suggested rather than completely depicted. Many times flames seem to emanate from Muhammad's head; this suggests the radiance of his countenance. Persian and Ottoman miniatures of the 14th to 16th centuries are especially notable for their free approach to pictorial representations. Persian may refer to more than one article: the Western name for Iranian (see Iran/Persia naming controversy) Persian, an Iranian language the Persians, an ethnic group a Persian, a breed of cat Persian, a Pokémon character Etymology English Persian < Old English, < Latin *Persianus, < Latin Persia, < ancient Greek Persis... Ottoman (in Turkish Osmanlı) may refer to: Look up Ottoman and ottoman in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Contemporary Shi'a Muslims in Iran and Afghanistan also take a relaxed attitude towards pictures of Muhammad and his household, the Ahlul Bayt. A fatwa given by Ali al-Sistani, the Shi'a marja of Iraq, states that it is permissible to depict Muhammad, even in television or movies, if done with respect.: Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... This is an Arabic phrase literally translated as People of the House, or family. ... A fatwa (Arabic: ) plural fatāwa (فتاوى), is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. ... His Honourarable Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani (Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی), born approximately August 4, 1930, is a Grand Ayatollah, a Shia marja and currently an important person in relation to the occupation of Iraq. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... A marja, or marja-e-taqleed (Arabic and persian مرجع تقليد), literally source of imitation or source of tradition, is the second highest authority on religion and law in Shia Islam after the prophet and (Shia) Imams. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ...

If due deference and respect is observed, and the scene does not contain anything that would detract from their holy pictures in the minds [of the viewers], there is no problem. ^[2]

While most of Islam was predominantly aniconistic during most of its history, there are traditions of hagiography, notably in the Shi'ite tradition of Persia and parts of Afghanistan (Hazarajat), and in the Ottoman Empire, notably illustrating the life of Muhammad, beginning in ca. the 14th century (6th c. AH). Devotional depictions of Muhammad are still commonly available in predominantly Shi'ite regions. Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... Hazarajat is a mountainous region in central Afghanistan, home to the Hazara ethnic group. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (the Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Sogut (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanli Dynasty... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

Miniature of Muhammad re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami Al-Tawarikh ("The Universal History" written by Rashid Al-Din), a manuscript in the Library of the University of Edinburgh; illustrated in Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315 during the rule of the Sunni Arab Muzaffarid dynasty. Image File history File linksMetadata Muhammad_2. ... The Black Stone The Black Stone (called الحجر الأسود al-Hajar-ul-Aswad in Arabic) is a holy relic in Islam. ... The Kaaba (Kaabah), (Arabic: الكعبة or Al Kaabah Al Musharafah : الكعبة المشرًّفة) also al-Bait ul Ateeq (Arabic: البيت العتيق ) and al-Bait ul Haram (Arabic: البيت الحرام ), is a building located inside the mosque known as Masjid al Haram in Mecca (Makkah). ... Rashid al-Din Tabib also Rashid ad-Din Fadhlullah Hamadani (1247 - 1318), was a Persian Doctor and writer and historian. ... The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Tabriz City Hall, built in 1895, by Arfaol molk, with the aid of German engineers. ... The term Persian Empire refers to a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... Events August 13 - Louis X of France marries Clemence dAnjou. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Muzaffarids were a Sunni Arab family that came to power in Iran following the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 14th century. ...	Muhammad's Call to Prophecy and the First Revelation; leaf from a copy of the Majmac al-tawarikh (Compendium of Histories), ca. 1425; Timurid. From Herat, Afghanistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Timurid can refer to several entities, related to Timur: Timurid Dynasty Timurid Empire Timurid Emirates This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Herāt (Persian هرات) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the valley of the Hari Rud river in the province also known as Herat, and was traditionally known for wine. ... The central lobby of the museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums, located on the eastern edge of Central Park in Manhattan, New York, United States. ...	Journey of the Prophet Muhammad; leaf from a copy of the Majmac al-tawarikh (Compendium of Histories), ca. 1425; Timurid. Herat, Afghanistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art.	Birth of Muhammad (16th century Ottoman illustration of the Siyer-i Nebi) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (525x777, 129 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Siyer-i Nebi ... The Siyer-i Nebi is a Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, completed around 1388, written by Mustafa son of Yusuf of Erzurum, a Mevlevi dervish on the commission of Sultan Berkuk, the Mameluke ruler in Cairo. ...
Muhammad at the Kaba (16th century Ottoman illustration of the Siyer-i Nebi) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (744x1108, 431 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Siyer-i Nebi ... Kaba is: a different orthography for a holy place of Islam, see Kaaba; a town in Hungary, see Kaba (Hungary); a genre of instrumental music from Albania, see Kaba (music). ... The Siyer-i Nebi is a Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, completed around 1388, written by Mustafa son of Yusuf of Erzurum, a Mevlevi dervish on the commission of Sultan Berkuk, the Mameluke ruler in Cairo. ...	Muhammad advancing on Mecca, with the angels Gabriel, Michael, Israfil and Azrail (16th century Ottoman illustration of the Siyer-i Nebi) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (497x777, 115 KB) Muhammad and his companions advancing on Mecca. ... 12th-century icon of Archangel Gabriel from Novgorod. ... Look up Michael in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In Islam angels are light-based creatures, created by Allah to serve and worship him. ... Azrail is the god of death in Hausa mythology. ... The Siyer-i Nebi is a Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad, completed around 1388, written by Mustafa son of Yusuf of Erzurum, a Mevlevi dervish on the commission of Sultan Berkuk, the Mameluke ruler in Cairo. ...	A 16th century Persian miniature painting celebrating Muhammad's ascent into the Heavens, a journey known as the Miraj. Image File history File links Headline text Allah File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... Isra is an Arabic word referring to what Muslims regard as Muhammads miraculous night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem - specifically, to the site of Masjid al-Aqsa - alluded to in Surat Al-Isra 1: سبحان الذي أسرى بعبده ليلاً من المسجد الحرام إلى المسجد الأقصى الذي باركنا حوله Glory...

Other examples of Islamic art depicting Muhammad:

• The Birth of the prophet Muhammad, from Jami' al-tavarikh ("Compendium of Chronicles"). Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315
• The night journey of Muhammad on his steed, Buraq; from the Bustan of Sa'di, 1514
• Contemporary image from Iran, face blank

Cinema

Some Muslims believe that films can convey the message of Islam in a direct and immediately appealing fashion. Other Muslims believe that this could lead to idolatry. There have been few attempts to feature Muhammad in films.

• The only live-action film to feature Muhammad was the 1976 Mohammad, Messenger of God. The movie focussed on a fictional character and never directly showed Muhammad. When Muhammad was essential to a scene, the camera would show events from his point of view. The movie was controversial, in great part because some Muslims mistakenly believed that the fictional character in the movie was Muhammad. A group of Muslims in Washington, DC protested the movie's release by occupying a building and taking hostages.

• A devotional cartoon called Muhammad (PBUH): The Last Prophet was released in 2004 [1].

Mohammad, Messenger of God (retitled The Message for U.S. release) (1976) is a film directed by Mustafa Akkad, chronicling the life and times of the founder of Islam, Muhammad. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...

Depiction by non-Muslims

Portrait of Muhammad as a generic "Easterner", from the PANSEBEIA, or A View of all Religions in the World by Alexander Ross (1683).

A representation of Muhammad at the United States Supreme Court building

Muhammad figures frequently in depictions of influential people in world history. Such depictions tend to be favourable or neutral in intent; one example can be found, for example, at the United States Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. The frieze includes major historical lawgivers, placing Muhammad alongside Hammurabi, Moses, Confucius, and others. In 1955, a statue of Muhammad was removed from a courthouse in New York City after the ambassadors of Indonesia, Pakistan, and Egypt requested its removal. ^[3]. Alexander Ross (or Alec/Alex Ross) is a name shared by: Alec Ross, golfer Alec Ross (d. ... The Supreme Court building is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States. ... The Supreme Court building is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... This diorite head is believed to represent king Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian Khammurabi, from Amorite Ammurapi, The Kinsman is a Healer; Ammu, paternal kinsman + Rapi, to heal; also transliterated Ammurapi, Hammurapi, or Khammurabi) was the sixth king of Babylon. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew Móše, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى Musa, Ethiopic ሙሴ Musse), son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ... Confucius (Chinese Kong Fuzi, literally Master Kong, traditionally September 28, 551 BCE–479 BCE) was a famous thinker and social philosopher of China, whose teachings have deeply influenced East Asia. ... 1955 (MCMLV in Roman) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R...

The historical reaction of occidental culture towards Islam was critical or hostile, resulting in consciously unfavourable depictions. Dante placed Muhammed in Hell, with his entrails hanging out, a motive frequently taken up in illustrations of the Divina Commedia. Criticism of Islam has existed since Islams formative stages, as with any religion, on philosophical, scientific, ethical, political, and theological grounds. ... Dante redirects here. ... ...

Recent controversies

In 1989, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa urging Muslims to kill the British author Salman Rushdie, for verbal caricature of Muhammad. See The Satanic Verses (novel). Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie, Urdu: أحمد سلمان رشدی, Hindi: अह्मद सलमान रश्डी on June 19, 1947, in Bombay, India) is an Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction, most of which is set on the Indian subcontinent. ... The Satanic Verses cover The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdies fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Muhammad. ...

In 2006, the publication of cartoons depicting Muhammad sparked protests in which dozens of people died. See Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ...

See also

• Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
• The Satanic Verses (novel)

The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. ... The Satanic Verses cover The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdies fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Muhammad. ...

References

• Ibn Sa'd -- Kitabh al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, as translated by S. Moinul and H.K. Ghazanfar, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, n.d.