Islamic Depictions of Mohammed in Full


Medieval Muslim artists often created paintings and illuminated manuscripts depicting Mohammed in full. Several examples are presented here. Other artists of the era drew Mohammed but left his face blank so as to technically comply with the Islamic ban on depicting the Prophet; these images are shown in the second section.



Persian or central Asian illustration showing Mohammed (on the right) preaching.


Miniature of Mohammed 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.
(Hat tip: Brett K.)


The Night Journey of Muhammad on His Steed, Buraq; leaf from a copy of the Bustan of Sacdi, dated 1514. From Bukhara, Uzbekistan. In The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
(Hat tip for this image and the following two images: Jos.)



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.


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.


Mohammed on his prayer rug; Persia, late medieval (date unknown).


Mohammed meets the prophets Ismail, Is-hak and Lot in paradise. From the Apocalypse of Muhammad, written in 1436 in Herat, Afghanistan (now in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris).
(Hat tip for this image and the image below: Buck.)


Mohammed arrives on the shores of the White Sea. Also from the Apocalypse of Muhammad, written in 1436 in Herat, Afghanistan (now in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris).


Fourteenth-century Persian miniature showing the Angel Gabriel speaking to Mohammed.


Mohammed at Medina, from an Arab or central Asian medieval-era manuscript.


The Ascension of the Prophet, also from Jami Al-Tawarikh ("The Universal History").


Mohammed Received by the Four Angels; Persia, 1436.


Close-up of a medieval-era drawing showing Mohammed preaching, along with a Christian-style halo.


A medieval illustration showing Mohammed (on the right). Source unknown.


Mohammed with head emanating flames (a sign of holiness). Source unknown.
(Hat tip: Steve N.)



The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad, from Jami' al-tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles). Tabriz, Persia, c. 1314-15. In Edinburgh University Library.
(Hat tip: Jos.)


Close-up of the baby Mohammed from the painting above.
(Hat tip: Nils.)


Mohammed's death. Source unknown.


This Iranian site contains a photograph of a mural which appears to depict Mohammed (sixth picture down) on a contemporary building in Iran. The mural shows Buraq (the animal that carried Mohammed on his Night Voyage, described as being white and having the face of a woman and the tail of a peacock, which this creature does) carrying a figure who could therefore only be Mohammed. A word-for-word transliteration of the caption to that picture in Farsi says (according to this automated translation site) "The Messenger mounted mainland shiny door village (yzdlaan) (kvyry) village blinds to ascension wine river," which obviously doesn't translate well but which does make mention of "The Messenger," a traditional epithet for Mohammed (as the messenger of Allah). Note: this image is hosted on the Web site of the Iranian newspaper Hamshahri, which is sponsoring a contest of cartoons about the Holocaust as an outraged reponse to the publication of the Mohammed cartoons in the West. Yet the newspaper itself is currently displaying this depiction of Mohammed. (This image also on the newspaper's site appears to be a contemporary image of Mohammed as well.)
(Hat tip: Kilgore Trout.)

Three more images of the full Mohammed can be found here (Hat tip: No Pasaran!, foreign devil and Dusty).



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Other Archive Sections:
Islamic Depictions of Mohammed in Full
Islamic Depictions of Mohammed with Face Hidden
European Medieval and Renaissance Images
Miscellaneous Mohammed Images
Book Illustrations
Dante's Inferno
French Book Covers
Satirical Modern Cartoons
The Jyllands-Posten Cartoons
Recent Responses to the Controversy
Links