Muhammad’s visual depiction is a delicate issue for many reasons. General disapproval Images of creatures throughout Islamic history.Muslim Rarely produced or distributed Image of Muhammad and other prominent early Muslims.Recent caricatures Offended many Muslims In the world.
Focusing on the reaction to Muhammad’s image drowns out important questions.
Draw Muhammad without images
In my course on the life of early Islam and MuhammadWhat surprised the students was that few pre-modern historical figures we know more than Muhammad.
The respect and dedication given to him by first-generation Muslims has led to a wealth of textual material that provides a wealth of details on all aspects of his life.
The oldest biography of the ProphetWritten a century after his death and spans hundreds of pages in English. His last decade is well documented so that he can track several episodes of his life daily during this period.
More details are available in early Islamic books dedicated to describing Muhammad’s body, personality, and manners. “Shama’il al-MuhammadiyyaOr Muhammad’s noble qualities, Muslims learned everything from Muhammad’s height and hair to sleeping habits, clothing preferences, and favorite foods.
No information about the Prophet seemed too mediocre and irrelevant. His way of walking and sitting is recorded in this book, along with an approximate amount of gray hair on his temples in old age.
Description of these detailed texts It has served for Muslims for centuries as an alternative to visual expression.
Most Muslims portrayed Muhammad as his cousin and son-in-law Ali described in the famous passage contained in Shama’il al-Muhammadiyya. The second half of the explanation focused on his character. The humble man evoked awe and respect for everyone who met him.
Muhammad text portrait
However, Muhammad’s figurative depiction was completely unheard of in the Islamic world.In fact, manuscripts from the 13th century onwards Included a scene of the Prophet’s life, At first show him in perfect shape, With a veiled face later.
However, the vast majority of Muslims did not have access to manuscripts containing images of these prophets. For those who wanted to visualize Muhammad, there was a text alternative instead of a picture.
was Artistic tradition It was especially popular among Turkish and Persian-speaking Muslims.
One page has decorations and gold-plated edging, Skillfully written text Muhammad’s description by Shamile’s ants. In the center of the page was the famous Quranic poem “We just sent you (Muhammad) as mercy to the world.”
The portraits of these letters, called “Hilya” in Arabic, were the closest to Muhammad’s “images” in most of the Islamic world.Some hilya Strictly without any form of expressionOthers included the Kaaba, the sacred shrine of Mecca, and a picture of a rose symbolizing the beauty of the Prophet.
Hilya, the picture frame, adorned mosques and private houses even in the 20th century.A small specimen was carried Bottled Or the pockets of those who believed in the spiritual power of the Prophet’s portrayal of health and evil. Hiljes kept Muhammad’s memory fresh for those who just wanted to imagine him from words.
Different interpretation
Islamic legal basis for banning images containing Muhammad is Not simple There are also differences depending on the denomination and legal school.
For example, the Shiite community seems to accept more visual expressions for devotional purposes than the Sunni community.Pictures of Muhammad, Ali, and other families of the Prophet Somewhat circulating In the general religious culture of Shiite-dominated countries like Iran. Sunni Islam, on the other hand, almost avoids religious iconography.
Outside the Islamic world, Muhammad Regularly fictionized in literature and depicted in images Christendom in the Middle Ages and early modern times. But this was often not a sympathetic form. The most famous of Dante’s “Inferno” is Suffering the Prophet and Ali in hell, And the scene influenced many paintings.
However, these depictions received little attention from the Islamic world as they were produced and consumed for the Christian world.
Aggressive caricatures and colonial past
Providing a historical precedent for Muhammad’s visual depiction adds a very necessary nuance to complex and potentially incendiary problems, but it can only explain part of the big picture.
Equally important in understanding the reaction to Muhammad’s image is the evolution from more recent history. Europe currently has a large Muslim minority, A fictional depiction of MuhammadDo not be overlooked, visually or otherwise.
With the development of media and social media Spread of image It’s quick, and the mobilization of reactions to them is also quick.
Most importantly, many Muslims find the caricature uncomfortable because it is Islam-disliked content. Some caricatures depict the rough Islamic equation as follows: Violence or release in the image of Muhammad, A theme that spread during the colonial era European scholarship on Muhammad..
Anthropologist Mackerel mood Such a depiction is “Moral injuryFor Muslims, the emotional pain of a special relationship with the Prophet.Political scientist Andrew March Look at the caricature as follows “Political acts” that can harm efforts to create “public spaces that Muslims feel safe, valuable and equal”.
Even without an image, Muslims have nurtured not only Muhammad’s appearance, but a vivid spiritual image of his entire persona. Some of the crudeness of Muhammad’s caricatures is worth a little thought.
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This article is reprinted from the following conversationIs a non-profit news site that aims to share ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Suleiman the Dost, Brandeis University..
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Suleyman Dost does not work, consult, own shares, or receive funding for companies or organizations that may benefit from this article, and reveals relevant non-educational affiliations. Is not …