Is the Depiction of Muhammad by Non Muslims Allowed in the Quran?

[MattRose]

I know this topic has been beat to death already, but can some Muslims weigh in on exactly what the Quran says about not depicting Muhammad in a picture? I understand that Muslims shouldn't draw him as Muhammad didn't want to be worshipped, but a portrait (non-mocking) drawn by a non-Muslim should be allowed. Is this correct?

 

[Arthra]

Not being a Muslim myself and I would defer to Muslims for the answer.. but you could I think see what happened to poor Jesus when images or pictures of Him proliferate.. It's a sad situation in my view and shows disrespect.

 

[Chesterton]

Not being a Muslim myself and I would defer to Muslims for the answer.. but you could I think see what happened to poor Jesus when images or pictures of Him proliferate.. It's a sad situation in my view and shows disrespect.

What happened to poor Jesus?

 

[Arthra]

What happened to poor Jesus?

Indeed! See for yourself:

Yahoo! Image Search Results for jesus

 

[JJWhite]

I personally don't know of any explicit textual evidence regarding not drawing Muhammad (pbuh). If anyone knows of any, please share.

Warnings regarding making images in general... I can think of many. Warnings against honoring images... I can think of even more... but nothing specific regarding the Prophet (pbuh).

 

[JJWhite]

What would the purpose be of the drawing you're thinking of, Matt?

I've heard discussions amongst scholarly people regarding whether it would have been okay to have drawn the character of Muhammad (pbuh) and his close friends in the cartoon movie 'Muhammad', which was about his life.

I think most fear that images of any of the prophets or righteous, if made, could either be disrespectful or venerated in an undue manner.

God knows best.

 

[JJWhite]

You know... one of the most interesting narrations I've read in narration collections tells a story of some companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who traveled to Ash-Shaam (modern day Syria/Jordan area) to meet a Christian ruler during the Caliphate of Abu Bakr.

It is such an interesting story (although I have my doubts regarding whether it's true) ... I loved how the narrators described everything they saw in such detail.... anyhow... in this story, they took them in some rooms and showed them portrait after portrait (which were locked up in rooms and covered in black fabric). Each time they showed them a portrait, they'd ask if they knew who the person was, and the companions would say no, and they'd inform them that it was such-and-such a prophet. Finally, they showed them a picture of Muhammad (pbuh) (which was the only one that they recognized) and they began to cry. Their comment was that if Muhammad's likeness was so exact, then, the others must have been too. (All the portraits were described in a couple sentences, btw.) The narration says that the church man that was showing them the portraits told them that they got these pictures from an ark (box) that had belonged to Adam (pbuh) who had asked God to see the pictures of the prophets amongst his progeny. It's a pretty fascinating story... like you're watching a movie. I haven't been able to find it translated into English.

 

[Rationalt]

I know this topic has been beat to death already, but can some Muslims weigh in on exactly what the Quran says about not depicting Muhammad in a picture?

The koran doesnt say anything about mohammad's pictures.

I understand that Muslims shouldn't draw him as Muhammad didn't want to be worshipped, but a portrait (non-mocking) drawn by a non-Muslim should be allowed. Is this correct?

Muhammad didnt want to be exactly worshipped but there are enough verses in koran to suggest that Following mohammad and not criticizing mohammad are some of the prerequisites to open Allah's treasures in heaven.

 

[Chesterton]

Indeed! See for yourself:

Yahoo! Image Search Results for jesus

I don't get it.

 

[peaceful soul]

Not being a Muslim myself and I would defer to Muslims for the answer.. but you could I think see what happened to poor Jesus when images or pictures of Him proliferate.. It's a sad situation in my view and shows disrespect.

Is drawing pictures disrespectful or is it certain kinds of pictures?

 

[MattRose]

What would the purpose be of the drawing you're thinking of, Matt?

I've heard discussions amongst scholarly people regarding whether it would have been okay to have drawn the character of Muhammad (pbuh) and his close friends in the cartoon movie 'Muhammad', which was about his life.

I think most fear that images of any of the prophets or righteous, if made, could either be disrespectful or venerated in an undue manner.

God knows best.

My layman's understanding of the Quran's ban on depicting Muhammad is as follows:
Muhammad realized that people of his day tended to make images of their religious figures and pray to them (I'm speculating here). He wanted to make sure that he was not worshipped as he knew he was just a prophet. Some verses in the Quran mention this and say that one way to prevent Muhammad from being worshipped was to not have any statues, pictures, etc. of Muhammad.

Is this more of less accurate? What verses directly address this issue?

 

[JJWhite]

My layman's understanding of the Quran's ban on depicting Muhammad is as follows:
Muhammad realized that people of his day tended to make images of their religious figures and pray to them (I'm speculating here). He wanted to make sure that he was not worshipped as he knew he was just a prophet. Some verses in the Quran mention this and say that one way to prevent Muhammad from being worshipped was to not have any statues, pictures, etc. of Muhammad.

Is this more of less accurate? What verses directly address this issue?

I cannot think of any such verse.

There are ahadith regarding image-making in general, and there's the story of the people of Noah in the Qur'aan which mentions some of their gods by name, and in the COMMENTARY on the verse made by some of the early Muslims, it is said that it was narrated to them that what happened was that there were righteous men that lived some time after Adam, then when they passed away, they erected statues of them to 'remind them' of their righteousness. A few generations down the road (Noah's time), Satan then gave the idea to these descendants that their forefathers had prayed to these idols and they began doing so, and so Noah was sent to bring them back to Monotheism.

I can think of a few ahadith where companions called Muhammad my 'Master' and he objected... or one where someone tried prostrating to him and he forbade him from doing that.. and one where he said, 'Do not over-exult me as the Christians have over-exulted Jesus the son of Mary.' Can't think of anything, from Qur'aan or hadith, which specifically mentions not making images of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)... just any honored images (which would include him). I don't even hang pictures of people or animals on my walls at home even though I know we don't worship them.

 

[JJWhite]

Suggestion... read a translation of the Qur'aan and then you'll have an idea of what it bans and what it doesn't.

 

[MattRose]

Suggestion... read a translation of the Qur'aan and then you'll have an idea of what it bans and what it doesn't.

Well I was hoping that someone of the Muslim faith could enlighten me. It's been in the news so often I assumed it was written about explicitly in the Qur'aan. If you are familiar with the book and you don't know of any specific verses, can you explain the reaction that we see around the world when someone draws Muhammad? Is it just when they mock him or does any picture incite such a strong reaction? I realize you can't speak for others, but you must have some insight to their outrage.

 

[razeontherock]

Warnings against honoring images... I can think of even more

Examples?

 

[JJWhite]

Well I was hoping that someone of the Muslim faith could enlighten me. It's been in the news so often I assumed it was written about explicitly in the Qur'aan. If you are familiar with the book and you don't know of any specific verses, can you explain the reaction that we see around the world when someone draws Muhammad? Is it just when they mock him or does any picture incite such a strong reaction? I realize you can't speak for others, but you must have some insight to their outrage.

1. Viewing the images as mockery (which would require a response.. though not in the manner that some have done)

2. Ignorance coupled up with zeal?

 

[JJWhite]

Examples?

This is what comes to mind right now... once Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) entered his home and 'Aa'ishah had put up a curtain with pictures on it. He told her that the angels do not enter a home with images, so she took the curtain down and made it into a pillow.

Scholars come in at this point with different opinions. Some more strict ones say to keep ALL pictures out of the house, while others say to only avoid hanging pictures up as they are honored that way. Each group has their own logic, and other evidences. I also know that some scholars restrict the prohibition to statues (3-dimensional images), but I don't know what they do with this hadith? It is in Bukhari.

Ummm... there's a narration where 'Alee tells a man (can't remember his name) to level all graves and deface all images and tells him that that was in accordance to what the Prophet had taught them in his lifetime. The strongest narration just includes the word 'images', but another weaker narration of the same event has the adjective 'honored' in front of the word images, so some scholars say that the adjective in the other hadith classifies the intention of the more general statement indicating that only honored pictures are problematic.

Also, when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was really sick, two of his wives (Umm Salamah and Umm Habeebah) were sitting by his side, and they started telling him about a beautiful church that they had seen in Ethiopia when they were there. (Many Muslims had migrated there for some time in the early years of Islam to escape the persecution of the Makkans. That trip was before they married Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)). So, they started telling him about all the pretty pictures they saw in the church. He pulled his head up upon hearing this, and said that those are the people who make places of worship at the graves of their righteous when they die, and they put up pictures on them. He further commented that such a person who did these things was the worst type of person; i.e. images are a big no-no.

 

[Chesterton]

1. Viewing the images as mockery (which would require a response.. though not in the manner that some have done)

What do you mean exactly by it 'would require a response'?

 

[JJWhite]

What do you mean exactly by it 'would require a response'?

Speaking up about why we find it unacceptable and work on educating others about what Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) means to us.

 

[Isambard]

What happened to poor Jesus?

He became the unofficial poster-boy (poster-deity?) for the Master Race.