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. This scene was popular among medieval Islamic artists, and several nearly identical versions of this drawing (such as this one and this one) were made in the Middle Ages.


Miniature of Mohammed re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami' al-Tavarikh ("The Universal History" or "Compendium of Chronicles," 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: Jos.)



Mohammed (upper right) visiting Paradise while riding Buraq, accompanied by the Angel Gabriel (upper left). Below them, riding camels, are some of the fabled houris of Paradise -- the "virgins" promised to heroes and martyrs. This image and the following five images are Persian, 15th century, from a manuscipt entitled Miraj Nama, which is in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris. Taken from The Miraculous Journey of Mahomet, by Marie-Rose Seguy.


Mohammed, flying over Paradise, looks at the houris harvesting flowers and enjoying themselves. Persian, 15th century.


Mohammed, along with Buraq and Gabriel, visit Hell, and see a demon punishing "shameless women" who had exposed their hair to strangers. For this crime of inciting lust in men, the women are strung up by their hair and burned for eternity. Persian, 15th century.


Next, Mohammed sees women strung up by hooks thrust through their tongues by a green demon. Their crimes were to "mock" their husbands and to leave their homes without permission. Persian, 15th century.


Further on, Mohammed sees a red demon that is torturing women by hanging them up by hooks through their breasts, as they are engulfed in flames. The women are being punished for giving birth to illegitimate children whom they falsely claimed were fathered by their husbands. Persian, 15th century.


Mohammed (on the right, astride Buraq) and the Angel Gabriel (center) talk with Abraham (left) in Paradise. Persian, 15th century.

Another illustration apparently from the same series in this manuscript can be seen here.


Mohammed as a youth meeting the monk Bahira. From Jami' al-tavarikh ("Compendium of Chronicles"). Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315. In the Library of the University of Edinburgh.
(Hat tip: A.L.)


Detail of the young Mohammed from the image above.


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.
(Hat tip: Jos.)



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.
(Hat tip: Jos.)



Another miniature showing Mohammed astride Buraq. Provenance unknown.
(Hat tip: Martin.)


Mohammed, Buraq and Gabriel encountering a multi-headed figure in heaven. From the same unknown manuscript as the image above.
(Hat tip: Martin.)


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: A.L. and Buck.)


Detail of Mohammed from the picture above.


Detail of Mohammed from yet another picture in the Apocalypse of Muhammad, written in 1436 in Herat, Afghanistan (now in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris).
(Hat tip: A.L.)


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).
(Hat tip: Buck.)


Mohammed greeting ambassadors from Medina. Likely of central Asian origin, though the site on which the image was found does not give an exact date or location.
(Hat tip: A.L.)


Detail of Mohammed from the same painting as above, which was also used as the cover of the book Mohammed und Seine Zeit (see the Archive's "Book Covers" page for the full version).
(Hat tip: A.L.)


Mohammed flying over Mecca, at the beginning of his "Night Journey." The square building in the center is the Ka'aba. From the manuscript entitled Khamseh, by Nezami, 1494-5. Currently in the British Museum. (A picture of the full manuscript page containing this painting can be seen here.)


Mohammed (right) and the Angel Gabriel (left) in a building with three domes. Provenance unknown.


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


Mohammed with (apparently) the Angel Gabriel. Origin unknown; image found on this Sufi site.
(Hat tip: Raafat.)


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


The Ascension of the Prophet, also from Jami' al-Tavarikh ("The Universal History").


Mohammed Received by the Four Angels; Persia, 1436.


Mohammed on Buraq. Reprinted in the 1965 book Painting in Islam, by Sir Thomas W. Arnold.
(Hat tip: A.L.)


Mohammed (on the far right) and Abu Bakr on their way to Medina while a woman milks a goat. From Rashid al-Din's Jami al-Tawarikh. Reprinted in the 1965 book Painting in Islam, by Sir Thomas W. Arnold.
(Hat tip: A.L.)


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. 1315. In the Library of the University of Edinburgh.
(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 is and does) carrying a figure who could therefore only be Mohammed. A word-for-word transliteration of the Farsi caption to that picture is (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.)


Links to additional full-face Mohammed images:

This Los Angeles Times article from February 17 points out that several leading museums in the United States possess Islamic portraits of Mohammed in their permanent collections, though they are rarely displayed. (Hat tip: Killgore Trout.)
This February 14 article in the Washington Post also lists several museums and galleries in the U.S. which own paintings of Mohammed.
Several small reproductions of Mohammed can be found on this site by clicking on the small icons in the center of the page.
Two small images of Mohammed leading his army can be found on this Spanish educational site.
The Miraculous Journey of Mahomet, a book by Marie-Rose Seguy, contains many images of Mohammed throughout the ages.


Click here to return to the main Mohammed Image Archive page

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



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