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Following the recent tensions surrounding 'Draw Muhammad Day' I have come across a website with depictions of Muhammed which were painted by Muslim artists throughout the centuries.
I won't post the link here, but can somebody clarify whether there really was a tradition of depicting Muhammed, and whether the prohibition is really only fairly recent?
In 1999, Islamic art expert Wijdan Ali wrote a scholarly overview of the Muslim tradition of depicting Mohammed, which can be downloaded in pdf format. In that essay, Ali demonstrates that the prohibition against depicting Mohammed did not arise until as late as the 16th or 17th century, despite the media's recent false claims that it has always been forbidden for Muslims to draw Mohammed. Until comparatively recently in Islamic history, it was perfectly common to show Mohammed, either in full, or with his face hidden. Even after the 17th century, up to modern times, Islamic depictions of Mohammed (especially in Shi'ite areas) continued to be produced.
I won't post the link here, but can somebody clarify whether there really was a tradition of depicting Muhammed, and whether the prohibition is really only fairly recent?