Mohammed Image Archive
Depictions of Mohammed Throughout History
Controversy over the publication of images depicting Mohammed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten
has erupted into an international furor. While Muslims worldwide are
calling for a boycott of Denmark and any other nation whose press
reprints the cartoons, Europeans are trying to stand up for Western
principles of freedom of speech and not cave in to self-censorship in
the name of multiculturalism and fear.
While the debate rages, an important point has been overlooked:
despite the Islamic prohibition against depicting Mohammed under any
circumstances, hundreds of paintings, drawings and other images of
Mohammed have been created over the centuries, with nary a word of
complaint from the Muslim world. The recent cartoons in Jyllands-Posten are nothing new; it's just that no other images of Mohammed have ever been so widely publicized.
This page is an archive of numerous depictions of Mohammed, to serve as
a reminder that such imagery has been part of Western and Islamic
culture since the Middle Ages -- and to serve as a resource for those
interested in freedom of expression.
The images in the archive below have been divided into the following categories:
Islamic Paintings and Miniatures Showing Mohammed in Full
Islamic Depictions of Mohammed with Face Hidden
European Medieval and Renaissance Images
Book Illustrations
Dante's Inferno
French Book Covers
Various Eras
Contemporary Christian Drawings
Animated TV Parodies
Satirical Modern Cartoons
The Jyllands-Posten Cartoons
Recent Responses to the Controversy
Links
(Please note that the Arabic name "Mohammed" has over the years
been transliterated into Western languages with several different
spellings -- some of which you'll encounter below -- including Mahomet,
Muhammad, and Mohamed.)
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Islamic Paintings and Miniatures Showing 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 Ascension of the Prophet, also from Jami Al-Tawarikh ("The Universal History").
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.
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's death. Source unknown.
Three more images of the full Mohammed can be found here (Hat tip: No Pasaran!.)
Islamic Depictions of Mohammed with Face Hidden
The Prophet Mohammed in a Mosque. Turkish, 16th Century, painting
on paper. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The artist depicted Mohammed in
very long sleeves so as to avoid showing his hands, though his neck and
hints of his features are visible.
(Hat tip: Brett K.)
This is a miniature from Siyer-i Nebi, an Turkish religious biography of Mohammed completed in 1388
and later lavishly illustrated with 814 miniatures under the reign of
Ottoman ruler Murad III, being completed in 1595. Many of the
miniatures depict Mohammed, and this particular one shows Ali bin Abu
Taleb beheading Nasr bin al-Hareth in the presence of Mohammed and his
companions.
Newly born Muhammad in his mother's arms being shown to his grandfather
and Meccans. From Turkish book painting (date unknown). University of
California, San Diego.
(Hat tip: Brett K.)
Islamic image of the Qur'an being revealed to Mohammed during a battle.
Indonesian allegorical scene of Mohammed riding a mythical beast -- possibly a depiction of his "Night Voyage."
Mohammed praying at the Ka'aba in Mecca. Turkish miniature from the Ottoman Empire; date unknown.
(Hat tip: S.)
The Ascent of Mohammed, as depicted in a Persian manuscript. Opaque
watercolor and gold on paper, c. 1570. From the collection of the Fine
Arts Museum of San Francisco. Mohammed upon his winged steed al-Burak
ascending into heaven.
(Hat tip: Brett K.)
Mohammed (with face not visible) lying (possibly dead) in a grotto, with anachronistic Mongol warriors looking on.
Indian or Asian painting of Mohammed receiving visions.
Mohammed astride a mythological beast; provenance unknown.
Mohammed preaching. Origin unknown.
(Hat tip: S.)
Mohammed ascending to Paradise.
Mohammed (face not visible) in an illustration of an episode from the Qur'an.
Additional links to online images of Mohammed with his face hidden:
Angels visit Muhammad to prepare him for the Miraj. Detail from The Progress of the Prophet, Turkey, 16th century.
Ascent of the Prophet to Heaven. Persia, 1550.
(Another) Ascent of the Prophet to Heaven. Persia, 1550.
Muhammad on Buraq.
Persia, mid-16th century.
Muhammad and Abu Bakr visit poor Bedouins.
European Medieval and Renaissance Images
Medieval and Renaissance Christian and secular artists had no
religious restrictions regarding depictions of Mohammed, and were free
to show his face and body in their entirety.
Mohammed preaching, from a medieval illuminated manuscript, with
historically inaccurate landscape and clothing (a common problem in
medieval and Renaissance paintings, which usually showed fashions that
were contemporary with the time the painting was made, rather than showing the costumes of the era depicted).
This picture is of an early Renaissance fresco in Bologna's Church of
San Petronio, created by Giovanni da Modena and depicting Mohammed
being tortured in Hell.
(Hat tip: brenda.)
In 2002, Islamic extremists plotted to blow up the church in order to destroy the image.
The fresco is in an inaccessible part of the church and is now only
visible at an angle from a distance; this old black-and-white image is
one of the few official photos ever taken that shows a straight frontal
view of the figures.
Colored Renaissance print showing Mohammed at court, with wildly inaccurate fashions.
The following two peculiar line drawings show Mohammed dressed in
Renaissance-era German garb and not behaving as one might expect:
"His Wife Scolding the Drunken Mohammed," German woodcut print, c. 1481. Source (for this image and the one below): The Illustrated Bartsch. Vol. 83, German Book Illustration before 1500: Anonymous Artists, 1481-1482. Series title: Reysen und Wanderschaffen durch das Gelbote Land / Travels and Wanderings Through the Holy Land. Presumably Mohammed is cursing the vines for producing the grapes that got him drunk.
(Hat tip for this image and for the following image: Brett K.)
"Mohammed Cursing the Vines," German woodcut print, c. 1481.
Book Illustrations
Many popular American and European books about Islam from the 18th,
19th and early 20th centuries included lithographs and line drawings
depicting Mohammed. Here is a small sampling:
Frontispiece from The Life of Mahomet, published 1719.
This illustration is taken from La vie de Mahomet, by M.
Prideaux, published in 1699. It shows Mohammed holding a sword and a
crescent while trampling on a globe, a cross, and the Ten Commandments.
(Hat tip: Andy B.)
The following five images are of line drawings depicting Mohammed from various 19th-century books about Islam:
Dante's Inferno
In the Inferno chapter of Dante's trilogy The Divine Comedy,
Mohammed is described as being one of the "Sowers of Discord," showing
his entrails to Dante and Virgil in the Eighth Circle of Hell:
Inferno XXVIII, 19-42.
The poets are in the ninth
chasm of the eighth circle, that of the Sowers of
Discord, whose punishment is to be mutilated.
Mahomet shows his entrails to Dante and Virgil
while on the left stands his son Ali, his head cleft
from chin to forelock.
Several famous artists have created their own illustrations of this
scene. In each drawing, Mohammed is the one with his torso slit open.
Gustave Doré.
William Blake.
Auguste Rodin.
Salvador Dalí.
The 1911 Italian silent film L'Inferno contained a dramatization of the scene; Mohammed is here on the right with his entrails hanging out.
(Hat tip: Peter R.)
French Book Covers
Several books about Islam published in France in the last 20 years
have unabashedly depicted Mohammed on their covers. None of them caused
any uproar or were noticed in the Muslim world at all.
Mahomet: la parole d'Allah, by Anne-Marie Delcambre.
Mahomet, by Salah Stétié.
Mahomet, by Maxime Rodinson.
Nouveau Tintin comic book, May 17, 1977 edition.
A different edition of Mahomet, by Anne-Marie Delcambre.
Various Eras
There have been depictions of Mohammed in every era. Here are a few from periods not covered in other categories:
The North Frieze on the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC
features a bas-relief sculpture of Mohammed, among several other
historical law-givers. He is in the center of this image holding a
curved scimitar; on the left is Charlemagne, and on the right is
Byzantine Emperor Justinian. You can download a detailed pdf of the
Supreme Court friezes here. The urban legend site Snopes.com has info about the frieze in this entry.
(Hat tip: js, C. Reb, and Matt R.)
1928 German advertisement for bouillon extract shows Gabriel guiding Mohammed up to Allah.
(Hat tip: karmic inquisitor.)
Color print of Mohammed in anachronistic 17th- or 18th-century garb.
Modern-era painting showing Mohammed. Artist unknown.
Recent issue of French magazine Le Nouvel Obervateur with Mohammed on the cover. The current issue has coverage of the Muslim reaction to the Danish cartoons but makes no mention of their own Mohammed cover.
This 20th-century painting from a Shriners' Hall in Maine shows Mohammed receiving a vision.
Another Shriners' painting showing Mohammed (in the red robe on the
right) being comforted by his uncle as he hides from Meccans during his
flight to Medina.
Iranian woman artist Oranous (who is a Muslim and lives in Tehran) created this iconic painting of a young Mohammed
and is selling it online. Though this would seem to violate Islamic and
Iranian law, an expert in Iranian Shi'ite customs writes in to say that
this particular painting is not forbidden because it depicts a young
Mohammed before he was visited by the Angel Gabriel and started
receiving his visions, which means that at this stage in his life he is
not yet the Prophet.
(Hat tip: baldy.)
[Note: What became of the other Iranian icons that used to be on this page?
Several readers emailed to say that the few modern icons from Iran
(formerly visible here) that supposedly depicted Mohammed in fact
depicted his cousin Ali, who is considered the founder of the Shi'ite
branch of Islam. The sites from which these pictures were obtained --
The University of Bergen and Jyllands-Posten -- misattributed
the images by accident. Our research indicates that it was indeed most
likely Ali in the icons, so we apologize for the mix-up. Click here to see the most well-known of these icons (still misidentified as Mohammed) on the Jyllands-Posten site.]
(Hat tip: Takin, Darmin, and Paul C.)
Contemporary Christian Drawings
Some modern evangelical Christian groups have created biographies of
Mohammed as part of their proselytizing materials. Many of these
brochures and booklets contain drawings of Mohammed at various points
in his life. Here is a sampling:
Mohammed getting romantic with Khadijah, who would become his first wife.
Mohammed receiving a vision in a cave. These two panels are among
many depicting Mohammed to be found in Jack Chick's 1988 booklet The Prophet. The tract is quite long -- Mohammed doesn't make an appearance until page 13 (as a pawn in a convoluted historical conspiracy).
(Hat tip: baldy.)
Another drawing from a different Christian group showing Mohammed receiving a vision.
Contemporary stylized drawing of Mohammed.
This reproduction is a bit small, but it shows Mohammed destroying the
idols at the Kaaba in Mecca. It is not a Christian illustration
exactly, but rather is taken from Manly P. Hall's occult guide The Secret Teachings of All Ages, which incorporates ideas from many religions, Christianity (and Islam) among them.
(Hat tip: MikalM.)
Animated TV Parodies
The television cartoon South Park aired an episode on July 4, 2001 called Super Best Friends.
In it, the founders of the world's great religions -- including
Mohammed -- team up for super-hero action. Mohammed (seen here) is
depicted repeatedly throughout the show. The entire episode can be
viewed online here.
(Hat tip: Dayenu and Alouette.)
Spike TV created a parody advertisement for an imaginary video game called Holy War,
featuring religious icons battling to the death. One of the characters
is Mohammed, who is shown first defeating Joseph Smith...
...and then getting beaten by Moses, who cuts off his head with the Ten Commandments. You can view a streaming video of the Holy War ad at this site.
(Hat tip: Andrew.)
Satirical Modern Cartoons
A few contemporary cartoonists have ignored any potential threats and created satirical and/or mocking cartoons about Mohammed.
The caption says, in French:
Mohammed (being carried away by devils): "It is a judicial error! I am Mohammed, the prophet!"
St. Peter (with a scimitar through his chest): "Definitely: GUILTY!"
This panel is one of hundreds satirizing Mohammed in the humorous cartoon biography called Mohammed's Believe It or Else!
by pseudonymous artist "Abdullah Aziz." (Click to see the full
biography; the images there are copyrighted, so they can't be reprinted
on other Web sites.)
A Dutch Web site called Pret Met Mohammed
(loosely translated as "Fun With Mohammed") features a series of
politically incorrect cartoons. Three of the Pret Met Mohammed cartoons
are presented here; click on the link above for a few more and for
English translations of the Dutch word balloons.
In 1997, an Israeli woman named Tatiana Soskin
drew this caricature of Mohammed as a pig authoring the Koran and tried
to display it in public in the city of Hebron. She was arrested, tried
and sentenced to jail.
(Hat tip: helloworld.)
In 2002, political cartoonist Doug Marlette published this drawing of Mohammed driving a truck with a nuclear bomb.
(Hat tip: Thomas G.)
In 2002, the French publication Charlie Hebdo ran this
panel by cartoonist Cabu. The sign translates as "Election of Miss
Sack-of-Potatoes, organized by Mohammed," who chooses his favorite
while drinking and smoking.
(Hat tip: Etienne P.)
The Jyllands-Posten Cartoons
The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten created the furor
over depictions of Mohammed by publishing a series of 12 drawings after
a local author said he was unable to find any artist willing to depict
Mohammed for his upcoming illustrated book. The publication of the
images in Jyllands-Posten has been condemned around the Islamic world, and has led to calls for a boycott of Denmark by Muslim nations.
Here are the Jyllands-Posten drawings, for the record:
Higher-resolution jpegs of each individual cartoon, along with a picture of the article on the original Jyllands-Posten page, can be found here.
Furthermore, when a delegation of Danish imams went to the Middle East to discuss the issue of the cartoons with senior officials and prominent Islamic scholars,
the imams openly distributed a booklet that showed not only the
original 12 cartoons, but three fraudulent anti-Mohammed depictions
that were much more offensive than the ones published in Denmark. It is
now thought that these three bonus images are what ignited the outrage in the Muslim world. The newspaper Ekstra Bladet obtained a copy of the booklet
and presented the three offensive images on its Web site (though not in
an easy-to-find place). All look like low-quality photocopies. Here
they are:
(Hat tip: Gerry, Martin H., and rfs.)
Mohammed with a pig snout, singing into a microphone.
Mohammed having sex with a dog.
A sketch of Mohammed as a demonic pedophile.
The entire controversy started when Danish author Kåre Bluitgen
complained that he could not find an artist brave enought to illustrate
his upcoming book about Mohammed. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten
issued a call for submissions from any artists willing to take up the
challenge. In the ensuing brouhaha, the original book was almost
forgotten; it has now been released, and does feature page after page
of Mohammed depictions. This site features scans of several of the pages (hat tip: Rune, Kim and Mikkel.). This image above, taken from the book (titled Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv, or The Koran and the life of the prophet Mohammed in English), apparently shows Mohammed with his child-bride Aisha. This Danish blog also has some information about the release of the book.
Recent Responses to the Controversy
Several artists (both professional and amateur) have created their own
responses to the controversy over the Danish cartoons. Many of the
artists expressed their mockery of and disdain for the Muslim world's
violent reaction with new Mohammed depictions that are intentionally
direspectful and/or obscene, to make a point about freedom of speech.
If you are easily offended, you might want to stop reading here.
Steve D., the proprietor of this blog, fashioned his own statement about the controversy by Photoshopping one of the Jyllands-Posten drawings onto the rear end of a camel.
(Hat tip: Rant Wraith.)
France Soir newspaper published this cartoon on its cover, caricaturing Mohammed equally with other religious figures.
(Hat tip: Gathers.)
The Study of Revenge blog featured this uncompromising image by D. T. Devareaux.
(Hat tip: JHW.)
The Crybaby Mohammed.
(Hat tip: Buck.)
The "Jesus and Mo" comic strip showed one of Mohammed's testicles.
Mohammed offers some Koranic wisdom about meddlesome artists in the "Mohammed the Prophet Answers Your Emails" cartoon strip.
This Czech Web site
featured an artist's three responses to the controversy. This one shows
Mohammed as a nude suicide bomber, with his six-year-old bride Aisha on
the right.
This one shows Mohammed as a pig, apparently (?) being inspired by the Devil.
And this is a more traditional portrait.
MSNBC political cartoonist Daryl Cagle drew this response to the story, including a stick-figure Mohammed.
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If you know of any other interesting depictions of Mohammed that you think should be included on this page, email suggestions here.
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Media Coverage
On February 2, 2006, the BBC broadcast a televised news segment
featuring pictures and information from the Mohammed Image Archive. Click here to see a short QuickTime mpeg video of the broadcast:
Reporter: "This Islamic scholar says the crucial injunction in the Koran is against mocking the Prophet, or other authorities."
Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad: "It's totally prohibited to do
something that belittle the prophets of Allah, and depiction is part of
belittling the prophets of Allah, from one['s] anger.
[Printed-out pages of the Mohammed Image Archive shown being placed on a table.]
Reporter: "Traditionally, Islam has frowned on any
representations of living beings. But painters in Islamic countries
have depicted Mohammed for centuries."
[Close-up of this image from above showing a medieval Islamic depiction of Mohammed.]
Reporter: "Despite official disapproval, portraits of the Prophet are sold to devout Muslims in Iran today."
[Close-up of this image from above showing Iranian portrait.]
Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad: "Some people have a Muslim name, and they claim that, oh, they might have Muslim parents, but they have left Islam totally."
Reporter: "But [gesturing toward Mohammed Image Archive pages]
these are from, these are from medieval Persia, from the medieval
Ottoman Empire, so surely they're Muslims."
Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad: "No, not necessarily. Islam is a
practice. It is not just a claim. Islam is a way of life. So, we
practice Islam in our daily life in every inch and each aspect. It's
not just a claim and then we can do whatever we want. No."
Reporter: "So [pointing to Mohammed Image Archive pages] these pictures were wrong."
Sheikh Haitham al-Haddad: "Of course. Hundred percent wrong."
(Hat tip: bweep and Max Darkside.)
Article about this page in the February 1, 2006 edition of the Ekstra Bladet newspaper in Denmark.
Links
Mirror sites:
(Note: Mirror sites do not contain the latest updates to this page.)
info2us.dk
Beth
Outpost911
Nordish.net
Aaron's cc
Retecool
Anti-Semitic cartoons from contemporary Arab media.
In the Feburary 3, 2006 Der Spiegel, Ibn Warraq makes a powerful argument for freedom of speech.
Mo Parody's Mohammed Pics page has several Mohammed images not included here.
The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin has put up a display of Mohammed images.
Cox and Forkum snuck a Mohammed picture into their cartoon about the controversy.
DailyKos post with links to and examples from the Mohammed Image Archive, plus discussion of the Islamic tradition of depicting Mohammed.
Irregular Times has some Mohammed cartoons and thoughts on the situation.
Aaron's cc: Mohammed's Breakfast of Blasphemy
***Warning***: Links to Offensive Satirical Mohammed Images Below
Belgian cartoon showing Mohammed's buttocks.
Three-way.
(Click here to return to the main zombietime page.)