A Critical Review of Various Theories on the Impact of Theological, Jurisprudential, and Doctrinal Factors on the veiled Face of the Prophet Muhammad’s in Safavid Iranian Painting (Tabriz-Qazvin and Mashhad Schools)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mona Mirjalili Mohanna 1
Sayyed Mohammad Hossein Navvab 2
Sayyed Abolghasem Hosseini (Zharfa) 3
1 Faculty member, Department of Art, Institute of Higher Education of Islamic Art and Thought, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Institute of Higher Education of Islamic Art
3 Associate Professor, Institute of Higher Education of Islamic Art and Thought, Qom, Iran
Abstract
he concealment of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) face appears for the first time in Iranian painting during the Safavid period, whereas prior to this era, his face had been explicitly depicted in visual representations. Scholars have proposed various theories to explain this visual transformation, most of which are rooted in theological, jurisprudential, and doctrinal considerations. This article aims to explore which of these theories have addressed the influence of such factors on the veiling of the Prophet’s face in Safavid-era paintings and to critically assess which of them may have meaningfully contributed to this pictorial shift. The research method employed is descriptive-analytical with a critical approach, and data collection has been conducted through library resources. The critical examination of the aforementioned theories reveals that only certain theological-jurisprudential-doctrinal factors played a role in the use of veils (burqa or niqab) to cover the Prophet’s face. These include the sanctification and veneration of the Prophet, as well as the allowance for the viewer’s imaginative visualization of his appearance.
Keywords
Iranian painting
image of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
veiled face
Safavid Tabriz School
Qazvin-Mashhad School
Theoretical Studies of Art
Volume 3, Issue 5
September 2023
Pages 5-44