I’ve been approached by a few people for thoughts and discussion about a petition going around regarding the Wikipedia entry on the Prophet (Sallahu’alaihiwassalam). I did scan the article on Wikipedia, and of course it has numerous mistakes, but certainly not the level that requires such a blunt response against, of all things in the article, the pictures.
Only two ancient illustrations on the article are showing something supposedly representing the Prophet’s (S) face. The rest of the illustrations of the Prophet (S) are from Sunni artists, who were careful about concealing the Prophet’s (S) face and even hands.
The flattened look, the lack of perspective and depth of the artists of the centuries long past was quite intentional. The ulema of the time understood that the art was not intended to be realistic, not approach anything akin to an idol, nor should it be any aggression against Allah’s authority as the Creator. This avoidance of true realism is the reason why traditional Islamic art was based in calligraphy (a calligraphic lion, bird, etc are all part of the tradition) or the Ottoman/Persian miniature style.
It is from the illustrated text “Seyr-i Nabi” that the first picture was taken for the Wikipedia article.
It is impossible to find one ‘scholar’ who criticized Sultan Murad III, the Shaikh ul Islam of the time, or other religious authorities for ordering the illustration of Seyr-i Nabi, the authoritative work of Seerat in Ottoman times. The work which Seyr-i Nabi is based from has been used in contemporary Seerah’s including Martin Ling’s popular “Muhummad”.
For those who have an issue with how 13th and 15th century artists could represent the Prophet (S) in the first place, covered or not, in the scenes and situations of his life, then one only has to think about the very well established fact that the Prophet (S) spoke about being seen in dreams:
“He who sees me in a dream has certainly seen me, because Satan can not take my form.”
(Bukhari, Muslim)
As this text and other art was widely known and accepted well until the actual fitnah of disunity and the abandonment of Muslims from the Khalipha of Islam for western imitation, I see no reason why we are so quick to judge this Seerat book, the pictures within it, or its free distribution of one of its pages on Wikipedia. Rather I find the exception that people take to this a representation of a revisionist mentality towards Islam.
Illustrated Seerat books like this are still housed in Topkapi palace in Istanbul, along with the Prophet’s (S) turban and other artifacts representing Islam.
If there is an particular picture the petitioners have an issue with, then it would be better to address it specifically and with proper reason and context. Personally I take issue with the attempt to wipe out Seyr-i Nabi from the history books.
This should be recognized as a more sectarian issue regarding particulars of Islamic art rather than some broad affront against Muslims.
Continuing the history lesson:
(wikipedia) The Arab Revolt
Revolting from what? Khaliphate. Mashahallah. (Not that the Young Turk coup was any better)
The United Kingdom promised, in the Hussein-McMahon Correspondence, that it would support Arab independence if they revolted against the Ottomans. The two sides had different interpretations of this agreement.
(wikipedia) Hussein-McMahon Correspondence
Promise with Britian, Mashah’allah.
Sheykh Effendi taught us a few weeks ago about the War of Canakkale, 1915 , many others continued to ask and learn about this great battle that most Muslims are sorely unaware of.
This was one of the last battles under the Khalifate of Islam, and created over 253,000 martyrs. Western orientalist histories emphasize Attaturks involvement, but it is clear that at this time he was just one field commander. The martyrs of this war were sincere Muslims, who gave their life knowing that this entry into Muslim territory would be the end of Islam as a nation.
It seems that Islam was able to win in the battlefield, but it is through disuniting subterfuge that we lost our Khalipha. Keep in mind that this is was a legitimate war, on the shores of the Muslim state. A war between states, with armies and with a Kalipha, not the atrocious ‘jihad’ that the terrorists of today promote.
The Sheykh said,
When the so-called Allied Forces came together, they were coming from every side to the Empire, trying to bring an end to the Empire and they made all their calculations and all their planning. Bringing an end to the Empire means bringing end to Islam. That was their aim. The Khalifah and the soldiers of the Khalifah surprised them very strongly. When they made all those planning and they reached all the way to Yemen, Arabia, Egypt, and from every angle to the lands of Islam with the help of so many traitors inside Islam, they were aiming for the Capital of Islam, Istanbul. Once they enter there they will declare and they will finish it. That was their aim. They collected soldiers all the way from Australia to Canada, from one end of the world to the other end. They came and they surrounded the whole land. The Ottoman soldiers were fighting in 28 frontlines. The world has never seen such a thing like that before. The world has been at war but it has never seen a war like that where all nations came together and squeezed only one nation into the corner and they were ready to hit the last hammer and bring an end to Islam.
They came with over 525,000 soldiers trying to pass through Canakkale, Gallipoli. That’s where the soldiers of Islam surprised them all, the last area for which they made all their calculations and said, “This is finished now. We came to the end. We will pass from here and Istanbul will be gone.”
“Other soldiers also attacked at that time and they took that enemy line. They went to that one and the captain asked if anybody had a piece of bread for this soldier who is ready to give out his life. That battalion didn’t have a piece of bread to eat for one week. One piece of bread appeared from the other side and it came to their hand. That one was laying down smiling and saying to the captain, “Oh captain, please save that piece of bread because I am already counting the minutes to go out from this life. Save that bread for another one of my brothers so that it may give energy to them to fight.”
It was not only the men fighting. There were also so many girls who died in that war. One Anzac soldier was saying, “I was watching in the frontline this young girl who was shooting so bravely and she was knocking down everything that she was hitting. She was sitting from morning to evening and everyone was trying to aim her. But they were not able to finish her and we thought that there was a big battalion in that area because so many bullets were coming from everywhere. By the evening one bullet reached to her and she fell down. When she fell down we entered to that area and we only found her and another boy and we have counted sixty-three bullets in her body.” That kind of faith saved Islam.
So we must understand where we are and where they were. If we sit, think and understand deeply for ourselves then no depression, no problems and no worries can come to our way because we have a bigger worry then saying, “What did we do? What are we doing for the sake of Allah and for the sake of Holy Prophet (alayhi salatu wa salam)?” We must understand this. We must think about this from time to time, we must think about them from time to time and we must read for their souls from time to time. If you do then you will receive visitations from them too. Someway somehow they will be happy knowing that there are still people living on this earth who are trying to live for the sake of Allah and they are still continuing what they left.
the truth on 
m.a.kidwai,CME/IND.RLY.(retd.) on 
