INVESTIGATING ISLAM

Part 5: Muhammad’s Image Is Legally and Culturally Untouchable

Series: Muhammad the Untouchable — Why Islam Depends More on Its Founder Than Its God

When Criticizing the Prophet Is Worse Than Denying God

In most belief systems, the divine is the ultimate object of reverence. Criticize God, and you commit blasphemy. Criticize a prophet or spiritual figure, and at most, you offend a historical person.

But not in Islam.

In Islam, the harshest punishments are reserved not for mocking God — but for criticizing Muhammad. In legal codes, public discourse, and cultural norms, he is treated not just as above reproach, but as above the divine.

The result is a religious system that functions like a dictatorship of the dead — where criticism of one historical figure is criminalized, censored, and sometimes punished with death.

This post explores how Islam has erected an impenetrable forcefield around Muhammad, turning a man into a legally protected icon and making any challenge to his legacy tantamount to heresy, treason, or terrorism.

1. The Law: Blasphemy Against Muhammad = Death

Islamic law distinguishes between insulting God and insulting the Prophet — and the distinction is revealing.

According to classical fiqh (jurisprudence), mocking Allah may be forgivable under some circumstances.
But mocking Muhammad? Automatic death penalty, no repentance accepted.

“Whoever insults the Prophet, kill him.”
— Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Sarim al-Maslul

This isn’t fringe. It’s mainstream. Every major Sunni madhhab (school of jurisprudence) affirms this principle:

Hanafi: Insulting Muhammad warrants execution.
Maliki: No repentance accepted.
Shafi’i: Same ruling.
Hanbali: Same.

In effect, Muhammad is placed above divine forgiveness. You can repent from insulting God — but not from insulting His messenger.

That is theological inversion.

2. Real-World Enforcement: Fatwas, Lynch Mobs, and State Killings

This isn’t just ancient theory. In the modern Muslim world, laws and mobs enforce the Prophet’s untouchable status with blood-soaked consistency.

Pakistan:

Section 295-C of the Penal Code mandates death for anyone who "defiles the sacred name of the Prophet Muhammad."
Hundreds have been charged. Dozens killed extra-judicially.
Judges, lawyers, and even ministers defending the accused have been assassinated.
Asia Bibi, a Christian woman falsely accused of insulting Muhammad, spent 8 years on death row — despite zero evidence.

Iran:

Issued the infamous fatwa against Salman Rushdie in 1989 for his novel The Satanic Verses, which included fictionalized depictions of Muhammad.
The fatwa has never been rescinded.
Rushdie was stabbed in 2022 — decades later.

Global:

Cartoons of Muhammad published in Denmark (2005) triggered:
- Riots in over 20 countries.
- Attacks on embassies.
- Over 200 people killed.
Charlie Hebdo in Paris:
- Staff murdered in cold blood for drawing Muhammad.
Countless lesser-known artists, bloggers, and ex-Muslims threatened, jailed, or assassinated for daring to criticize the Prophet.

This is not reverence.
This is religious totalitarianism.

3. Absolute Prohibition of Images — Even Positive Ones

In Islam, any depiction of Muhammad is forbidden. This isn’t limited to mockery or satire. Even respectful, artistic, or educational images are off-limits.

Why?

Because in Islam, Muhammad is not merely revered — he is sacrosanct, untouchable, unrepresentable.

Sunni Islam strictly forbids any images of the Prophet.
Shia Islam is slightly more lenient, but even then, visual portrayals are rare and controversial.
In both traditions, the justification is not just about avoiding idolatry — it’s about controlling the Prophet’s legacy and preserving a fixed, idealized image.

Even imagining Muhammad inaccurately can trigger accusations of blasphemy. The Prophet is not a historical figure to be analyzed — he is a mythic icon to be obeyed and defended without scrutiny.

4. Scholars Silenced for Asking Questions

Even Muslims who engage in historical or ethical analysis of Muhammad’s life face backlash, threats, and censorship:

Nasr Abu Zayd (Egypt): Excommunicated for arguing that the Qur’an should be read with literary analysis. Fled Egypt after death threats.
Fatima Mernissi (Morocco): Criticized misogynistic Hadiths attributed to Muhammad — was marginalized in Islamic academic circles.
Mahmoud Taha (Sudan): Argued for a reformist understanding of Islam — executed in 1985 for "apostasy."

What were these thinkers guilty of?
Not denying Islam.
Not rejecting Allah.
They raised uncomfortable questions about the Prophet.

That alone was enough to label them heretics or traitors.

5. Muhammad’s Name Is Legally Sacred

Even the name "Muhammad" is wrapped in sacred insulation:

Muslims write “Peace Be Upon Him” (PBUH) after every mention.
In Islamic education, failure to do so is considered disrespectful, even sinful.
Islamic nations have laws against mocking or parodying the Prophet’s name — even without mentioning his character or deeds.

This is name-worship, not theology.

The focus is on symbolic protection, not truth.
On silencing dissent, not divine reverence.

6. Muhammad Overrules God in the Minds of the Devout

Let’s be blunt:

No one riots over mockery of Allah.
No one dies for drawing cartoons of "God."
No embassies are burned for denying tawhid.

But criticize Muhammad?

The global ummah explodes.

That tells you where the real sacred energy lies.

Muslim societies do not protect the concept of the divine. They protect the personality of the Prophet. In practice, Muhammad has become more than a messenger — he is the deity in all but name.

7. The Cult of Infallibility

This ferocity of defense is rooted in an Islamic doctrine: Ismah — the belief that Muhammad was sinless and protected from error.

This belief makes any historical criticism inherently blasphemous.

Did he marry a 9-year-old?
You’re not allowed to question it.
Did he enslave women?
You’re not allowed to call it wrong.
Did he assassinate critics?
You’re not allowed to disapprove.

Islamic tradition has turned Muhammad into a moral black hole: everything that enters his orbit must be declared righteous, no matter how disturbing.

To say otherwise is not an opinion. It’s a crime.

Conclusion: The Prophet as Untouchable Tyrant

Islam claims to be about devotion to Allah. But in law, culture, and psychology, Muhammad is the axis of power. Not God.

He cannot be questioned.
He cannot be mocked.
He cannot even be depicted.

He has the legal immunity of a dictator, the cultural insulation of a cult leader, and the emotional sacredness of a deity.

In short:

God can be doubted.
Muhammad cannot.

This is not reverence.
It’s ideological idolatry — enforced by the state, protected by mobs, and sustained by fear.

Islam doesn’t just revere Muhammad.
It has built a religion around never daring to criticize him.

That’s not faith.
That’s authoritarianism with a holy face.

Next in the series: Part 6: The Hadith Eclipse the Qur’an