Muhammad and His Army March Against the Meccans

portrayed as Ottoman soldiers of 1595
from the Siyer-i Nebi


Turkey, Istanbul; 1594-5
From the Chester Beaty library

Life of the Prophet 1594-95 (AH 1003), Istanbul, Turkey T 419, f. 343b This painting is from the fourth volume of what was originally a six-volume manuscript of the Siyar-i Nabi (The Life of the Prophet), produced for the Ottoman sultan Murad III. One volume is now lost; of the other four, one is in New York and three are in Istanbul. The manuscript is unusual in being an illustrated life of the Prophet Muhammad: the original six-volume manuscript is estimated to have contained over 800 illustrations, most of which portray Muhammad, but always very respectfully with his face fully veiled, wearing a green robe and engulfed (either his whole body or his head only) by a flaming halo. In this illustration, his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, rides behind him carrying a black banner.