Note: the prohibition against iconographic representations such as drawings of figures and bodies pre-dates Islam. See references to the
iconoclastic controversy. Caves in Syria where people worshipped had competing groups erasing heads, redoing heads (of icons) and erasing them again.
Byzantine art moved to use of 'leaves' and tendrils in mosaics, and the Muslims hired them for building decoration, especially starting with the Dome of the Rock (Umayyad capital & tribal homeland--the 1st Islamic 'dynasty' that spread and survived in Muslim Spain). See
Empress Irene, the
Arian (or
Athanasian) controversy and Byzantine mosaics. We're talking 6th century timeframe, predating Islam. The Byzantine mosaicists BROUGHT the whole 'leaves' motif with them and carried this through into their art. Apparently, the start of the practice of using artistic Arabic script in art of Islam started with simply using letters willy nilly. The practice of not using depictions of the body/face of Muhammad may have begun after the 'Islamic Golden Age' (that is, after the 1st 4 caliphs, although some debate this. See "The Rashidun" or 'rightly guided Caliphs, which includes the murder of Uthman, the martyrdom of Ali and the whole Sunni/Shi'i split Note: Shi'is are further split into seveners or twelvers <--out there 'hidden imam' types. But I digress). The whole don't depict Mohammad is bunk. Mughal art in India was rife with figures in
miniature. See also the mosaic art (existant or not) in
Hagia Sophia. (much of it erased). Factoids of the day, and something to think about regarding the whole 'don't draw Mohammad' thing, which may have
ORIGINATED IN THE 16th or 17th centuries. Images of Mohammad were ON COINS and in art from the Middle East as well as in early art,
prior to the 12th century if not after 100 years beyond Mohammad's death. I don't talk about these things much on FR. It's almost like a coming out. I should probably be more vocal. Sometimes the stories and ideas get picked up elsewhere. There you go. Have at it. Oh yes........I forgot. If you research this, you'll find Arab/Middle Eastern influence on the original WTC structure. Look it up. The arches, the design, the esthetic included drawing on Islamic artistic tradition.