The Birth of Muhammad

This manuscript illumination depicts the nativity of the Prophet Muhammad set within an architectural space defined by red columns and hanging textiles. In the center, a large winged angel holds the swaddled infant Muhammad, while his mother Aminah rests on a bed to the right, covered in an elaborate checkered patterned blanket. Other female figures stand and sit nearby in observation, while to the far left and right, elderly men—likely representing figures of authority or tradition—stand with canes. The figures are dressed in patterned robes, and the overall composition emphasizes the miraculous nature of the event through the inclusion of the central angel.

This image originates from the 'Jami' al-tawarikh' (Compendium of Chronicles) by Rashid al-Din Hamadani, a seminal work of Islamic history commissioned during the Ilkhanate period. It reflects the 14th-century Persian artistic tradition of depicting the life of the Prophet, which was common in historical manuscripts of the era before later theological prohibitions became more strictly enforced in visual arts.