Reminiscences of icons in the Qur'an?

The article assesses the possibility that icons and other religious pictures may have influenced some expressions and ideas found in the Qur'an. It does not discuss the nature or inspiration of the Qur'an, but focuses on the visual, artistic dimension of the relations between Christianity and the origins of Islam. The article considers what Christian images may have been known in the Arabian Peninsula at the time of Muhammad, how they may have been present in the pre- and early Islamic milieu, and whether they may in any way be reflected in the qur'anic text.