The God With No Face

During our lecture today we digressed for a good 15 minutes today about the image associated with the God of the Islamic faith, as well as the face of Muhammad and the depictions of the Buddha. Controversy of a cartoon portraying Muhammad in a vulgar sense shows the dedication that Muslims have to their prophet and preserving his image in a religious and almost might sense. Furthermore, it is sacrilegious to show an image of the God - it is said that he is more than an image can depict because he transcends space, time, gender, and definite form. What I get from the prohibition of God images is that Muslims realize that their God is more than a visualization to worship; that perhaps this is their way of having faith. They have faith that "the Creator" is greater than any human image and that no image can be attached to Allah.

"And what is with them that they don't believe?
And when the Qur'an is recited for them
Do not touch their heads to the ground
in prayer, But no, the unbelievers call it a lie
God knows what they hide
Bring them good news of a punishing pain
Except those who keep the faith and work justice
Theirs is recompense unending."

("The Splitting." Approaching the Qur'an page 79)

Followers of Islam emphasize "keeping the faith." One must never forget God, one must actively remember, one must be patient. Without an image to look at or visualize, in a sense, Muslims blindly keep their faith; their faith that there is someone, something greater out there that created the world and keeps order and performs a Day of Reckoning.