Icons and Muhammad

Icons are a very important aspect of Eastern Christianity. The Second Council of Nicaea (before the West and East were divided) defended the act of venerating icons, though placed limits on that veneration. Also it forbade the adoration of icons, since adoration can only be given to God.

Here is a hadiith about how Muhammad viewed icons and the Christians of Ethiopia (Orthodox):

Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 8, Number 426:

Narrated 'Aisha:

Um Salama told Allah's Apostle about a church which she had seen in Ethiopia and which was called Mariya. She told him about the pictures which she had seen in it. Allah's Apostle said, "If any righteous pious man dies amongst them, they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it; they are the worst creatures in the sight of Allah."