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The word taswir is a verbal noun from the second form verb, sawwara means to form, fashion, depict, represent or illustrate. It is the principal term used in Arabic for both the representational arts including painting, drawing, sketching, engraving and photography. It is often synonymous with sura and the rarer taswira or their respective plural forms suwar (82:8) and taswir. The Koranic usage of verb sawwara suggests it had a primary meaning of giving form or shape to a person (40:64, 64:3, 7:11, 3:6).

Painting is among one of the first human occupational activities. The primitive artists practiced their art by painting natural sceneries in different colours of clay on the walls of their caves. According to one of the earliest archaeological reports, painting, as a profession had also flourished since the Paleolithic period. This had been further substantiated by the fact that some of the oldest cave-paintings, which have been discovered, were excavated at Altamira in Northern Spain in 1879, at Font de Gaume in 1901 and at Lascaux in France in 1940. These pictorial paintings are considered to be amongst the oldest pictures extant. As early as 2700 B.C., painting on the tombs was quite common in Egypt as well. The earliest indications of pictorial paintings in Mesopotamia go back to the year 570 B.C., when the Ishtar Gate of Babylon was built. The painting was one of the greatest traditions, which was also prevalent in Greece from 18th through 11th centuries B.C. The Roman wall painting of 79 A.D. has been preserved too in a museum. The tradition of painting had also developed in China, Iran and India at a very early age. It developed almost simultaneously in various parts of the world, since through it people were able to express devotion to their deities as well as earn their daily living.

The art of painting also flourished in Arabian regions, which had made significant contribution after the advent of Islam. There is absolutely no basis or evidence in the Koran to show that painting as a whole has been ever denounced in any way. According to History of Muslim Philosophy (Germany, 1966, 2:1078) that, "Painting, contrary to the popular ideas, is not forbidden by any passage in the Quran, and hostility to it took proper theological form only towards the end of the second/eight century." One may elucidate this point by comparing various verses of the Koran, wherein the making of figures, pictorial representation or miniatures have not been forbidden. The Koran says, "They (jinn) made for him (Solomon) whatever he desired, (such as) arches (maharib) and figures (tamathil), and basins (jifan) (large as) reservoirs and (huge) cooking cauldrons (qudur) immovable from their places" (34:13). The commentators are unanimously agreed that the jinn painted beautiful figures of the early prophets whenever Solomon so desired. This is also described in the Old Testament, for graving of the cherubims on the walls, see Chron, 3:7; for casting of oxen, Chron, 4:3; for making of lavers, pots, basins, etc., Chron, 4:11, 14.

The Koran further tells that on the day of judgment, even Jesus will be reminded of God's favour, which had been granted to him during his earthy mission: "When God will say: O Jesus, the son of Mary! Remember My favour on you and your mother