The Praiseworthy One shows that Muhammad has served as a polyvalent symbol rather than a historical figure with fixed significance.
1. In this book Christiane Gruber takes up the important and controversial issue of representations of Muhammad (both visual and verbal) and carefully traces the history of Muhammad in the Islamic imaginary. This will be the definitive study of visual and material devotion to the Prophet Muhammad-and of central importance to current debates about Islam and representation.
2. Gruber's articles on the Charlie Hebdo incident for Newsweek went viral-and she says the response from Muslims has been positive, including some who sent her other representations of the prophet in their possession.
3. Gruber is a reknown senior scholar of Islamic art. She has recently accepted a tenured position at the University of Michigan and her research continues to earn accolades and strong financial support.
