Cuirass late 18th-early 19th century Iranian Although the representation of figures is not strictly forbidden in the Qur'an, the avoidance of images as objects of devotion was apparent in Islamic practice almost from its inception. Turning away from the usual forms of sacred iconography, Islamic artists relied on the words of the Prophet Muḥammed to inspire and to give literal shape to their designs. As a result, calligraphy in Islamic lands developed into a fine art, becoming in the process the principal form of religious ornament, adorning objects both sacred and secular in nature.A wide variety of Qur'anic passages and pious invocations appear in the decoration of Islamic arms and armor. The holy phrases used in this way functioned as expressions of piety, as powerful defenses in the form of talismans, or simply as visually pleasing ornament. One of the inscriptions most frequently encountered on armor and weapons is a passage from the second sūra (section or chapter) of the Qur'an,