Footprint of Muḥammad

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Footprint of Muḥammad. An impression in rock, said to be the point from which he took off on his ascent to heaven: see DOME OF THE ROCK. The metaphorical idea of ‘following in the footprints of the Prophet’ (al-qadam al-sharīf, ‘the noble footprint’) is strong in Islam, underlying as it does the importance of Muḥammad as the first living commentator on Qurʾān.