Nowhere in the Bible (Old or New Testament), the Qur’an, or the earliest Buddhist texts is idol worship commanded or approved by any prophet or by Gautama Buddha.
By scripture
Bible – Old Testament

Idol worship strictly forbidden
“You shall not make for yourself an idol or bow down to it.” (Exodus 20:4–5)
Prophets repeatedly condemned idols (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses).

No prophet allowed it.
Bible – New Testament

Idol worship rejected
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only.” (Matthew 4:10)
“Keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)

Jesus never allowed idol worship.
Qur’an (Islam)

Idol worship is the greatest sin (Shirk)
“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him.” (Qur’an 4:36)
All prophets preached this (Qur’an 21:25).

Absolutely forbidden.
Buddhist Holy Books (Tripitaka / Pali Canon)

Buddha did not teach worship of statues
Buddha taught self-realization, not worship.
He said reliance should be on Dhamma, not on persons or images (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta).

Statue veneration came later as a cultural practice, not Buddha’s teaching.
Final conclusion
Tradition
Idol worship allowed?
Old Testament

No
New Testament

No
Qur’an

No
Buddha’s original teaching

No
Bottom line
No prophet and no Gautama Buddha ever permitted idol worship.
It entered later through human tradition and culture, not divine instruction.

Judaism (after Moses)
Moses forbade idols completely
Golden Calf incident already shows people’s tendency (Exodus 32)
Later generations copied Canaanite & pagan cultures
Prophets constantly warned Israel to stop idol practices

Idolatry came from surrounding cultures, not from Moses

Christianity (after Jesus)
Jesus never asked to be worshipped
Early Christians prayed to God, not to statues
Roman Empire (4th century) influenced Christianity:
Use of images, statues, saints
Converted pagan temples into churches
Council decisions + Greco-Roman traditions normalized images

Image & statue worship developed centuries after Jesus

Islam
Islam strictly blocked idol worship from the start
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
Destroyed idols in Kaaba
Prohibited images for worship
No statues, no images in mosques

Islam preserved original monotheism

Buddhism (after Gautama Buddha)
Buddha rejected worship
Early Buddhism:
No Buddha statues
Focus on meditation & enlightenment
Hundreds of years later:
Kings and cultures introduced statues
Respect turned into ritual devotion

Statue veneration came from culture, not Buddha

Why humans turn to idols (common reason)
Desire for visible objects
Emotional attachment
Cultural habits
Political/religious control
Over time: respect → ritual → worship

Final truth (very clear)

No prophet allowed idol worship

Buddha did not teach idol worship

All idol practices came later from human tradition
God / Truth was replaced with objects made by human hands