Why were images not forbidden in the time of the previous prophets, even though they contradict the doctrine of Tawhid, such as emulation, and the doctrine is one and does not differ between the different laws?

The prohibition of picturing living beings is multifaceted, stemming from reasons such as imitating Allah's creation and blocking the means (sadd al-dhari'ah) to infatuation with images. The jinn used to make statues for Solomon, peace be upon him. Scholars have differed regarding the nature of these statues: whether they were of living beings or not, and whether this was permissible in his law. The preponderant view is that the statues were not of living beings, or that their permissibility in Solomon's law was abrogated in the law of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, because the rulings of previous prophets' laws can be abrogated. Abrogation does not apply to the fundamentals of monotheism or historical accounts, but it does apply to branches of prohibitions and commands that are related to beliefs, yet are not among their fundamentals, such as the ruling on picturing.