What is the ruling on having pictures in the house?
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Question : The questioner says: It is known that if a house contains pictures, the angels do not enter it. What is your view, given that no house is free of pictures, as most purchased items contain pictures, such as canned goods, jars, and newspapers? These are the pictures found in the house.
Answer : Sometimes they are intended for their own sake. That is, they fall into two categories. The first category is that they are intended for their own sake. In this case, it is forbidden for them to be in the house, whether for the purpose of glorification, remembrance, proof, or otherwise. It is not permissible for them to be in the house. If they are hung in the house or placed in albums or the like, the angels do not enter that house. Therefore, a person must burn the pictures he possesses in this manner.
The second category is that they are not intended for their own sake, such as those found in magazines, some books, cartons, and plates, and the like. As for what is found in bedding and what is used, there is nothing wrong with it. However, we are left with what is found in items that are not intended for their own sake. It appears to me, and Allah knows best, that there is nothing wrong with it, because it is not intended for its own sake, and because guarding against it involves great difficulty. Among the scholars, there is a principle derived from the principles of the Shari'ah, which is that hardship brings about ease. If we were to say to everyone who has a newspaper or a magazine containing a picture, "You must obliterate these pictures," we would be forcing them to do one of two things: either abandon these magazines and newspapers so they do not come into the house, or spend the entire day obliterating these pictures. This is undoubtedly a great hardship. The same applies to what is found in cartons and the like. Moreover, what is found in cartons and cans is a matter I do not think is ambiguous, because it is not measured, raised, or kept; rather, it is used and discarded after the benefit from it has been taken.
Answer : Sometimes they are intended for their own sake. That is, they fall into two categories. The first category is that they are intended for their own sake. In this case, it is forbidden for them to be in the house, whether for the purpose of glorification, remembrance, proof, or otherwise. It is not permissible for them to be in the house. If they are hung in the house or placed in albums or the like, the angels do not enter that house. Therefore, a person must burn the pictures he possesses in this manner.
The second category is that they are not intended for their own sake, such as those found in magazines, some books, cartons, and plates, and the like. As for what is found in bedding and what is used, there is nothing wrong with it. However, we are left with what is found in items that are not intended for their own sake. It appears to me, and Allah knows best, that there is nothing wrong with it, because it is not intended for its own sake, and because guarding against it involves great difficulty. Among the scholars, there is a principle derived from the principles of the Shari'ah, which is that hardship brings about ease. If we were to say to everyone who has a newspaper or a magazine containing a picture, "You must obliterate these pictures," we would be forcing them to do one of two things: either abandon these magazines and newspapers so they do not come into the house, or spend the entire day obliterating these pictures. This is undoubtedly a great hardship. The same applies to what is found in cartons and the like. Moreover, what is found in cartons and cans is a matter I do not think is ambiguous, because it is not measured, raised, or kept; rather, it is used and discarded after the benefit from it has been taken.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[8 من 18] ما حكم وجود الصور في البيوت؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.