What is the ruling on children's toys in the form of images, such as plastic or homemade dolls?
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The questioner : Children's toys?
The Shaykh : As for children's toys, if they are homemade, we see no objection to them, relying on the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding the making of a house. However, if they are foreign, made of plastic or nylon, it is not permissible to buy them, nor is it permissible to bring them into the homes of Muslims, for two reasons.
The first reason: This is a jurisprudential principle: "When the original ruling is prohibition, and then an exception is established, one must stop at that exception from the original ruling". This means the exception provides permissibility, as in the case of the Lady Aisha, while the original ruling forbids images absolutely, and angels refrain from entering houses that contain images. This original ruling does not allow us to add other things to the exception established by the text through analogy, qiyas, or the like. Since we have no text that excepts certain images from the original prohibition except the hadith of Aisha and similar reports, such as the hadith of the Ansar: Yes, until evening. Since we have nothing except what indicates this type of exception, it is not permissible for us to include toys that come to us from the West, which are first of all made by them and not by the Muslim home.
Second: They may include in these images, as is observed, their tastes, customs, and traditions. For example, we find girls' images with hair reaching the earlobes like a boy's, and with short dresses reaching the mid-thighs. Girls in Muslim homes are influenced by such attire, whereas we are supposed to fight these things. Instead, we are bringing in means that contradict our fight against these matters that violate the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Therefore, we do not see it permissible to buy these images that come to us from the West, even if they are children's toys. Especially since they have enlarged these images, so we now see a small girl carrying an image larger than herself, but it is light to carry because it is light plastic. This is, in reality, a very reprehensible thing that has begun to seep and enter the homes of Muslims, included by them with the children's toys that were permitted in some hadiths. This inclusion has no basis whatsoever, as I mentioned earlier.
The Shaykh : As for children's toys, if they are homemade, we see no objection to them, relying on the hadith of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) regarding the making of a house. However, if they are foreign, made of plastic or nylon, it is not permissible to buy them, nor is it permissible to bring them into the homes of Muslims, for two reasons.
The first reason: This is a jurisprudential principle: "When the original ruling is prohibition, and then an exception is established, one must stop at that exception from the original ruling". This means the exception provides permissibility, as in the case of the Lady Aisha, while the original ruling forbids images absolutely, and angels refrain from entering houses that contain images. This original ruling does not allow us to add other things to the exception established by the text through analogy, qiyas, or the like. Since we have no text that excepts certain images from the original prohibition except the hadith of Aisha and similar reports, such as the hadith of the Ansar:
When they used to make toys for their children whom they were fasting, they would make them a toy from wool to keep them occupied so they would not break their fast.
حينما كانوا يتخذون لأولادهم الذين كانوا يصومونهم فيتخذون لهم اللعبة من العِهن يشغلونهم بها عن الإفطارSecond: They may include in these images, as is observed, their tastes, customs, and traditions. For example, we find girls' images with hair reaching the earlobes like a boy's, and with short dresses reaching the mid-thighs. Girls in Muslim homes are influenced by such attire, whereas we are supposed to fight these things. Instead, we are bringing in means that contradict our fight against these matters that violate the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Therefore, we do not see it permissible to buy these images that come to us from the West, even if they are children's toys. Especially since they have enlarged these images, so we now see a small girl carrying an image larger than herself, but it is light to carry because it is light plastic. This is, in reality, a very reprehensible thing that has begun to seep and enter the homes of Muslims, included by them with the children's toys that were permitted in some hadiths. This inclusion has no basis whatsoever, as I mentioned earlier.