In some Muslim lands, there are remnants of perished nations, such as the idols of the Pharaohs and the Sphinx; what is the ruling on visiting and viewing them for the purpose of taking a lesson and drawing a moral?

The questioner : What is your ruling... in some Muslim lands, there are remnants of perished nations and their vanishing civilizations, such as idols; like the idols of the Pharaohs and the Sphinx; and what is the ruling on visiting and viewing them for the purpose of taking a lesson and drawing a moral, as is observed...?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that taking idols is a custom of disbelievers, both in the past and the present. It is, or perhaps it is included in, the prohibition of images, regarding which you know of many hadiths that confirm the prohibition of depicting them, keeping them, and using them. The scholars have differed regarding these hadiths that prohibit image-making and keeping images: is the intended meaning three-dimensional images—meaning idols only—or does it include images that are not three-dimensional, which some describe as having no shadow, such as images painted on walls, on paper, in books, or the like?
They differed, but the correct view, in which there is no doubt, as mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi in his commentary on "Sahih Muslim," is that the hadiths regarding this matter include both types: three-dimensional and non-three-dimensional, those with a shadow and those without a shadow. This is evidenced by the hadith of Aisha's (may Allah be pleased with her) curtain, which states that when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from a journey and wanted to enter Aisha's house, he found that she had hung a curtain for herself. He did not enter and said: . She said: It is a curtain I bought for you. He said: .
These image-makers; meaning those who made these images that have no shadow and are not three-dimensional, because they are on the curtain, which is the qiram. Therefore, this hadith is explicit in its indication that the prohibition of image-making also includes images that have no shadow. Consequently, his statement (peace be upon him): also includes every image, whether it has a shadow or not, whether it is three-dimensional or not; all these images prevent the angels from entering.
Accordingly, it is not permissible to use idols and statues of both types, three-dimensional and non-three-dimensional, except for what is necessary and what has a predominant benefit with no harm. In this case, some of the forbidden images can be excluded based on this condition, which we derived from the hadiths regarding the toys of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Some of these hadiths are established in "Sahih." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to send girls from her neighbors to play with her toys. These are the toys from which we derive the permissibility of keeping some images that have a mentioned benefit and no mentioned harm.
On this occasion, I say: The toys that Muslims are afflicted with today by importing from the West, known as children's toys or dolls, are not of the category of Aisha's (may Allah be pleased with her) toys. First, they are not made by the people of the household, the household in which the girl grows up with the customs and traditions of the Muslim home. Rather, these toys come from Europe, three-dimensional, painted with plastic or the like, and they carry a large part of the customs of the Europeans who do not believe in Allah or the Last Day, and do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. For example, the images sometimes come small, and sometimes the girl carries them because of their lightness, and her stature is taller than them, three-dimensional like this, with frizzy hair... with a skirt, which they call in some countries, or what?

Another questioner : A skirt.

The Shaykh : A skirt that reaches the mid-thighs. These are the customs of the West and disbelief that we bring into the homes of Muslims through these children's toys. This is not what is intended by the hadith of Aisha or Aisha's toys. Rather, it is what is made at home from scraps of cloth, where a hand and a leg are attached to this doll or the like. In this, there is practice and benefit for the girl, who grows up with what is known today as managing the household. There is absolutely no harm in this. Therefore, it is no wonder that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) permitted that, or permitted those images, in the house of Prophethood and Messengership, in the house where Jibril (peace be upon him) used to descend upon our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Until one day he said to Aisha: . She said: And peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. In a sound narration: Peace be upon you and upon him, O Messenger of Allah, you see what we do not see.
In this house, the Messenger (peace be upon him) permitted Aisha these toys. But if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had seen these toys that have filled the markets and homes, my firm belief is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not be pleased with that. Because we said, citing the hadith of Aisha, that these images, whether they are hand-drawn or photographic, are the same in prohibition. However, what is necessary and has a predominant benefit with no harm is excluded from that. As for these games we mentioned earlier, the harms are hidden beneath them. Therefore, it is not permissible to sell them, buy them, or bring them into the homes of Muslims... for the idols.
And I think that there is a remainder in the question: It is not permissible for Muslims to enter the houses of idols or to visit the places where the punishment fell upon some of the nations that preceded Islam, except out of necessity while passing through. And as he (peace be upon him) said in some of the sound hadiths: If they are compelled to pass through, let them weep. If they do not weep, let them make themselves weep. Because this is a great calamity, the effects of which still remain in some Arab lands. Intentionally going to the places of punishment is not permissible. But for one whose passage is from there, let him pass quickly, fearing that he may be afflicted with what is not pleasing to him and what he dislikes.
Other than that?