Reading a Chapter

The Shaykh : The incomplete and distorted statues: It is reported in the hadith that Jibril (peace be upon him) refused to enter the Prophet’s house because of a statue on the door, and he did not enter the next day until he said to him: “Order the head of the statue to be cut off so that it becomes like a tree.” Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i narrated it, among others. A group of scholars used this hadith as evidence that the forbidden images are those that are complete. “Pay attention to this research, for it is good.” A group of scholars used this hadith as evidence that the forbidden images are those that are complete, while what is missing a limb without which life is not possible is permissible. The author adds: “However, the correct and sincere view regarding what Jibril requested, namely cutting off the head of the statue so that it becomes like a tree, indicates to us that the criterion is not the effect of the missing limb on the life or death of the image without it, but rather the criterion is its distortion, such that its appearance no longer suggests its veneration after this part is missing from it.” And in any case, although his statement is good, he still ties it to three-dimensional statues and what is worshipped besides Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for us, based on our established principle of generalization, and adding to it, we say: The criterion in changing the image is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated, namely that it becomes like a tree, meaning its features appear and it becomes another reality like a tree. This change is what takes the image out of being forbidden. As for the ingenuity of some later scholars in saying that the image is changed by the simplest thing, this is in reality a deviation that afflicted some of the later scholars, which falls under the category of legal stratagems. And as long as we have mentioned examples of such stratagems that they unjustly call legal stratagems, they are undoubtedly innovations. And among that is the issue of changing the forbidden image so that it becomes... The author pointed to a type of change, meaning whether a half-statue, a bust, is permissible. Does a person live like that? Of course, a person does not live without a stomach or a belly. So this image is permissible. And thus some of them became ingenious and expanded, saying: If there is an image and a line is drawn on the neck with glue, or rather with a line, then the image has changed, so it... was forbidden before this line... is multiplied because of this line. And thus, as time recedes, the trials and stratagems in following what Allah has forbidden increase, including images. Until I personally read a very strange research by one of the scholars of al-Azhar in the magazine *Nur al-Islam*, which became a magazine that is not *Nur*, no, *Nur al-Islam*. *Nur al-Islam* was old, but it was published by the Sheikhdom of al-Azhar, then it became titled *Al-Azhar Magazine*. *Nur al-Islam* wrote, published an article by one of the scholars regarding this research. First, he went to what the author went to, that the forbidden images are the three-dimensional ones. Then he descended in the topic and wanted to show Islam in the appearance that is acceptable to those who deviate from Islam, who accuse Islam of rigidity and regression and its fighting of fine arts. He wanted to show that Islam is not regressive and not fighting fine arts. So after he limited the prohibition of images to three-dimensional statues and idols, he fell into a problem, a problem he himself fell into, and he knows that those who resent Islam have many things, and among what they resent is its prohibition of statues. So whoever inspired this writer to reach a way of these stratagems to permit statues also with the least stratagem said: After he touched on the topic that changing the image and making it in a state where if it were truly alive it could not live, if the image is like that, even if three-dimensional, it is lawful. He said: So we take from here a very wide dispensation. He knows, he said: “He taught us the oath, we preceded them at the doors.” He knows the devils, so it did not occur to him that it is the permission of what Allah has forbidden. He says to the sculptor or artist, in their expression: Do not worry, you make whatever statues you wish, and after that, a complete three-dimensional statue, after that dig small holes from the top of the head to the brain. Does this body live if it were alive? Of course, it does not live, but this is a defect from the artistic side. Do not worry, put a wig on the drilled head, and behold, it appears in its most complete image. This is a Muslim and a scholar from the scholars of al-Azhar. Thus he permits what Allah has forbidden with the least stratagems, in accordance with the hadith of Jarir ibn Batta: “Do not drink with your left hand, O master, for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that.” Ibn Batta narrates a hadith whose chain is improved by Imam Ibn Kathir, and I have a consideration regarding it . But the truth is that the Muslims do a lot of what the Jews did, among which is the permission of images by formal shapes or drilling from above and then covering it with hair. This is in reality something that can be said: we preceded the Jews in stratagems to permit what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has forbidden. So the truth, as the author said: The change by which the prohibition is removed from images is a radical change until it becomes like a tree, meaning the hands are shaved with some lines so that they become like branches, like leaves, and thus it becomes another reality. And this is a principle of the principles of the Shari'ah: if there is something forbidden and this forbidden thing develops until it becomes something else, completely, such that you do not feel that it is that thing, neither in appearance nor in description, then undoubtedly the ruling here changes. It is originally forbidden and becomes lawful with this change. And the greatest example of that is: the wine that ferments by itself. Do you see it as forbidden? No, because its reality has become another reality. The *fataisa* (a type of meat or food), for example, the forbidden carrion, forbidden due to the natural putrefaction that occurs in it due to winds, rains, heat, and sun, becomes with time salt, for example. Is this salt said to be forbidden because its origin was *fataisa*? No, its reality changed completely. And thus there are many examples. So if a line is placed on the image or it is drilled in a place... but the image is still an image, and if it is forbidden, one should not be deceived by such formal changes.