The Shaykh’s refutation of the claim that the images prohibited in the texts are statues and the interpretation of the hadiths accordingly.

The Shaykh : Therefore, if you read or hear that these hadiths, which contain this severe warning against image-making, refer only to those who used to make idols that were worshipped instead of Allah, interpreting the hadiths as referring to these statues is invalid. This is because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was referring to the images that were on the curtain of Lady Aisha. We know necessarily that these images were, first, not three-dimensional idols, and second, Lady Aisha did not bring this curtain with images on it to venerate it or worship it instead of Allah (Mighty and Majestic); may she be kept far from such a thing. Thus, interpreting these hadiths as referring to the idols that were worshipped instead of Allah leads to the conclusion that the time for the prohibition of image-making has passed. Some people say this explicitly: that the time for the prohibition has passed because this prohibition was a means to eliminate shirk (associating partners with Allah) and idolatry, and the matter of shirk and idolatry has ended. Therefore, dealing with images, especially if they are not three-dimensional, is permissible according to those who interpret the hadiths in ways that contradict what the hadiths indicate, as you heard in the story of Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that you just heard. There is another narration from Lady Aisha, and it appears to be a different story, because this narration states that she bought a *namirah*, which is a cushion. The first story, in its two narrations, revolves around the curtain. In that story, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) disapproved of the images on the curtain, and to confirm the prohibition of using it, he tore the curtain, as you just heard. Another story states that Lady Aisha bought a *namirah* (cushion). You will notice something in the following story that allows us to explain a part of the previous story. In the previous story, you heard that after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) tore the curtain, what did Lady Aisha do with it? She cut it up and made two cushions from it. Some people say that the images were visible on the two cushions that Lady Aisha made from the curtain that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) tore. If we accept this interpretation—that the images were visible on the cushions—we say this could have been before the following story, in which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) disapproved of Lady Aisha buying a *namirah* (cushion) with images on it. How can we reconcile the Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) approval of the two cushions with images on them, according to this interpretation some people make, with the Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) disapproval of Lady Aisha when she bought a *namirah* with images on it, as you will see? If one accepts that the images were visible on the cushions—and this seems contrary to our understanding because it was cut up—we say this was a stage in the gradual legislation. When he tore the curtain, he disapproved of hanging images. When she made cushions from the curtain with images on them, he initially approved of that, and then in another stage, he also disapproved of images on cushions. The result of this is that it is not permissible to have an image in the house, whether it is hanging (i.e., respected) or stepped on (i.e., dishonored); there is no difference. Just as the hanging one is prohibited, the one stepped on by feet is also prohibited, as evidenced by the following story of Aisha.