What is the ruling on carpets that have a cross on them?

The questioner : The last question, O our Shaykh, may Allah bless you, he says:The questioner : O our Shaykh, the polytheists have invaded the lands of the Muslims, and indeed they have invaded their homes by placing crosses on curtains, carpets, and the like. What is the ruling on the presence of these carpets or items, such as children's clothing? And the question is specifically about carpets in the house, especially when the carpet costs a certain amount. Does he throw it away and discard it, or does he not let it be desecrated? Knowing that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he saw a cross, would dig it up?

The Shaykh : He dug it up from your pocket? What does "dug it up" mean? He grabbed it.

The questioner : He grabbed it?

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : "He grabbed it" means "he dug it up."

The Shaykh : He dug it up.
The questioner: It is from the same earth.

The Shaykh : First of all, we advise every Muslim, especially if he has offspring and wants to raise them with an Islamic upbringing, that if he wants to buy a rug, a carpet, or a garment, a shirt, that he should inspect it as a poor man inspects his shirt for lice. Because these images that are on these clothes—and perhaps you know that carpets and rugs are clothing, and I do not think you know this?

The questioner : No, by Allah, O Shaykh, we do not know.

The Shaykh : Certainly, the carpet and the rug are clothing. And this is from the virtue of the hadith over the non-Arab Al-Albani, who learned Arabic from the hadith of the Arab Prophet, where Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited his house and prayed on a mat that had turned black from being worn for a long time; it had turned black from being worn for a long time. So if I were to say to you, "Why are you wearing the rug?" you would be surprised at me.

The questioner : I would say about you, "Al-Albani."

The Shaykh : And you would say about me, "Al-Albani." And indeed, I am Al-Albani. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited him in his house and prayed on a mat that had turned black from being worn for a long time. The point is that any clothing, whether it is a rug, trousers, a shirt, or anything else, it is obligatory upon the guardian, the father, the uncle, the maternal uncle, and the like, to be meticulous, as we said, to ensure that there is nothing that contradicts the Shari'ah, such as images or crosses. Because the reality is that now there is a very strange type of invasion by the disbelievers into the lands of Islam, in their very homes. The disease sneaks into them like tuberculosis in the human body; they do not feel it and are not aware of it. The proof is that you stand on Friday and the mosque is full of worshippers, and you find to your right, in front of you, and to your left, images of naked women on the backs of the shirts of the young men who are praying in front of you. Who bought this shirt? It is his father, and he may be praying in the mosque with him, but they are heedless and unaware. Therefore, first of all, one must be careful not to buy a garment with an image, a piece of clothing with an image. Second, and this was the point of your question, due to heedlessness, forgetfulness, negligence, or old misguidance, we often ask, "My husband is such and such, so how did you marry him?" I say, "By Allah, I was like his story, and by Allah, He guided me. In the summer, the milk was lost. How do you treat the issue?" It is possible that a person was heedless, was misguided, did not adhere to the rulings of the Shari'ah, and bought a rug with an image, for example, or bought a rug with a cross. So he must, at that time, fear Allah the Exalted and Mighty, after he was misguided and then He guided him. So I say that he should remove the cross or the image. This removal may spoil the rug or the carpet, but we say that Allah the Exalted and Mighty, in His wisdom in His creation, just as He inspired His Prophet (peace be upon him) to say with his tongue: or , there is no ailment but that Allah has created its opposite, so that the argument of Allah is established against him. So this person was tested; he bought that garment or that rug in the time of his misguidance, then Allah guided him. What does he do? He uses some paints that obscure the image and keep the garment intact as it is. At least, if it is an image, only the head is removed; that is sufficient to eliminate the prohibited thing that contradicts the Shari'ah. The cross can also be embroidered with a circle around it. I, for example, was a watchmaker in Sham. Some of the watches, by the trick of these Swiss Christians, print the cross on the enamel of the watch. So I, when this watch came to us, we have a very fine phosphorescent substance; I put a dot on it, and it lights up at night, but it does not light up on the cross; rather, it obscures it. So there is no ailment but that it can be eliminated, but it requires what? It requires the use of the mind and thought after faith in Allah and His Messenger. This is the answer to the question that I described as the last one, and now it is ten minutes to twelve. Bring it, let us see what you have.

Another questioner : Abu Fares, a circle like this, or a dot here.

The Shaykh : No, it is not a dot here; all of this becomes something you rub off.

Another questioner : With this matter, there is a carpet with about two hundred crosses on it. So this, O Bedouin, must be covered, O Bedouin...

The Shaykh : There is nothing but that it has a cure. How much is its price?

The questioner : About one hundred and fifty dinars.

The Shaykh : One hundred and fifty dinars. I think for twenty-five dinars it can be embroidered to obscure the cross.
Abu Layla : O our Shaykh, it happened to me, and I came with a type of paint.

The Shaykh : I said, "Now, please, my brother."