Chapter on the prohibition of depicting living creatures on a carpet, stone, garment, dirham, pillow, dinar, cushion, or the like
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on the prohibition of depicting living creatures. It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said Sahih al-Bukhari 5951 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
Chapter on the prohibition of depicting living creatures on a carpet, stone, garment, dirham, pillow, dinar, cushion, or the like, and the prohibition of placing images on a wall, ceiling, turban, garment, or the like, and the command to destroy the image.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted: It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saidSahih al-Bukhari 5951 Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
And it was narrated from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
And it was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:Riyad as-Salihin 1680 Ibn 'Abbas said: If you must do it, then make trees and things that have no life. Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim "
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Saliheen* "Chapter on what has come regarding image-makers" meaning the severe warning. He (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned the hadiths of Ibn 'Umar, 'A'ishah, and Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them). Depiction is divided into two categories: a category whose prohibition is agreed upon, which is depicting something that has a soul in the form of a statue made of wood, stone, clay, plaster, or the like. If one depicts it in the form of a living creature, such as a human, lion, rabbit, monkey, or the like, this is forbidden by consensus, and its doer is cursed by the tongue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to him: "Bring to life what you have created." And in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, he said:
The second category is depicting things that have no life, such as trees, the sun, the moon, stars, rivers, mountains, and the like. These are permissible. However, regarding what grows, such as plants, some scholars did not permit it, such as Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) from the famous Tabi'un. He said: "Everything that grows, it is not permissible to depict it, even if it has no life" because in the authentic hadith, Allah said: But the majority of scholars hold that there is no harm in depicting what has no life, whether it is something that grows, like trees, or something that does not grow, like the sun, moon, seas, and the like.
The third category is depicting something that has a soul, but through coloring and drawing. Scholars have differed on this. Some say it is permissible based on what al-Bukhari narrated in the hadith of Zayd ibn Khalid. I think he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 5958 He excluded the drawing, because a drawing does not resemble what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created, since what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created is a tangible, physical body, whereas this is merely a drawing and coloring. It is permissible even if done by hand. But the majority of scholars hold that it is not permissible, and the correct view is that it is not permissible to depict, whether by statue or by drawing, as long as the depicted thing is among those that have a soul.
There did not occur in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what has occurred in our time regarding photographic images. Do they fall under the prohibition or not? If you examine the text, you will find that they do not fall under it, because the one who takes a photographic image does not actually depict it. The most that happens is that he directs this intense light onto a body in front of him, and it captures its image in an instant. The image-maker must necessarily labor in depicting, planning the eye, nose, mouth, head, ear, and the like. There must be work from him. But this captures it in an instant, as if it transfers the image that Allah created to place it on this card. This is the stronger view. Scholars of the present era differ on whether this falls under the curse and prohibition or not. The correct view is that it does not fall under it, because there is no treatment for a person in it, and he is not an image-maker. If he wanted to depict, he would remain in this image for a quarter of an hour or more, but this is in an instant. Its exact equivalent is if a person writes a letter to his brother, and this written letter comes to him, and he puts it into the copying machine, and an image of the book comes out. Is the one who copied it the one who drew the words and letters? No. Rather, the image, with its great light according to its manufacture, printed this. And no one among people says that these letters that were printed on this paper are the writing of the one who copied it by machine. Therefore, a person copies this in the darkness, and the blind person also copies it. If you tell the blind person to do such and such in the machine, he copies the book. So whoever examines the text and the wisdom behind it knows that the intent is for whoever wants to rival the creation of Allah and innovate in depicting and planning it, as if he is the creator of this. This is what is included in the prohibition and curse. But this is merely capturing an image.
But the consideration remains: what is the purpose for which this image was taken? That is, if we understand that it is permissible and does not fall under depiction, we must look at it as we look at any permissible thing: for what purpose was it made or for what purpose was it taken? Because the ruling on a permissible thing changes according to what is intended with it. Therefore, if a person wants to travel in Ramadan in order to break his fast, we say: It is forbidden for you, even though travel is originally permissible and lawful. And if a person wants to buy a rifle to kill a Muslim or encroach upon a Muslim's property, we say: This sale is forbidden for this purpose, even though sale is originally permissible. So we look at this depiction: what is intended by it? A person may intend a bad purpose with this depiction. He depicts a woman to enjoy looking at her, and she is not his wife. As time passes, he takes her out of his boxes or what they call an album and looks at her, taking pleasure in it. This is forbidden, there is no doubt in it. He depicts a beautiful young boy, a beautiful young boy, in order to enjoy looking at him from time to time. This is also forbidden. He depicts great princes or sultans or scholars in order to exalt them and hang them in his house to exalt them. This is also forbidden. He depicts worshippers who are devout to Allah in order to place them in his house to seek blessing from them. This is also forbidden and not permissible. He depicts for remembrance. This is also forbidden and not permissible, because it is a waste of time. What benefit is there for you to remember this depicted person from time to time? And more severe than that is that some people have a deceased relative, and the deceased has a picture, so he keeps it with him. This is not permissible. When the deceased dies, burn his picture so that it does not go, and you remember this deceased whenever you want to remember him, and the sadness renews, and perhaps you hold a false belief about him. So as soon as he dies, burn it. There is no benefit from it, except if a person fears that he will need it to prove pensions or retirement with the state or the like. Then he is excused. But if there is no reason, it is obligatory to burn it. And if the photographic depiction is intended to prove identity or to prove facts of reality for a correct purpose, then there is no harm in it. For example, if a committee is appointed by the government to do a certain work, and they want to prove that they carried out this work, so they photographed their work, then there is no harm in it, because there is a correct purpose for a public benefit. And likewise, if a person witnesses a scene that he wants people to see, to evoke their sympathy and elicit their money, such as looking, for example, at hungry, naked, injured people from the enemies, and the like, to present them to people to evoke their sympathy, this is also a correct purpose, and there is no harm in it.
And in summary, depicting by hand, even if it is by coloring and dotting, is forbidden according to the stronger view. As for depicting by the photographic machine, it is not depicting at all, so we do not say that it falls under it. And we must first contemplate by the indication of the text, then by the ruling that the text necessitates. And if we contemplate, we find that this is not depicting and does not fall under the prohibition or the curse. But it remains permissible, and then it is looked at regarding the purpose for which it was taken. If it is a permissible purpose, then the depiction is permissible. And if it is a forbidden purpose, then it is forbidden. And the rest of the speech on that will come, if Allah wills.
The questioner : ...
Those who make these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them. 'Make alive what you have created.'
إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة يقال لهم أحيوا ما خلقتمChapter on the prohibition of depicting living creatures on a carpet, stone, garment, dirham, pillow, dinar, cushion, or the like, and the prohibition of placing images on a wall, ceiling, turban, garment, or the like, and the command to destroy the image.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) transmitted: It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said
Those who make these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them. 'Make alive what you have created.'
إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة يقال لهم احيوا ما خلقتمAnd it was narrated from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from a journey, and I had covered my sitting area with a curtain that had images in it. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw it, his face changed color, and he said: “O Aisha, the most severely punished people on the Day of Resurrection are those who imitate the creation of Allah.” She said: So we cut it up and made from it a cushion or two cushions.
قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من سفر وقد سترت سهوة لي بقرام فيه تماثيل فلما رآه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تلون وجهه وقال يا عائشة أشد الناس عذابا عند الله يوم القيامة الذين يضاهون بخلق الله قالت فقطعناه فجعلنا منه وسادة أو وسادتينAnd it was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
Every painter will go to Hell, and for every portrait he has made, there will be appointed one who will chastise him in the Hell.
كل مصور في النار يجعل له بكل صورة صورها نفس فيعذبه في جهنمThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Saliheen* "Chapter on what has come regarding image-makers" meaning the severe warning. He (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned the hadiths of Ibn 'Umar, 'A'ishah, and Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them). Depiction is divided into two categories: a category whose prohibition is agreed upon, which is depicting something that has a soul in the form of a statue made of wood, stone, clay, plaster, or the like. If one depicts it in the form of a living creature, such as a human, lion, rabbit, monkey, or the like, this is forbidden by consensus, and its doer is cursed by the tongue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to him: "Bring to life what you have created." And in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, he said:
Every image-maker is in the Fire. If you must do it, then make trees and things that have no life.
كل مصور في النار فإن كنت لا بد فاعلا فاصنع الشجرة وما لا روح فيهThe second category is depicting things that have no life, such as trees, the sun, the moon, stars, rivers, mountains, and the like. These are permissible. However, regarding what grows, such as plants, some scholars did not permit it, such as Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) from the famous Tabi'un. He said: "Everything that grows, it is not permissible to depict it, even if it has no life" because in the authentic hadith, Allah said:
Let them create a grain, or let them create a barley grain, or let them create a seed.
فليخلقوا حبة أو ليخلقوا شعيرة أو ليخلقوا ذرةThe third category is depicting something that has a soul, but through coloring and drawing. Scholars have differed on this. Some say it is permissible based on what al-Bukhari narrated in the hadith of Zayd ibn Khalid. I think he said:
except a design in a garment
إلا رقما في ثوبThere did not occur in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) what has occurred in our time regarding photographic images. Do they fall under the prohibition or not? If you examine the text, you will find that they do not fall under it, because the one who takes a photographic image does not actually depict it. The most that happens is that he directs this intense light onto a body in front of him, and it captures its image in an instant. The image-maker must necessarily labor in depicting, planning the eye, nose, mouth, head, ear, and the like. There must be work from him. But this captures it in an instant, as if it transfers the image that Allah created to place it on this card. This is the stronger view. Scholars of the present era differ on whether this falls under the curse and prohibition or not. The correct view is that it does not fall under it, because there is no treatment for a person in it, and he is not an image-maker. If he wanted to depict, he would remain in this image for a quarter of an hour or more, but this is in an instant. Its exact equivalent is if a person writes a letter to his brother, and this written letter comes to him, and he puts it into the copying machine, and an image of the book comes out. Is the one who copied it the one who drew the words and letters? No. Rather, the image, with its great light according to its manufacture, printed this. And no one among people says that these letters that were printed on this paper are the writing of the one who copied it by machine. Therefore, a person copies this in the darkness, and the blind person also copies it. If you tell the blind person to do such and such in the machine, he copies the book. So whoever examines the text and the wisdom behind it knows that the intent is for whoever wants to rival the creation of Allah and innovate in depicting and planning it, as if he is the creator of this. This is what is included in the prohibition and curse. But this is merely capturing an image.
But the consideration remains: what is the purpose for which this image was taken? That is, if we understand that it is permissible and does not fall under depiction, we must look at it as we look at any permissible thing: for what purpose was it made or for what purpose was it taken? Because the ruling on a permissible thing changes according to what is intended with it. Therefore, if a person wants to travel in Ramadan in order to break his fast, we say: It is forbidden for you, even though travel is originally permissible and lawful. And if a person wants to buy a rifle to kill a Muslim or encroach upon a Muslim's property, we say: This sale is forbidden for this purpose, even though sale is originally permissible. So we look at this depiction: what is intended by it? A person may intend a bad purpose with this depiction. He depicts a woman to enjoy looking at her, and she is not his wife. As time passes, he takes her out of his boxes or what they call an album and looks at her, taking pleasure in it. This is forbidden, there is no doubt in it. He depicts a beautiful young boy, a beautiful young boy, in order to enjoy looking at him from time to time. This is also forbidden. He depicts great princes or sultans or scholars in order to exalt them and hang them in his house to exalt them. This is also forbidden. He depicts worshippers who are devout to Allah in order to place them in his house to seek blessing from them. This is also forbidden and not permissible. He depicts for remembrance. This is also forbidden and not permissible, because it is a waste of time. What benefit is there for you to remember this depicted person from time to time? And more severe than that is that some people have a deceased relative, and the deceased has a picture, so he keeps it with him. This is not permissible. When the deceased dies, burn his picture so that it does not go, and you remember this deceased whenever you want to remember him, and the sadness renews, and perhaps you hold a false belief about him. So as soon as he dies, burn it. There is no benefit from it, except if a person fears that he will need it to prove pensions or retirement with the state or the like. Then he is excused. But if there is no reason, it is obligatory to burn it. And if the photographic depiction is intended to prove identity or to prove facts of reality for a correct purpose, then there is no harm in it. For example, if a committee is appointed by the government to do a certain work, and they want to prove that they carried out this work, so they photographed their work, then there is no harm in it, because there is a correct purpose for a public benefit. And likewise, if a person witnesses a scene that he wants people to see, to evoke their sympathy and elicit their money, such as looking, for example, at hungry, naked, injured people from the enemies, and the like, to present them to people to evoke their sympathy, this is also a correct purpose, and there is no harm in it.
And in summary, depicting by hand, even if it is by coloring and dotting, is forbidden according to the stronger view. As for depicting by the photographic machine, it is not depicting at all, so we do not say that it falls under it. And we must first contemplate by the indication of the text, then by the ruling that the text necessitates. And if we contemplate, we find that this is not depicting and does not fall under the prohibition or the curse. But it remains permissible, and then it is looked at regarding the purpose for which it was taken. If it is a permissible purpose, then the depiction is permissible. And if it is a forbidden purpose, then it is forbidden. And the rest of the speech on that will come, if Allah wills.
The questioner : ...