باب تحريم تصوير الحيوان في بساط أو حجر أو ثوب أو درهم أو مخدة أو دينار أو وسادة وغير ذلك وتحريم اتخاذ الصور في حائط وسقف وستر وعمامة وثوب ونحوها والأمر بإتلاف الصورة
This chapter gathers the warnings against making images of living things, animals and people, and against keeping such images displayed in the home. The Arabic key word is tasweer, the act of forming or fashioning a likeness. The sin these hadith describe is not artistic skill itself but the attempt to imitate the creative act that belongs to Allah alone, which is why the maker is challenged to breathe life into what he has shaped and cannot.
Notice how the texts move from the maker to the home to the wider duty of the believer. The pictures invite the most severe punishment, the angels of mercy withhold themselves from a house that displays an image or keeps a dog, and finally Ali is sent to erase images and level raised graves. Read these as guarding the heart against rivalling Allah and against the door of veneration that idols once entered through. Where fine detail of ruling is concerned, that belongs to the scholars; the spirit here is humility before the only true Creator.
Hadith 1678
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة، يقال لهم: أحيوا ما خلقتم" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Those who draw pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection; and it will be said to them: 'Breathe soul into what you have created."' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Those who make images of living things face punishment and will be challenged to breathe life into what they made, which they cannot. The fault is trying to imitate Allah's act of creation.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1678 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 168
Hadith 1679
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: 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 عذابًا عن الله يوم القيامة الذين يضاهون بخلق الله" قالت: فقطعناه، فجعلنا منه وسادة أو وسادتين. ((متفق عليه)). «القِرامُ» بكسرِ القاف هو: السِّتْرُ. «وَالسَّهْوَةُ» بفتح السينِ المهملة وهي: الصُّفَّةُ تَكُونُ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ البَيْتِ، وقيلَ: هِيَ الطَّاقُ النَّافِذُ في الحائِطِ.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) visited me after returning from a journey, and I had a shelf with a thin cloth curtain hanging over it and on which there were portraits. When he saw it, the colour of his face changed (because of anger) and he said, "O 'Aishah! the most grievous torment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be for those who imitate (Allah) in the act of His creation." 'Aishah said: We tore it into pieces and made a cushion or two cushions out of that. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Finding figured images on a curtain displeased the Prophet, who warned that the worst torment falls on those who imitate Allah's creation. The images were torn up and put to humble use as cushions.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1679 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 169
Hadith 1680
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "كل مصور في النار يجعل له بكل صورة صورها نفس فيعذبه في جهنم" قال ابن عباس: فإن كنت لابد فاعلا، فاصنع الشجر وما لا ورح فيه" ((متفق عليه)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "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." Ibn 'Abbas said: If you have to do it, draw pictures of trees and other inanimate things. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
A stern warning against making images of living things, picturing a reckoning for each one made. Ibn 'Abbas adds that if one must draw, let it be trees and lifeless things.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1680 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 170
Hadith 1681
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "من صور في الدنيا، كُلف أن يَنفخ فيها الروح يوم القيامة وليس بنافخ" ((متفق عليه)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Whosoever makes a picture, will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and will be asked to infuse soul therein, which he will not be able to do." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Whoever makes an image of a living thing will be asked on the Day of Resurrection to put a soul into it, something he can never do. The point is humility before the only Creator.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1681 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 171
Hadith 1682
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "إن أشد الناس عذابًا يوم القيامة المصورون" ((متفق عليه)).
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Those who will receive the most severe punishment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be painters (of living objects)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Those who fashion images of living things are named among the people facing the most severe punishment, underscoring how serious imitating Allah's creation is.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1682 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 172
Hadith 1683
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "قال الله تعالى: {ومن أظلم ممن ذهب يخلق كخلقي! فليخلقوا ذرة أو ليخلقوا حبة، أو ليخلقوا شعيرة" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The Almighty Allah said: 'Who is more an oppressor than him who goes to create like My creation? Let him make an ant or a grain of corn or a grain of barley."' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
In a divine saying, those who try to create like Allah's creation are challenged to make even an ant, a grain of corn, or barley, showing they cannot rival the Creator.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1683 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 173
Hadith 1684
Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
وعن أبي طلحة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "لا تدخل الملائكة بيتًا فيه كلب ولا صورة" ((متفق عليه)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a portrait." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Angels do not enter a home that has a dog or a figured image in it, linking the household's atmosphere to what is kept inside it.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1684 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 174
Hadith 1685
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) said:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال: وعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جبريل أن يأتيه فراث عليه حتى اشتد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فخرج فلقيه جبريل فشكا إليه، فقال: إنا لا ندخل بيتًا فيه كلب ولا صورة. ((رواه البخاري)) (( "راث" : أبطأ، وهو بالثاء المثلثة)).
Jibril (Gabriel) promised to visit the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) but delayed and this grieved him very much. When he came out of his house, Jibril met him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked him about the reason of delay, and he replied: "We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a portrait." [Al-Bukhari].
In plain words
When the angel Jibril delayed a promised visit, the reason given was that angels do not enter a house containing a dog or an image. A vivid reminder of the same teaching.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1685 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 175
Hadith 1686
'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: واعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جبريل عليه السلام في ساعة أن يأتيه، فجاءت تلك الساعة ولم يأته! قالت: وكان بيده عصًا، فطرحها من يده وهو يقول: "ما يخلف الله وعده ولا رسله" ثم التفت، فإذا جرو كلب تحت سريره. فقال: "متى دخل هذا الكلب؟" فقلت: والله ما دريت به، فأمر به فأخرج، فجاءه جبريل عليه السلام: فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "وعدتني، فجلست لك ولم تأتني" فقال: منعني الكلب الذي كان في بيتك، إنا لا ندخل بيتًا فيه كلب ولا صورة" ((رواه مسلم)).
Jibril (Gabriel) (ﷺ) made a promise with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to come at a definite hour; that hour came but he did not visit him. There was a staff in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He threw it from his hand and said, "Never does Allah back out of His Promise, nor do His messengers." Then he noticed a puppy under his bed and said, "O 'Aishah, when did this dog enter?" She said: "By Allah, I don't know." He then commanded that it should be turned out. No sooner than had they expelled it, Jibril came and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to him, "You promised to visit me. I waited for you but you did not come." Whereupon he said: "The dog kept me from coming. We do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture." [Muslim].
In plain words
Jibril's promised visit was held up until a puppy hidden under the bed was put out, because angels do not enter a house with a dog or a picture. The Prophet also affirmed that Allah never breaks His promise.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1686 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 176
Hadith 1687
Abul-Haiyaj Haiyan bin Husain said:
وعن أبي الهياج حيان بن حصين قال: قال لي علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه: ألا أبعثك على ما بعثني عليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ؟ أن لا تدع صورة إلا طمستها، ولا قبرًا مشرفًا إلا سويته. ((رواه مسلم)).
'Ali bin Abu Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "Shall I not send you to do a task that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had assigned to me? Spare no portrait unwiped out, and leave not a high grave unlevelled." [Muslim].
In plain words
Ali was sent on a task the Prophet had given him: to wipe out figured images and to level graves raised high. The aim was to guard against rivalling Allah and the door of veneration.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1687 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 177