Chapter: The Prohibition Of Making Images Of Living Beings, And The Prohibition Of Using Images That Are Not Subjected To Disrespect In Furnishings And The Like; The Angels (Peace Be Upon Them) Do Not Enter A House In Which There Is An Image Or A Dog

Never has Allah or His messengers (angels) ever broken their promise. Then he cast a glance (and by chance) found a puppy under his cot and said: 'A'isha, when did this dog enter here? She said: By Allah, I don't know He then commanded and it was turned out. Then Gabriel came and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him: You promised me and I waited for you, but you did not come, whereupon he said: It was the dog in your house which prevented me (to come), for we (angels) do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hazim with the same chain of transmitters that Gabriel had promised Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) that he would come; the rest of the hadith is the same, but it is not so lengthy as the other one.

Allah's Messenger, I find a change in your mood today. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Gabriel had promised me that he would meet me tonight, but he did not meet me. By Allah, he never broke his promises, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) spent the day in this sad (mood). Then it occurred to him that there had been a puppy under their cot. He commanded and it was turned out. He then took some water in his hand and sprinkled it at that place. When it was evening Gabriel met him and he said to him: you promised me that you would meet me the previous night. He said: Yes, but we do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture. Then on that very morning he commanded the killing of the dogs until he announced that the dog kept for the orchards should also be killed, but he spared the dog meant for the protection of extensive fields (or big gardens).

Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or a picture.

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Angels do not enter the house in which there is a dog or a statue.

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

Verily, angels do not enter the house in which there is a picture. Busr reported: Zaid fell ill and we went to inquire after his health and (found) that there was hanging at his door a curtain with a picture on it. I said to 'Ubaidullah Khaulani who had been under the patronage of Maimuna, the wife of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ): Did not Zaid himself inform us before about (the Holy Prophet's command pertaining to the pictures), whereupon 'Ubaidullah said: Did you not hear when he said:" Except the prints on the cloth"?

Angels do not enter a house in which there is a picture. Busr said: Zaid b. Khalid fell sick and we visited him to inquire after his health. As we were in his house (we saw) a curtain having pictures on it. I said to 'Ubaidullah Khaulani: Did he not narrate to us (the Holy Prophet's command pertaining to pictures)? Thereupon he said: He in fact did that (but he also said): Except the prints upon the cloth. Did you not hear this? I said: No, whereupon He said: He had in fact made a mention of this.

Angels do not enter the house in which there is a picture or portraits.

I came to 'A'isha and said to her : This is a news that I have received that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) had said : Angels do not enter the house in which there is a picture or a dog , (and further added) whether she had heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) making a mention of it. She said : No (I did not hear this myself) , but I narrate to you what I saw him doing. I bear testimony to the fact that he (the Holy Prophet) set out for an expedition. I took a carpet and screened the door with it. When he (the Holy Prophet) came back he saw that carpet and I perceived signs of disapproval on his face. He pulled it until it was torn or it was cut (into pieces) and he said : God has not commanded us to clothe stones and clay. We cut it (the curtain) and prepared two pillowa out of it by stuffing them with the fibre of date-palms and he (the Holy Prophet) did not find fault with it.

We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a visitor came , he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me : Change them , for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said : We had with us a sheet which had silk badges upon it and we used to wear it.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna but with this addition : 'Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not command us to tear that."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came back from the journey and I had screened my door with a curtain having portraits of winged horses upon it. He commanded me and I pulled it away.

This hadith has been narrpted on the authority of Waki' with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

The most grievous torfnent for the people on the Day of Resurrection would be for those who try to imitate Allah in the act of creation.

He (the Holy Prophet) inclined towards that curtain and tore it with his hand.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of wording.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) visited me. and I had a shelf with a thin cloth curtain hangin. over it and on which there were portraits. No sooner did he see it than he tore it and the colour of his face underwent a change and he said: A'isha, the most grievous torment from the Hand of Allah on the Day of Resurrection would be for those who imitate (Allah) in the act of His creation. A'isha said: We tore it into pieces and made a cushion or two cushions out of that.

Take it (away) from me (from my sight), so I removed it and made cushions from that.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) visited me when I had screened (my door) with a carpet having pictures on it. He removed it and we made cushions out of that.

I then tore it and prepared two cushions out of that. A person who was then in that company and whose name was Rabi'a b. 'Ata, the freed slave of Banu Zuhra, asked: Did you hear Abu Mabammad making a mention of A'isha having stated that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to recline upon them? lbn al-Qasim said: No, but I heard Qasim b. Muhammad saying so.

Allah's Messenger, I offer repentance to Allah and His Messenger. (but tell me) what is the sin that I have committed. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: What is this carpet? She said: I bought it for you so that you might sit on it and take rest. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The owners of these pictures would be tormented and they would be asked to bring to life what they tried to create. He then said: Angels do not enter the house in which there is a picture.

I took it and prepared two cushions out of that and he (the Holy Prophet) used to recline against them in the house.

Those who paint pictures would be punished on the Day of Resurrection and it would be said to them: Breathe soul into what you have created.

Ibn 'Umar reported a hadith like this through another chain of transmitters.

Verity the most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. Ashajj (one of the narrators) in the hadith narrated by him did not make mention of the word" verity".

"Verily, the most grievously tormented people amongst the denizens of Hell on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures." The rest of the hadith is the same.

I was with Masriuq in the house which had the portrayals of Mary (hadrat Maryan). Thereupon Masriuq said : These are portraits of Kisra. I said : No , these are of Mary. Masruq said : I heard Abdullah b , Mas'ud as saying Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said : The most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures.

I read this before Nasr b. 'Ali at-Jahdami and he read it before other narrators , the last one being Ibn Sa'id b Abl at Hasan that a person came to Ibn 'Abbas and said : I am the person who paints pictures ; give me a religious verdict about them. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said to him : Come near me (still further). He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said : I am going to narrate to yor what I heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I heard him say : All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell , and he (Ibn 'Abbas) said : If you have to do it at all , then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things ; and Nasr b. 'Ali confirmed it.

I was sitting with Ibn 'Abbas when he gave religious verdicts but he did not say that it was Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who had said that. However when a man said to him (Ibn 'Abbas): I am the painter of these pictures. Ibn 'Abbas said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who painted pictures in the world would be compelled to breathe soul in them on the Day of Resurrection, but he would not be able to breathe soul (in them).

Nadr b. Anas reported that a person came to Ibn 'Abbas and he narrated (the above menlioned hadith) from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ).

I visited the house of Marwan in the company of Abu Huraira and he found pictures there. whereupon he said : I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying : Allah , the Glorious and Exalted , said : Who is a more wrongdoer than one who tries to create creation like Mine creation. Let him create an atom or a grain of wheat or that of barley.

Abu Huraira went to the house of Sa'ld or Marwan which they had built in Medina and he (Abu Huraira) saw a painter who had been painting pictures in his house , whereupon he told that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said like this , but he made no mention of the words : " Let him create the grain of barley."

Angels do not enter the house in which there are portrayals or pictures.