#128: Ruling on Pictures
*Answer*
Alhamdulillāh!
Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi upheld that it is forbidden to have pictures hanging on doors of bathrooms but it is not forbidden if it is on, cushions and carpets.
This is because of the Hadith narrated by our beloved Mother Aisha radiyallāhu anha in which said that she had a curtain which had images (tasawir) in it. The Messenger of Allāh
sallallāhu alayhi wasallam entered (the room) and pulled it down. ‘Aishah radiyallāhu anha then said, “I then tore it and prepared two cushions from it.”
Transmitted and recorded by Imām Muslim in his ‘Sahih#2107.
And some ulamaa explained that the cloth having pictures is permissible to be used for cushion and carpet while in the case of curtain, it is forbidden because when the cloth having pictures on it is torn into pieces and sewn in another shape the way Aisha radiyallāhu did, the pictures become deformed and they are no longer pictures and they are not apparent like that of the curtains.
In this regard, Imam An-nawawï rahimahullāhu said:
_”As for images with that of animals if it is hanged on the wall or used as cloth or as ‘Amāmah and the likes in which the images are not degraded it is Haram, but if it is used in carpets, cushion and the likes in which the images are deformed already, it is not Haram.”_
*Sahīhu Muslim bi sharhi An-nawawī.(7/306).*
And lastly, Imām Al-Hāfidh Ibn Hajar rahimahullāhu said:
_”Another possible explanation for reconciliation between the two Ahadith words which says: ” … he tore (the curtain containing images) apart … so we turned the curtains into one or two cushions”, and the next hadith with the words, “She bought a cushion having images on it. When the Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu alayhi wasallam saw it he stopped at the door and did not enter …The Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu alayhi wasallam also said : ‘Angels do not enter a house in which there are images.’ is that when the curtain was cut up, the cutting could have been, for example, in the middle of the image, thereby changing it from its original form. For this reason, The Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu alayhi wasallam began to use it to lean on.”_
*1st Rabī’u Al-Awwal, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
