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very thing against which the religion of the Oneness of God has fought with every weapon.
Gold and Silver Utensils
In accordance with what has been stated above, Islâm has prohibited the use of gold and silver utensils, and
of pure silk spreads in the Muslim house. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) warned that anyone who deviates from this
path may incur severe punishment in the Hereafter. On the authority of Umm Salmah, Muslim reported in his
Sahih the Prophet’s saying, “Whoever eats or drinks from gold or silver utensils is indeed filing his stomach
with the fire of hell.’‘ (Compiled by Muslim.)
Al-Bukhâri reported on the authority of al-Hudhaifah that “Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) forbade us to drink or
eat from gold or silver dishes or to wear silken garments or to sit on silken cloth. He said, ‘They are for them
(the unbelievers) in this world and for us in the Hereafter.’ (Compiled by al-Bukhâri.) Moreover, what is
prohibited for practical use is also forbidden to be given as a gift or used as an ornament.
These prohibitions concerning utensils, spreads, and similar articles apply to men and women alike, for the
purpose of this legislation is to rid the house of excessively luxurious items. Ibn Qudamah expresses this
idea in clear terms as follows:
Men and women are equal in this regard because of the generality of the hadith, and because the reason for
this prohibition is the show of extravagance and pride on the one hand and the injury to the feelings of the
poor on the other. The wearing of gold and silk has been permitted to women so that they may beautify
themselves for their husbands; this is an exemption which does not extend to other uses. If it is said, ‘If the
reason you have stated is correct, then utensils made of rubies and other precious materials would also
have been prohibited because they are more expensive (than gold and silver)‘ to this we reply, ‘The poor are
not familiar with such things, and their feelings will not be injured even if they see the rich using them.’
Moreover, the rarity of such things in itself makes their use prohibitive, and hence the need for prohibiting
them on the basis of extravagance becomes superfluous. (Al-Mughni, vol. 8, p. 323.)
Earlier we mentioned the economic reasons for prohibiting the use of gold ornaments for men. In the present
case this reason is even weightier and more obvious. Gold and silver are universal monetary standards
which facilitate the establishing of prices and the carrying out of transactions between nations, thus
promoting trade and commerce. It is Allâh’s favor that He guided people to use them as a means of
exchange. The proper economic usage of gold and silver, then, is their free circulation; they are not to be
hoarded in houses as coins or, worse yet, to be tied up in household articles and ornamental objects.
Imam al-Ghazzali has beautifully enunciated this point in the chapter entitled “Al-Shukr” (Thankfulness) in
his book, Ihya al‘Ulum al-Din, in the following manner:
Anyone who melts down gold and silver coins to make vases and containers is ungrateful for Allâh’s bounty
and is worse than the one who hoards them. It is like using the mayor of a city for sweeping its streets or for
sewing garments, or to do jobs which are normally carried out by the lowliest of people. To imprison him
would be less insulting. Now, materials such as porcelain, iron, lead, and copper can replace gold and silver
for making vases and containers, but they cannot replace them as money or as standards of exchange. If a
person cannot grasp this point (through his own reasoning and knowledge), we would tell him that the
spokesman of Allâh has explained it: ‘Whoever eats or drinks from gold or silver utensils is indeed filling his
stomach with the fire of hell.’ (lhya al-‘Ulum al-Din. see vol. 4, Thanksgiving and Praise.)
Let no one suppose that this prohibition constitutes a severe restriction on the Muslim in his own home, for
among wholesome and permissible things there is a great variety from which to choose What beautiful
vases, containers, and pots have been made of glass; porcelain, copper, and many other materials!
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Likewise, bedspreads, cushions, and tablecloths of great beauty are fabricated from cotton, linen, and
various other materials.
Islâm Prohibits Statues
Islâm has prohibited the keeping of statues in the Muslim home. By statues is meant complete, solid figures
which have not been disfigured or otherwise defaced. Their presence in a house is considered sufficient to
drive away the angels, who represent Allâh’s mercy and His pleasure. As Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said,
“Assuredly the angels do not enter a house in which there are statues (or figures).” (Compiled by al-Bukhâri
and Muslim; the wording is from Muslim.)
According to the commentary of scholars, a person who keeps statues in his house is similar to unbelievers,
whose practice it is to keep and venerate idols in their homes. The angels are repelled by this; they do not
enter such a house and abandon it.
It is also forbidden to the Muslim to engage in manufacturing statues, even if he makes them for non-
Muslims. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: “Among the people receiving the harshest punishment on the Day of
Resurrection will be the makers of figures,“
or, in another version, “the of Allâh’s creation.” (Compiled by al-Bukhâri and Muslim.)
He also said, On the Day of Resurrection, the maker of a figure will be asked to breathe a spirit into it, and
he will never be able to do so, (Compiled by al-Bukhâri and others.) meaning that he will be asked to bring it
to life in order to reproach and humiliate him.
The Wisdom of Prohibiting Statues
a.
One of the reasons for this prohibition, although not the only one, as some people may suppose, is to
safeguard the belief in the Oneness of God and to be far-removed from the practices of idolaters, who
fashion statues and idols with their own hands and then sanctify them, standing before them in adoration.
Islâm’s sensitivity in safeguarding the belief in the Unity of God is very acute, and assuredly this caution and
concern is quite justified. In the final analysis, the worship of idols originated when people began making
statues of their dead or pious ancestors in order to remember them. Gradually they began to venerate them,
adding to this veneration little by little until they had made the statues into gods, worshipping them besides
God, asking them for help, fearing their anger, and imploring them for blessings. This is what happened,
among earlier communities such as the people of Wadd, Suwwa‘ Yaghuth, Ya‘uq, and Nasra. (Names of
pagan deities of antiquity who are mentioned in the Qur‘ân (71:23). For an explanation, see for example, the
commentary in Yusuf ‘All’s translation of the Holy Qur‘ân, Appendix XIII, following Surah Nuh (71). (Trans.))
It is not surprising that a religion which seeks to halt all corruption should block every passage through which
shirk (polytheism), either open or hidden, may slip into the minds and hearts of the people. Among such
passageways is the imitation of idolaters or of the followers of other religions who have exaggerated respect
for their saints. Moreover, Islâm’s legislation is not merely intended for one or two generations but is for all
mankind for as long as it shall exist on this planet.”. What may seem unlikely in one environment may
become acceptable in another, and what appears impossible at one time may materialize into reality at
another.
b.
Another reason for this prohibition concerns the maker of statues, the sculptor, himself. Sculptors tend to
feel pride in their work, as if they had created something out of nothing or had given life to clay or stone. A
sculptor once completed a figure after a great deal of labor; it was so perfect and d so beautiful that he stood
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