61
Masrooq assumed them to be the handiwork of a Magian, because the Magians used to portray the figures
of their kings even on jars, but when it became clear that they were the work of a Christian, he said,
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said that he heard Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) say, “Among the people receiving the
harshest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be the makers of figures.” ‘
Drawing, painting, and acquiring pictures of plants, trees, and inanimate objects such as lakes, oceans,
ships, mountains, the sun, moon, stars, and the like from scenes of nature is permitted. There is no
difference of opinion in this regard. Moreover, if someone wants to make a picture of an animate being with
no intention of competing with Allâh as creator or for its glorification or respect, there is no prohibition of
doing so; there are numerous sound ahadith in this regard.
Muslim reported in his Sahih, on the authority of Basr ibn Sa‘id, who heard it from Zayd ibn Khalid, who
heard it from Ibn Talha, a Companion of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), that Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “The
angels do not enter a house in which there are figures.” (Compiled by Muslim.)
Basr said, “Thereafter Zayd became ill and we went to visit him.
There was a picture on the curtain of his door. I said to my companion‘ ‘Ubayd Allâh al-Khulani, who was the
servant of the Prophet’s wife Maymunah, ‘Was it not Zayd who told us about pictures the other day?‘ ‘Ubayd
Allâh replied, ‘Did you not hear him when he said, “Except if it is made of cloth?” ‘ ”
Al-Tirmidhî reported on the authority of ‘Utbah that once the latter went to visit Abû Talhah al-Ansari, who
was ill, and he found Sahl ibn Hanif (another Companion) there. Abû Talhah called someone to come and
tear up the sheet which was under him. “Why tear it up?” Sahl asked. “There are pictures on it, and you
know what the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said concerning that,” Abû Talhah replied. “Did he not also say, ‘Except if
it is made on cloth?‘ ” Sahl asked. “Yes, but it makes me feel better,” Abû Talhah replied. al-Tirmidhî
classifies this hadith as good and sound (hasan wa sahih).
Do not these two ahadith prove that the figures which are prohibited are those which are solid, that is to say
“statues?” As for figures drawn or printed on wood, paper, cloth, rugs and carpets, walls, and the like, there
is no sound, explicit, and straightforward text to prove that they are forbidden. True, there are sound ahadith
which merely indicate the Prophet’s dislike for such types of pictures because they are reminiscent of those
who live in luxury and love things of inferior value.
Muslim reported from Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, who quoted Abû Talhah al-Ansari as saying, I heard the
Messenger of Allâh’s statement, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or statues.’ I then
went to see ‘Aisha and asked her, ‘Are you aware that Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said, “The angels do not
enter a house in which there is a dog or statues?” Did you hear Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) mention this?‘
She replied, ‘No, but I will tell you what he did. Once when he had gone on an expedition I draped the door
with a curtain having pictures on it. When he returned and saw it, I could discern from his face that he
disliked it. He pulled it down and tore it apart, saying, “Allâh has not commanded us to clothe stone and
clay.” ‘She said, ‘We cut it and made two pillows out of the cloth, stuffing them with palm fibres. He did not
criticize me for that.’Nothing can be inferred from this hadith except that to decorate walls and such things
with curtains on which there are pictures is mildly disapproved. Al-Nawawi said, “There is nothing in the
hadith implying prohibition. In fact, the crucial words are, ‘Allâh has not commanded us to do that.’ This
implies that such a thing is not obligatory or meritorious; in no way does it imply prohibition.”
Muslim has also reported from ‘Aisha that she said, “We had a curtain with the figure of a bird on it. When
Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) entered the house, he saw it right in front of him and he said, ‘Remove it from
here. When I enter and see it, I am reminded of this world.’ ”
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) did not tell ‘Aisha to tear up the curtain but only to remove it from the place where it
62
hung facing the entrance; he disliked seeing it there because it brought to his mind the world and its
attractions. This is not strange, since the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to perform the sunnah and nafil (voluntary)
salat at home. Curtains and bedspreads or statues perhaps would have distracted him from concentration in
his salat and complete attention in his supplications. Al-Bukhâri also reported Anas as saying, “Aisha had
covered a part of her apartment with a drape. Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) told her, ‘Take it away from my
sight because its figures keep distracting me from my salat.’ ”
It is quite clear from the preceding ahadith that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) did not disapprove of having a curtain
with a picture of a bird and a drape with figures in his house. On the basis of this and other similar ahadith
scholars of earlier times have commented, “What is prohibited are figures which cast shadows (meaning
those which are solid) and not those which do not cast shadows (meaning on plane surfaces).” (Al-Nawawi
mentions this opinion in his Sharh Muslim but rejects it, saying that it represents a wrong position. In Fath al-
Bari, al-Hafiz has traced this opinion on sound authority back to al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abû Bakr, who
was a jurist of Madinah and the best of his time.)
In further support of this position we again quote the hadith quasi in which Allâh Ta‘ala says, Who does
greater wrong than he who desires to create the like of what I create? Let them create an atom! Let them
create a grain of barley!
As is evident, Allâh’s creation does not consist of two-dimensional drawings on a plane surface, for He
fashions three-dimensional corporeal beings. As he says, It is HeWho fashions you in the wombs as He
pleases.... (3:6)
There is only one hadith, narrated by both al-Bukhâri and Muslim on the authority of ‘Aisha, which poses
some difficulty. ‘Aisha said that she bought a cushion with pictures on it. When Allâh’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.)
saw it, he stopped at the door and did not enter her apartment. She saw signs of displeasure on his face and
said, “O Messenger of Allâh, I turn to Allâh and His Messenger in repentance. What have I done wrong?”
He said, “What is this cushion?” She said, “I bought it for you to sit on or to rest your head.” Allâh’s
Messenger (s.a.w.s.) then said, The makers of such figures will be punished and will be told, ‘Bring to life
what you have created.’ He continued, ‘The angels do not enter a house in which there are figures.’
In the version of Muslim there is the addition, “‘Aisha said that she then cut it and made two pillows to
recline upon.”
However, this hadith is objectionable on several counts:
1.
The content of this hadith has been transmitted in many versions which appear to be mutually
contradictory. Some of them say that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used the curtain with pictures after it was cut and
made into cushions. In other versions there was no curtain to begin with.
2.
According to some versions, only his disapproval of covering walls with printed curtains is established,
the reason for his disapproval being that they were a sign of luxury. In the version by Muslim he is reported
to have said, “Allâh has not commanded us to clothe stone and clay.”
3.
Then there is the hadith from ‘Aisha herself, transmitted by Muslim, about the curtain with the picture of a
bird on it and the Prophet’s saying, “Remove it from here. When I enter and see it, I am reminded of this
world.” This statement does not say anything concerning its prohibition.
4.
There is also the hadith concerning the drape in ‘Aisha’s house which distracted the Prophet’s attention
from his prayers, whereupon he instructed her to remove it. Al-Hafiz says, “There is a problem in reconciling
this hadith and the hadith of the cushion, both of which are ascribed to ‘Aisha. This hadith indicates that he
had allowed the drape to remain in the house as long as it had not distracted his attention from prayer; he
did not have any particular objection to the pictures on it.” Al-Hafiz then tries to reconcile the two ahadith by
saying that the cushion had a picture of a living creature while the drape had pictures of inanimate objects.
However, his attempt at reconciliation fails with respect to the hadith concerning the curtain with the picture
Dostları ilə paylaş: |