Paintings and One-Dimensional Ornaments

By Sheikh Qaradawi

We have explained the Islamic position concerning the solid figures we term "statues," but what about figures and art work executed on plane surfaces such as paper, cloth, curtains, walls, coins, paper currency, and the like?

Concerning this issue, we say that no general ruling is possible here and that each case is to be judged individually. What does the picture depict? Where is it placed? What is its use? What was the artist's purpose in making the picture? It is these questions which must be looked into.

If the pictures become objects of worship, as for example the cow does for Hindus, whoever makes them with this purpose is in reality nothing but an unbeliever propagating shirk and error. Again, the Prophet (peace be on him) threatened such people with dire punishment in the Hereafter saying, "On the Day of Resurrection the most severe chastisement will be for the makers of figures." (Reported by Muslim.)

Al-Tabari, explaining the meaning of this hadith, says, "What is meant here by makers of figures are those who make figures in order that they may be worshipped besides Allah, and this is unbelief (kufr). As for those who do not make them for this purpose, they will be guilty only of making a representation (suar)." Similarly, if someone hangs such pictures on the wall in order to venerate them, his act is not that of a Muslim, for Islam has departed from his heart.

We next examine the case of the person who makes pictures not so that they should be worshiped but so that they may be likened to Allah's creation; he feels a sense of pride that he has created as Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, has created. Such an individual has rebelled against belief in tawheed, and concerning him the Prophet (peace be on him) said, The most severely punished among people (on the Day of Resurrection) will be those who try to create something similar to what Allah has created.

This pertains directly to the intention of the artist. Perhaps the hadith quasi cited earlier, 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! beathis out as well. Again, what is referred to here is the intention of those artists who want to imitate Allah's attributes of Creator and Originator. Allah's challenge to them to create an atom or a grain of barley points to the fact that their artistic work implies an intention to create something similar to what He has created. To shame them for this on the Day of Resurrection, they will be told publicly, "Bring to life what you created," which of course they can never do. It is prohibited to make or to acquire portraits of individuals who are either revered in a religion or respected for their wordly status. Examples of the first category are representations of prophets such as Abraham, Isaac, David, and Jesus; of angels such as Jibril and Mika'eel (Michael); and of saints and righteous individuals such as Maryam (Mary) and the like. This is a Jewish or Christian custom. Unfortunately, some Muslims, making innovations in religion and imitating the People of the Book, have begun to make and to acquire portraits of 'All, Fatimah, and others.

The second category includes portraits of kings, leaders, and artists in our time. Although there is less evil in this case, nevertheless we must emphasize its evil, especially if those portrayed are non-believers, tyrants, or wrong-doers, such as rulers who do not judge according to what Allah has revealed, leaders who call people to a message other than the message of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, and artists who glorify falsehood and propagate lewdness and immorality among people.

It appears that many of the portraits made during the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) and thereafter were of the kind which glorify personages; most probably they were painted by Greeks or Persians, and consequently were never free of the imprint of their beliefs and the sanctification of their saints and rulers. Muslim reported that AbuDuha said, I was with Masrooq in a house which had statues. Masrooq asked me, 'Are these statues of Khosrau?" (The ruler of Persia. (Trans.)) said, 'No these are statues of Mary.' 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 the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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 Allah 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 (peace be on him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said, "The angels do not enter a house in which there are figures." (Reported 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 Allah 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 Allah replied, 'Did you not hear him when he said, "Except if it is made of cloth?" ' "

Al-Tirmidhi reported on the authority of 'Utbah that once the latter went to visit Abu Talhah al-Ansari, who was ill, and he found Sahl ibn Hanif (another Companion) there. Abu 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 (peace be on him) said concerning that," Abu Talhah replied. "Did he not also say, 'Except if it is made on cloth?' " Sahl asked. "Yes, but it makes me feel better," Abu Talhah replied. al-Tirmidhi 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 Abu Talhah al-Ansari as saying, I heard the Messenger of Allah'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 the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said, "The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or statues?" Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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, "Allah 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, 'Allah 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 the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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 (peace be on him) did not tell 'Aisha to tear up the curtain but only to remove it from the place where it 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 (peace be on him) 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-Bukhari also reported Anas as saying, "Aisha had covered a part of her apartment with a drape. The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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 (peace be on him) 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 Abu 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 Allah 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, Allah'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-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of 'Aisha, which poses some difficulty. 'Aisha said that she bought a cushion with pictures on it. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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 Allah, I turn to Allah 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." The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) 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 (peace be on him) 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, "Allah 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 of the bird on it.

5. The hadith concerning the cushion contradicts the hadith reported by Abu Talhah in which figures on cloth were exempted. Al-Qurtabi says, "Reconciliation is possible between the two (ahadith), as 'Aisha's hadith indicates the disapproval of the Prophet (peace be on him), while Abu Talhah's hadith indicates absolute permissibility, and these two are not contradictory." Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar agreed with this statement.

6. The transmitter of the hadith of the cushion from 'Aisha was her nephew al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. Al-Qasim himself permitted pictures on a plane surface. Ibn 'Awm said, "I entered al-Qasim's house, which was in the outskirts of Makkah, and I saw a cloth canopy with figures of a beaver and a phoenix." (Fath al-Bari, reported on the authority of Ibn Abi Shaybah, who quotes al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. The transmitters are sound.) Al-Hafiz explains, "He probably adhered to the generality of the Prophet's saying, 'Except if it is made on cloth,' and understood the Prophet's stand toward 'Aisha's curtain as a special case. That is, the Prophet (peace be on him) disapproved of the combination of draping the wall and of the cloth having pictures on it. This is supported by the remark, "Allah has not commanded us to clothe stone and clay." Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr was one of the seven jurists of Madinah and the best of his time; it was he who transmitted the hadith of the - cushion. Consequently, if he had not been convinced of the permissibility of this cloth canopy he would not have had it. (See the section on "Figures and Artists" in Fath al-Bari)

There is another way of reconciling these ahadith. Probably in the early period of Islam the Prophet (peace be on him) was very strict in prohibiting all pictures, as the Muslims had only recently come out o f the state of polytheism and idol-worship, and were prone to sanctifying figures and statues. As the belief in the Oneness of Allah became deeply rooted in their hearts and minds, he allowed them two-dimensional figures, that is, drawings and prints. As for himself, he disliked having curtains or drapes with figures and pictures in his house, not exempting even drawings or prints on, cloth, paper, or the wall.

One of the great Hanafi jurists, al-Tahawi, says, "In the beginning the Prophet (peace be on him) prohibited all types of figures, even if they were two dimensional, since the Muslims had only recently converted from the worship of images. Accordingly, everything of this type was prohibited. Later he lifted the prohibition from cloth with prints because of the necessity of wearing clothes. He also permitted figures which were not treated in a respectful manner, (As is evident from these ahadith, this would include figures which are made into pillows or cushions on which to sit or recline, figures in rugs or carpets which are trod upon and the like. (Trans.)) since there was no danger that the ignorant would venerate what was debased. The prohibition of figures which are not debased was never lifted." (This has been reported by Sheikh Bakhit in AI-Jawab al-Shafi.)

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