3 Best Hadith Proofs Why Figurines Are Halal in Islam
C.J Ahmed-05.04.2023
Keeping figurines is halal in Islam although it is considered haram by some scholars. They base their arguments using the following hadith,
The prophet (sal) said :
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet (sal) said:
"The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
These are some of the many narrations mentioning the prohibition of making the pictures of living souls but for you to come to a clear conclusion, you need to look at all the hadiths and the below hadiths prove very clearly that figurines are halal.
(Bukhari and Muslim)
(Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani in Ghaayat al-Maraam)
From the above hadiths it is clear that this ruling applies to figures of animate objects and if keeping dolls is halal, then trophies are also halal in Islam.
Some scholars erroneously argue that this incident took place before the prohibition of images. Ibn Hajar raheemaullah was one of them. He said in his Fath Al Bari,
“If the doll of Aisha (Rali) had clear features, then this was before the prohibition of picture-making, otherwise the doll did have prominent features”.
This is only his opinion based on mere assumptions. There is no evidence from the Quran or sunnah saying so. The other wrong argument is that this was permissible for Aisha (Rali) because she had not attained puberty. This is also erroneuos because the hadiths does not make any such distinctions between an adult an a child and there is no evidence whether such an incidence happened before Aisha (Rali)'s puberty.
(Sahih Muslim)
If having images of animate beings was such a strict matter, the prophet (sal) would have not acted so leniently. In the above hadith the prophet (Sal) ordered Aisha (Rali) to remove the images not because it was forbidden but because it was reminding him of worldy pleasures. This hadith clearly proves that portraits of living beings is not forbidden in Islam
Having figurines is not haram in Islam because of the available proof which states that dolls or figures of animate beings is not haram.
Keeping figurines is halal in Islam although it is considered haram by some scholars. They base their arguments using the following hadith,
The prophet (sal) said :
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet (sal) said:
"The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
These are some of the many narrations mentioning the prohibition of making the pictures of living souls but for you to come to a clear conclusion, you need to look at all the hadiths and the below hadiths prove very clearly that figurines are halal.
- Aisha (rali) narrated
(Bukhari and Muslim)
- Aisha(Rali) narrated
(Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani in Ghaayat al-Maraam)
From the above hadiths it is clear that this ruling applies to figures of animate objects and if keeping dolls is halal, then trophies are also halal in Islam.
Some scholars erroneously argue that this incident took place before the prohibition of images. Ibn Hajar raheemaullah was one of them. He said in his Fath Al Bari,
“If the doll of Aisha (Rali) had clear features, then this was before the prohibition of picture-making, otherwise the doll did have prominent features”.
This is only his opinion based on mere assumptions. There is no evidence from the Quran or sunnah saying so. The other wrong argument is that this was permissible for Aisha (Rali) because she had not attained puberty. This is also erroneuos because the hadiths does not make any such distinctions between an adult an a child and there is no evidence whether such an incidence happened before Aisha (Rali)'s puberty.
- A'isha (Rali) narrated :
(Sahih Muslim)
If having images of animate beings was such a strict matter, the prophet (sal) would have not acted so leniently. In the above hadith the prophet (Sal) ordered Aisha (Rali) to remove the images not because it was forbidden but because it was reminding him of worldy pleasures. This hadith clearly proves that portraits of living beings is not forbidden in Islam
Having figurines is not haram in Islam because of the available proof which states that dolls or figures of animate beings is not haram.