Three Reasons Why Puppets Are Halal in Islam Without Any Doubt
C.J Ahmed-06.04.2023
Puppets are forms of toys which are moved using strings or hands to entertain children and adults. Islam does not forbid using puppets for entertainment because the wife of the prophet (sal). Aisha (rali) too played with toys.
Aisha (rali) narrated
"I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet (Sal). And I had girl-friends (playmates) who played along with me. They would hide (feeling shy) from him (Sal) whenever he entered. But, he ( Prophet (Sal)) would call them to join and play with me"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith, Aisha(rali) was playing with dolls which are animate figures and the prophet (sal) never objected to it.
Aisha(Rali) narrated
Then the side of the curtain which was over the dolls of 'Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) was uncovered. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: What is this, O 'Aa'isha? She said: My dolls. She then said: then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw amongst them a winged horse which was tied up. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: What is this? I said: A horse. He said: A horse with two wings? I said: Didn't you hear that Sulaiman (Solomon - peace be upon him) had horses with wings? Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laughed" (in another narration his teeth could be seen because of his laughter)
(Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani in Ghaayat al-Maraam)
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 :
"We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a visitor came, he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to me: Change them, for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said: We had with us a sheet which had silk badges upon it and we used to wear it. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna but with this addition: 'Allah's Messenger (Rali) did not command us to tear that."
(Sahih Muslim)
If having pictures 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. The above mentioned hadiths clearly prove that using or having puppets is not haram in Islam.
Puppets are forms of toys which are moved using strings or hands to entertain children and adults. Islam does not forbid using puppets for entertainment because the wife of the prophet (sal). Aisha (rali) too played with toys.
Aisha (rali) narrated
"I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet (Sal). And I had girl-friends (playmates) who played along with me. They would hide (feeling shy) from him (Sal) whenever he entered. But, he ( Prophet (Sal)) would call them to join and play with me"
(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith, Aisha(rali) was playing with dolls which are animate figures and the prophet (sal) never objected to it.
Aisha(Rali) narrated
Then the side of the curtain which was over the dolls of 'Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) was uncovered. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: What is this, O 'Aa'isha? She said: My dolls. She then said: then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw amongst them a winged horse which was tied up. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: What is this? I said: A horse. He said: A horse with two wings? I said: Didn't you hear that Sulaiman (Solomon - peace be upon him) had horses with wings? Then he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laughed" (in another narration his teeth could be seen because of his laughter)
(Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud-Graded Sahih by Albani in Ghaayat al-Maraam)
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 :
"We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a visitor came, he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to me: Change them, for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said: We had with us a sheet which had silk badges upon it and we used to wear it. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna but with this addition: 'Allah's Messenger (Rali) did not command us to tear that."
(Sahih Muslim)
If having pictures 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. The above mentioned hadiths clearly prove that using or having puppets is not haram in Islam.