This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
The Prohibition of Statues in Islam:
The presence of statues in a religious household is declared forbidden by Islam, meaning those statues that are not insignificant. The presence of such statues in the house causes the angels to stay away, even though they are manifestations of Allah's pleasure. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إن الملئكة لا تدخل بيتافيه تماثيل
“In a house where there are statues, angels do not enter.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of the Beginning of Creation, Chapter: When one of you says Ameen... Hadith: 3225. Muslim, Book of Clothing, Chapter: The prohibition of depicting the image of an animal, Hadith: 2106/87 - Narrated by Ahmad (3/90) and Tirmidhi in the Book of Manners, Chapter: What has been narrated that angels do not enter a house... Hadith: 2805 - from Abu Saeed Al-Khudri with this wording - and Allah knows best
Warning:
مذكوره حديث يا جو بهي احاديث اس كتاب ميں بيان هوں گي يه جسم والي يا غير جسم والي تمام تصويروں كو شامل هيں، ليكن مصنف نے انهيں صرف جسم والي تصويروں پر قياس كيا هے. يه ايك عجيب نظريه هے. جبكه ميرے خيال كے مطابق وه جانتا هے كه ان احاديث كے وارد هونے كا سبب غير جسم والي تصويريں هيں. جيسا كه جبريل عليه السلام اس گهر ميں داخل نه هوئے تهے جس پر تصويروں والا پرده لٹكا هوا تها. عنقريب اس كي تخريج (رقم نمبر 12) ميں هوگي. اس پر دوسري احاديث بهي دلالت كرتي هيں، جيسا كه اس كے بعد سيده عائشه رضي الله عنها والي حديث هے.
Scholars say that the reason is that the one who hangs pictures resembles the disbelievers. The disbelievers hang pictures in their homes and venerate them. Since this is disliked by the angels, they leave such a house and do not enter it.
Islam has prohibited sculpture-making, even if the statues are made for non-Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
إن من أشد الناس عذابا يوم القيامة الذين يصورون هذه الصور
"On the Day of Resurrection, the severest punishment will be for those who make such pictures."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Manners, Chapter on What is Permissible from Anger... Hadith: 6109 - Muslim, Book of Clothing: Chapter on the Prohibition of Animal Images, Hadith: 2107
In another narration, it is said:
الذين يضاهءون بخلق الله
"Those who imitate the creation of Allah."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Clothing, Chapter on What is Trampled from Pictures, Hadith: 5954 - Muslim, Hadith: 2107/92
Also, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) informed:
من صور صورة كلف يوم القيامة أن ينفخ فيها الروح وليس بنافح فيها أبدا
"Whoever makes a picture will be asked to breathe life into it on the Day of Resurrection, but he will never be able to breathe life into it."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Clothing, Chapter on Who Made a Picture and Was Commanded, Hadith: 5963 - Muslim, Hadith: 2110
Warning:
حديث بيان كرنے كے سبب يه معلوم هوا كه جن تصويروں كا اس ميں ذكر كيا گيا هے يه جسم ركهنے والي تصويروں كے علاوه هيں. پهلي روايت ميں اس جانب اشاره كيا هے. انهيں جسم ركهنے والي تصويروں پر قياس كرنا درست نهيں. والله المستعان
ان تصاوير كي نوعيت كا بيان جو پرده پر تهيں وه اس روايت ميں آتا هے جو هشام بن عروه نے اپنے باپ سے اور انهوں نے سيده عائشه رضي الله عنها سے بيان كي هے كه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سفر سے تشريف لائے تو ميں نے اپنے دروازے پر غاليچے كا پرده لٹكا ركها تها جس ميں پروں والے گهوڑے كي تصويريں تهيں. آپ صلى الله عليه وسلم نے مجهے اسے اتارنے كا حكم ديا تو ميں نے اسے پهاڑ ديا.
Reference: This has been narrated by Muslim (6/158), and Nasa'i (301/2), and Ahmad (6/281, 208).
يه روايت دلالت كرتي هے كه صرف وهى تصويريں حرام قرار نهيں دي گئيں جن كي خصوصي تقديس و تعظيم كي جاتي هے كيونكه پروں والا گهوڑا كوئي مقدس چيز نهيں، مگر آپ نے ديكها نهيں كه نبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نے سيده عائشه رضي الله عنها كو مذكوره گهوڑے كے بنے هوئے كهلونوں سے كهيلنے كي اجازت دي تهي. عنقريب حديث نمبر 128 ميں ذكر هوگا.
ميں كهتا هوں يه حديث غير مجسم تصويروں كو بهي شامل هے، كيونكه يه مطلق هے اور اس كے راوي سيدنا ابن عباس رضى الله عنه نے آپ صلى الله عليه وسلم سے يهي سمجها. اگر يه مجسم تصويروں كے ساته هي خاص هوتي تو آپ صلى الله عليه وسلم سائل پر اتني سختي نه فرماتے بلكه اس كے ليے غير مجسم تصويريں، جو ذي روح چيزوں كي هيں بهي جائز قرار ديتے جيسا كه يه بالكل عياں هے.
اور صحابي كا فهم حجت هوتا هے خصوصا جبكه وه حديث كا راوي بهي هو. اور علم اصول كے قواعد بهي اس كي پر زور تائيد كرتے هيں اور دوسري نصوص بهي اس كي هم نوا هيں. جيسا كه پهلے گزر چكا هے. يهي وجه هے كه امام نووي رحمه الله نے اس مذهب كو غلط قرار ديا هے جس ميں ان تصويروں كي اجازت دي گئي هے جن كا سايه نهيں، يعني غير مجسم هيں. مزيد گفتگو حديث 134 كے تحت بيان كروں گا. (ناصر الدين الباني رحمه الله)
Meaning, the responsibility of giving it a real soul will be imposed, and imposing this responsibility means rendering it powerless and blaming it.
The wisdom behind declaring statues forbidden:
(a) There are several wisdoms behind declaring statues forbidden. Among them is the wisdom of protecting monotheism and avoiding resemblance to the behavior of idolaters, because idolaters make pictures and idols with their own hands, then declare them sacred and stand before them in a posture of reverence.
Islam is very sensitive regarding monotheism, and its caution and sensitivity in this matter are entirely justified because the nations that made pictures of their predecessors and righteous people as memorials eventually began to regard those personalities as sacred, made them deities, started worshiping them, feared them, hoped from them, and visited their shrines to seek blessings. Thus, the worshipers of Wadd, Suwa', Yaghuth, Ya'uq, and Nasr, the elders, did the same.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir: Chapter on the Interpretation of Surah Nuh, Hadith: 4920
Islam’s sensitivity in this matter is neither surprising nor astonishing because it is a religion that wants to block all sources of corruption and close all loopholes through which clear or hidden polytheism can infiltrate the heart and mind, or through which resemblance to idolaters and extremists in religion can arise. Islam’s strictness in this matter is also justified because this Shariah is not for the people of one era only but for all humanity, wherever they live in the world, and not for a specific time but until the Day of Judgment.
(b) One reason for the prohibition of pictures is that the sculptor or painter falls into the false delusion that he has brought the statue or picture into existence from non-existence or has created a living creature from clay. This is confirmed by incidents. For example, it is narrated that a person, after long continuous effort, carved a statue. When the statue was fully completed, he stood before it, admired its features and beauty, and became proud and arrogant to the extent that, intoxicated with pride, he spoke to it: "Speak! Speak!"
For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إن الذين يصنعون هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة يقال لهم أحيوا ما خلقتم
"Those who make such pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them: 'Give life to what you have created.'"
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Clothing: Chapter on the Punishment of Image Makers on the Day of Resurrection, Hadith: 5951 - Muslim, Book of Clothing, Chapter on the Prohibition of Animal Pictures, Hadith: 2108
The hadith states that Allah Almighty says:
ومن أظلم ممن ذهب يخلق كخلقي فليخلقوا ذرة فليخلقوا شعيرة
"Who is more unjust than one who tries to create like My creation? Let them produce even a tiny grain or a barley grain."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Clothing, Chapter on Breaking Images, Hadith: 5953 - Muslim, Hadith: 2111
(c) Those who adopt this art and proceed towards their goal do not stop at any limit. They begin to make pictures of naked and semi-naked women. They do not refrain from making idols of polytheism or symbols of other religions, such as crosses and idols. However, making such pictures is in no way permissible for a Muslim.
(d) Furthermore, it is also a fact that statues are among the manifestations of luxury and indulgence. The wealthy and pleasure-seekers have always had the custom of decorating their palaces with statues and adorning rooms with pictures, as well as commissioning statues made of various metals to display craftsmanship. Therefore, it is not unlikely that a religion which has fought against all forms and manifestations of luxury would not tolerate the presence of statues in the homes of Muslims and would declare them forbidden.
The Method of Memorializing Personalities in Islam:
It may occur to someone to ask whether the nation should not repay the favors of those great personalities who have inscribed their achievements on the glorious pages of history by erecting their material statues so that coming generations remember their grace and nobility? Often, the memories fade from the minds of nations, and the cycle of day and night causes them to forget. The answer to this is that Islam dislikes exaggeration in honoring personalities, no matter how high their status is, whether they are alive or dead. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:
لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى عيسى بن مريم فإنما أنا عبده قولوا عبد الله ورسوله
“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising Jesus son of Mary; I am only a servant. So say: Allah’s servant and His Messenger.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of the Prophets, Chapter on the Saying of Allah the Exalted (And mention in the Book Mary ....) Hadith: 3445, 6830
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, wanted to stand out of respect for the Prophet, peace be upon him, but he forbade them and said:
لا تقوموا كما تقوم الأعاجم يعظم بعضها بعضا
“Do not stand like the Persians do; they stand to honor one another.”
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Manners, Chapter: A man stands for another man to honor him, Hadith: 5230 - (and its chain is weak)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, warned the Ummah not to exaggerate in his honor after his departure from this world. He said:
لا تجعلوا قبري عيدا
“Do not make my grave a place of celebration.”
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Pilgrimage, Chapter: Visiting Graves, Hadith: 2042
And he himself prayed to his Lord in this manner:
اللهم لا تجعل قبرى وثنا يعبد
“O Allah! Do not make my grave an idol to be worshiped.”
Reference: Muwatta Imam Malik (1/172), Book of Shortening Prayer on Travel, Chapter: Comprehensive Prayer, Hadith: 85, Mursal - narrated by Ahmad (2/246) and others from the hadith of Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him
Some people came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, addressing him like this: “O Messenger of Allah! O our best personality! O son of our best personality! O our leader and O son of our leader!” Upon hearing this, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
يا أيها الناس قولوا بقولكم أو بعض قولكم، ولا يستهوينكم الشيطان، أنا محمد عبد الله ورسوله، ما أحب أن ترفعوني فوق منزلتي التى أنزلني الله عز وجل
“O people! Continue to address me as you have been doing. May Satan not deceive you. I am Muhammad, Allah’s servant and His Messenger. I do not like that you assign to me a rank higher than that which Allah has given me.”
Reference: Musnad Ahmad (3/153) - An-Nasa’i in Al-Kubra (6/71) Hadith: 10078, 10077 - and in Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (Hadith: 249, 248) - Musnad Abd ibn Humayd (1309, 1337)
Islam’s stance on honoring humans is not that statues of personalities should be erected like idols and thousands of rupees spent on them so that people point to them with reverence and respect. False claimants of greatness and those who fabricate false histories use this tactic to mislead nations and prevent them from becoming acquainted with their true leaders.
True permanence, which the believers await, is with Allah, who knows all hidden matters and never errs. Many great personalities’ names are recorded in His register of permanence, yet they remain unknown to creation. This is because Allah loves those who are righteous, pious, and anonymous. When they are present in a gathering, they cannot be recognized, and when absent, no one searches for them. If people desire permanence, it cannot be achieved by erecting statues.
The only way, which is also preferred in Islam, is that the memory of these personalities becomes firmly established in hearts and minds and is spoken on tongues. The good deeds they performed and the noble legacies they left will cause truthful voices to be raised for them in coming generations. The memories of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the leaders of Islam, and the great Imams were not established through material images nor were stone statues carved for them. Rather, the successors transmitted their achievements and virtues from their predecessors and ancestors, their good mention remained on tongues, gatherings were fragrant with their remembrance, and hearts and minds were enchanted by their deeds. How many great memorials have been established without pictures or statues!
ايسے جانبازوں اور سر بكف تاريخ كے روشن چهرے پر كارنامے ثبت كرنے والے اور اخلاص كا بيچ بونے والے، ان كي يادگار ان كي چهوڑي هوئيں كتابيں، ان كي سوانح پر لكهي گئي كتابيں بهي بهترين يادگار هوتي هيں، ان كے قائم كرده علمي مراكز بهي ان كي يادگار كے منه بولتے هيں، جس كي مثاليں احاطه تحرير و بيان سے باهر هيں.
