37/26. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2109c — Paint Trees and Lifeless Things If Needed
The Prohibition Of Making Images Of Living Beings, And The Prohibition Of Using Images That Are Not Subjected To Disrespect In Furnishings And The Like; The Angels (Peace Be Upon Them) Do Not Enter A House In Which There Is An Image Or A Dog
Hadith About Image Makers and Lifeless Things Like Trees
Sahih Muslim : 2109c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2109c
وَحَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورٌ، عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ صُبَيْحٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ مَسْرُوقٍ فِي بَيْتٍ فِيهِ تَمَاثِيلُ مَرْيَمَ . فَقَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ هَذَا تَمَاثِيلُ كِسْرَى . فَقُلْتُ لاَ هَذَا تَمَاثِيلُ مَرْيَمَ . فَقَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ أَمَا إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْمُصَوِّرُونَ " . قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى نَصْرِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ أُصَوِّرُ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرَ فَأَفْتِنِي فِيهَا . فَقَالَ لَهُ ادْنُ مِنِّي . فَدَنَا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ادْنُ مِنِّي . فَدَنَا حَتَّى وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ قَالَ أُنَبِّئُكَ بِمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " كُلُّ مُصَوِّرٍ فِي النَّارِ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ صُورَةٍ صَوَّرَهَا نَفْسًا فَتُعَذِّبُهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ " . وَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً فَاصْنَعِ الشَّجَرَ وَمَا لاَ نَفْسَ لَهُ . فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ .
Muslim b. Subaih reported: I was with Masriuq in the house which had the portrayals of Mary (hadrat Maryan). Thereupon Masriuq said: These are portraits of Kisra. I said: No, these are of Mary. Masruq said: I heard Abdullah b, Mas'ud as saying Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said: The most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. (Muslim said): I read this before Nasr b. 'Ali at-Jahdami and he read it before other narrators, the last one being Ibn Sa'id b Abl at Hasan that a person came to Ibn 'Abbas and said: I am the person who paints pictures; give me a religious verdict about them. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said to him: Come near me (still further). He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said: I am going to narrate to yor what I heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). I heard him say: All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell, and he (Ibn 'Abbas) said: If you have to do it at all, then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things; and Nasr b. 'Ali confirmed it.
[1] That is because at the beginning of the chain of narration, Imâm Muslim said: "I read the following before Naṣr bin 'Alî Al-Jahḍamî." And his approval of it, means that he approved of it, and that it be narrated upon his authority.Reference : Sahih Muslim 2109c, 2110aIn-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 152USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 24, Hadith 5272
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2109c
This narration brings together two related reports about image making. Muslim b. Subaih was with Masruq in a house that had portrayals, and Masruq quoted 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: the painters of pictures would face severe torment on the Day of Resurrection. Then another report mentions a man who told Ibn 'Abbas that he made pictures and asked for a verdict. Ibn 'Abbas narrated that every picture maker would be in the Fire, and each picture would be given a soul to punish him. He then said that if the man had to do it, he should make trees and things that have no soul. This is very relevant for searches about image makers hadith, trees and lifeless things hadith, and pictures in Islam hadith.
What we learn from this hadith
- Masruq quoted the warning about painters of pictures.
- Ibn 'Abbas answered the picture maker with a hadith he heard from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The report mentions trees and things without a soul as the stated alternative if he had to do it.
