Question 947: What should be done with things like pen holders, etc., that are made in the shape of human or animal statues, or carpets and paintings that have faces?
Answer
✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:
1 عَبْداللَّه بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الرِّضَا يَقُولُ قَالَ قَائِلٌ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ يَجْلِسُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى بِسَاطٍ فِيهِ تَمَاثِيلُ فَقَالَ الْأَعَاجِمُ تُعَظِّمُهُ وَ إِنَّا لَنَمْتَهِنُهُ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 477
Abdullah ibn Mughirah said: I heard Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him) saying: A person said to Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): 'Does a person sit on a carpet on which there is an image?' He said: 'The non-Arabs respect and glorify it, but we despise it (we sit on it to show disdain)!'
2 Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a narration about images that are in a house: 'Anything that is stepped upon is fine!'
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 527
3 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: لَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ تَكُونَ التَّمَاثِيلُ فِي الْبُيُوتِ إِذَا غُيِّرَتْ رُءُوسُهَا مِنْهَا وَ تُرِكَ مَا سِوَى ذَلِك
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 527
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'There is no problem with images being in houses, provided that their heads are altered and the rest of them are left!'
4 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه قَالَ: كَانَتْ لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَسَائِدُ وَ أَنْمَاطٌ فِيهَا تَمَاثِيلُ يَجْلِسُ عَلَيْهَا
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 577
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Imam al-Sajjad (peace be upon him) had pillows and carpets on which there were images, and he used to sit on them!'
5 عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْكِنْدِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَ كَانَ صَاحِبَ مِطْهَرَةِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ جَبْرَئِيلُ إِنَّا لَا نَدْخُلُ بَيْتاً فِيهِ تِمْثَالٌ لَا يُوطَأُ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 528
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Jibril (Gabriel) said: 'We do not enter a house in which there is an image that is not stepped upon!'
6 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ قَدْ أُهْدِيَتْ إِلَيَّ طِنْفِسَةٌ مِنَ الشَّامِ فِيهَا تَمَاثِيلُ طَائِرٍ فَأَمَرْتُ بِهِ فَغُيِّرَ رَأْسُهُ فَجُعِلَ كَهَيْئَةِ الشَّجَر
📚 Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 132
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'A mat from Syria was gifted to me on which there were images of birds, so I ordered their heads to be altered and turned into the shape of trees!'
7 علي بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عن أَخِيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قال: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ مَسْجِدٍ يَكُونُ فِيهِ تَصَاوِيرُ وَ تَمَاثِيلُ يُصَلَّى فِيهِ فَقَالَ تُكَسَّرُ رُءُوسُ التَّمَاثِيلِ وَ تُلَطَّخُ رُءُوسُ التَّصَاوِيرِ وَ يُصَلَّى فِيهِ و لَا بَأْس
📚 Qurbal-Isnad, p. 94
Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) about a mosque in which one prays, and in which there are images and statues. The Imam said: 'The heads of the statues should be broken, and the heads of the images should be scratched out and defaced, and one can pray in it, and there is no problem!'
7 عَلِيِّ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ قال: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْبَيْتِ فِيهِ صُورَةُ سَمَكَةٍ أَوْ طَيْرٍ أَوْ شِبْهِهَا يَعْبَثُ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْبَيْتِ هَلْ تَصْلُحُ الصَّلَاةُ فِيهِ فَقَال لَا حَتَّى يُقْطَعَ رَأْسُهُ مِنْهُ وَ يُفْسَدَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ صَلَّى فَلَيْسَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِعَادَةٌ
📚 Mahasin, p. 620
Ali ibn Ja'far said: I asked Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) about a room in which there is a picture of a fish or a bird or the like, and the family plays with it, if it is permissible to pray in it. He said: 'No! Unless its head is cut off and it is defaced. And if one has prayed, he does not have to repeat the prayer!'
8 عن أَبي عبداللَّه قال: قال أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَة فَقَالَ لَا تَدَعْ صُورَةً إِلَّا مَحَوْتَهَا وَ لَا قَبْراً إِلَّا سَوَّيْتَهُ و لَا كَلْباً إِلَّا قَتَلْتَهُ
📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 528
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: 'The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) sent me to Medina and said: 'Do not leave any image unless you erase and wipe it out, nor any grave unless you level it, nor any dog unless you kill it!''
✅According to the above narrations, there is no problem with carpets and pictorial coverings that are trodden upon and sat on being in the house. The heads of other images should be erased and scratched out, and the heads of statues should be broken and altered, and turned into the shape of trees and the like, while the rest of the statue is left as it is, and there is no need to completely break and discard them.