Aisha had a thick curtain (having pictures on it) and she screened the side of her i house with it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to her, "Remove it from my sight, for its pictures are still coming to my mind in my prayers."
Hadith Commentary - Sahih al-Bukhari 5959
This narration from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) contains profound legal and spiritual wisdom regarding the prohibition of images and their effect on worship.
The Nature of the Prohibition
The Prophet's command to remove the curtain demonstrates that images of animate beings are forbidden when they possess shadows or are raised above the ground, as this curtain was hung as a screening partition.
Scholars explain that such images compete with Allah's creative power and may lead to idolatry or distraction in worship.
Spiritual Distraction in Prayer
The Prophet's statement "its pictures are still coming to my mind in my prayers" reveals how visual stimuli can disrupt khushu' (devotion and concentration) during salah.
This teaches Muslims to purify their prayer spaces from anything that may divert attention from Allah, emphasizing the importance of complete focus in worship.
Practical Application
This hadith establishes the obligation to remove images from places of prayer and living spaces when they cause distraction.
The ruling applies particularly to images with complete features that resemble Allah's creation, while landscapes and inanimate objects are generally permitted according to most scholars.