"The Messenger of Allah [SAW] went out, then he came in, and I had hung up a curtain on which there were (images of) horses with wings. When he saw it, he said: 'Get rid of it.'"
The Prohibition of Image-Making
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 5352 demonstrates the clear prohibition of creating images of animate beings, particularly those with souls. The Prophet's immediate command to remove the curtain containing winged horse images establishes the gravity of this matter in Islamic law.
Scholarly Commentary
Classical scholars explain that images of animate beings are forbidden due to their imitation of Allah's creative act. The winged horses depicted represent a form of tasweer (image-making) that arrogates divine prerogative. Even decorative images fall under this prohibition when they depict creatures with souls.
Imam an-Nawawi states in his commentary that all images of animate beings are reprehensible, whether they are raised (as in sculpture) or flat (as in drawings). The presence of wings on the horses does not mitigate the prohibition, as the fundamental issue remains the depiction of living creatures.
Practical Implications
This hadith from The Book of Adornment teaches Muslims to maintain the purity of their homes from prohibited images. Scholars deduce that images used for children's education or necessary identification purposes may be permitted by necessity, but decorative images of animate beings remain prohibited.
The immediate removal commanded by the Prophet indicates that such objects should not be kept in Muslim households, regardless of their artistic value or sentimental attachment.