The Book of Adornment - Sunan an-Nasa'i 5354

"In my house there was a cloth on which were images, which I put in a niche of the house, and the Messenger of Allah [SAW] used to pray facing it. Then he said: 'O 'Aishah, take it away from me.' So I took it down and made it into pillows.'"

Scholarly Commentary

This narration demonstrates the prohibition of images with souls in places of prayer. The Prophet initially prayed facing the cloth, but later commanded its removal, indicating the gravity of the matter.

Scholars explain that images depicting animate beings are forbidden in prayer areas as they may distract from devotion to Allah alone. The transformation into pillows shows permissible use when the images are no longer displayed prominently.

This hadith establishes that while images themselves are not inherently impure, their placement in prayer direction violates the sanctity of worship. The Prophet's gradual approach reflects divine wisdom in implementing rulings.

Legal Rulings Derived

Prayer facing images of animate beings is invalidated according to majority scholarly opinion.

Images may be repurposed in ways that diminish their display, such as making them into cushions or floor coverings.

The prohibition applies specifically to images with complete features; incomplete images or those without heads may be less severe in ruling.