She put up a curtain on which there were images, then the Messenger of Allah [SAW] came in and took it down, so she cut it up (and made) two pillows. A man in the gathering there whose name was Rabi'ah bin 'Ata' said: "I heard Abu Muhammad - meaning Al-Qasim - narrate that 'Aishah said: 'The Messenger of Allah [SAW] used to recline on them.'"
The Book of Adornment - Sunan an-Nasa'i 5355
She put up a curtain on which there were images, then the Messenger of Allah [SAW] came in and took it down, so she cut it up (and made) two pillows. A man in the gathering there whose name was Rabi'ah bin 'Ata' said: "I heard Abu Muhammad - meaning Al-Qasim - narrate that 'Aishah said: 'The Messenger of Allah [SAW] used to recline on them.'"
Commentary on the Prohibition of Images
This hadith establishes the clear prohibition of keeping images of animate beings in living spaces. The Prophet's immediate action of removing the curtain demonstrates that this matter is not merely disliked but forbidden. The scholars explain that images of living creatures are prohibited because they imitate Allah's creative act and may lead to idolatry or distraction from worship.
Wisdom in the Transformation
The wisdom in cutting the curtain into pillows shows how Muslims should handle prohibited items when possible - by transforming them into permissible forms. By making pillows, the images were no longer displayed prominently but used in a manner where they would be sat upon or leaned against, thus diminishing any reverence that might be given to them.
The Prophet's Practical Demonstration
The final part of the narration where the Prophet reclined on these pillows contains profound wisdom. It demonstrates that once the prohibited nature of the item was removed through transformation, there was no remaining prohibition. His using the pillows showed his companions that the prohibition was specific to the form as images, not the material itself, and taught the principle of making lawful use of what becomes permissible.