Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Allah the Exalted revealed: And We caused a fount of (molten) brass to flow for him, and there were jinns that worked in front of him by the Leave of his Lord, and whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause him to taste of the torment of the blazing Fire. They worked for him what he desired, (making) high rooms, images, basins as large as reservoirs, and (making) cauldrons fixed (in their places). 'Work you, 0 family of David, with thanks!" But few of My slaves are grateful.

Then when we decreed death for him (Solomon), nothing informed them (jinns) of his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing a way at his stick, so when he fell down, the jinns saw clearly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment. Surah 34: 12-14

In the above verse, Allah Almighty says the jinns made ‘images’ for Hazrat Sulaiman (AS), whereas when the Holy Prophet (pbuh) entered the now-conquered land of Mecca, he had all pictures (images?) of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Jibrael (AS) saying ‘do they not know that angels refuse to enter places that harbour pictures!’

In another hadith, (taken from Sahih Bukhari):

Volumn 004, Book 054, Hadith Number 447.

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Narated By 'Aisha : I stuffed for the Prophet a pillow decorated with pictures (of animals) which looked like a Namruqa (i.e. a small cushion). He came and stood among the people with excitement apparent on his face. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is wrong?" He said, "What is this pillow?" I said, "I have prepared this pillow for you, so that you may recline on it." He said, "Don't you know that angels do not enter a house wherein there are pictures; and whoever makes a picture will be punished on the Day of Resurrection and will be asked to give life to (what he has created)?"

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Jinns made images for Sulaiman (a.s)

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Arabic term ‘tamatheel’ used in the text of the Quran is a plural of the word ‘timthaal’ which means every such thing as is made to resemble a natural thing, and it could be both: animate or non-animate objects. The term ‘Tamatheel’ as used in the Quran does not necessarily imply that the ‘images’ made for the Noble Prophet Solomon (a.s.) were pictures of images of human beings and/or animals. They might have been floral designs or natural landscapes or different kinds of non-animate decorations with which the Prophet Solomon (a.s.) might have used to decorate his buildings. The Arabic term that is specifically used for images of animate objects is ‘sanam’ (plural asnaam), and the making of images of animate objects has always been prohibited in all the Shariahs revealed by Allah Subhanah.

The making of sculptured images and pictures of animate objects were always deemed forbidden by all the Prophets of Allah, as they are prohibited in the Shariah brought by Prophet Mohamed (saws). Prophet Solomon (a.s.), being a Prophet to the Bani Israel used to follow the Laws of the Torah; and the making of images of animate objects is strictly forbidden in the Old Testament. Thus it would be inconceivable to even imagine that the Noble Prophet Solomon (a.s.) would ever do anything against the Guidance of Allah Subhanah.

Book of Deutronomy 4:16-18

Lest you curropt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air. The likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth.

Book of Exodus 20:4

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thus in the Mosiac Law as in the Shariah brought by Prophet Mohamed (saws), the making of images of ‘animate’ objects was always considered haraam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan