Islam and Picture-Making
*Published 50 years ago* By: Shaikh Mustufaa Hamami rahimahullah of Egypt The Messenger of Allah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: “The Angels do not enter a home in which there is a dog or a picture.” Imam Nawawi rahimahullah writes in his Sharhul Muslim regarding the above-quoted Hadith: “The Ulama have said that the reason for the non-entry of the Angels in a house wherein there is a picture is the fact that it (picture) is an open sin and in it is the imitation of Allah Ta'ala's creation. Some pictures are images of objects which are being worshipped. The reason Angels do not enter a house where there is a dog is that a dog eats much najaasat (impure things). The Hadith has referred to some dogs as Shaitaan. And Shaitaan is the antithesis of Angels. Dogs have in them a very bad odour as well, and Angels detest bad odours. Keeping dogs is forbidden under Shariah. Therefore, the punishment for keeping dogs is that such a person is deprived of the visits of the Angels, th...