Praise be to Allah.
We have already explained that it is haram to manufacture these statues, and that there is a stern warning concerning that and that we are commanded to destroy them. See the answer to question no. 7222. This ruling applies equally to images of anything that has a soul, whether it is a human being or an animal.
Based on that, with regard to the ruling on selling these pictures and images, there is no doubt that if it is haram to manufacture them and keep them, it is also haram to buy and sell them. It is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that it was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say in the year of the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, what about the fat from dead meat (i.e., from animals that have died of natural causes)? For it is used to caulk ships and to grease hides, and people use it in their lamps.” He said: “No, it is haram.” Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May Allah curse the Jews, for when Allah forbade animal fat, they rendered it and sold it, and consumed its price.” Al-Bukhaari, 2236; Muslim, 1581.
Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth indicates that whatever we are forbidden to eat or make use of, it is not permissible to sell it or to consume its price.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that if a thing is forbidden in and of itself, its price is also forbidden.
What al-Qaadi and Ibn Hajar mentioned is also proven in a version of this hadeeth that was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah have mercy on him), at the end of which it says: “When Allah forbids eating a thing, He also forbids its price.” [Musnad Ahmad, no. 2223].
Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible for a Muslim to sell statues and make a living from that?
He replied:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to deal in statues, because it is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth that it is haram to make images or statues of animate beings at all or to keep them. Undoubtedly dealing in them means that one is propagating them and helping others to make images and set them up in homes, clubs and so on.
If that is haram, then income earned by selling them is also haram. It is not permissible for a Muslim to make a living from that or to buy food or clothing with that money. If a person does that then he must get rid of that money and repent to Allah, and Allah will accept his repentance. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
We have issued a fatwa stating that it is haram to make images of any animate beings, whether the images are three-dimensional or not, and whether they are made by carving, copying, drawing or with a camera.
Al-Jawaab al-Mufeed fi Hukm al-Tasweer by Shaykh Ibn Baz, 49-50.
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