Tuesday 9 Ramadan 1445 - 19 March 2024
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Is It Haram to Have Pictures on Your Wall?

Question

Concerning pictures of parents in the house, I have my own picture hanging, of my uncle and parents, what should I do with them?

Summary of answer

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) strongly forbade hanging pictures (of animate beings) and he commanded ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, “Do not leave any picture without blotting it out and do not leave any built-up grave without levelling it.”

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

You have to hasten to remove these pictures at once, because it was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) strongly forbade hanging pictures, and he commanded his great Companion ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, “Do not leave any picture without blotting it out and do not leave any built-up grave without levelling it.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1/66)

Hanging up pictures of animate beings deprives the people of that house of a great blessing, which is the entrance of angels into that house.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The angels do not enter a house in which there are statues or pictures.” (Narrated by Imaam Ahmad; see also Sahih al-Jami’, 1961)

You can replace them, if you wish, with pictures of inanimate objects, such as trees, mountains, oceans and other natural scenes, or other drawings of inanimate objects, without being extravagant or wasteful.

As for the pictures which are hanging, you have to remove them and blot them out or burn them; do not keep them

It is worth noting that hanging up pictures of the dead is one of the things that renews grief and serves no useful purpose; it may even lead to some kind of veneration which goes against Tawhid. 

Let us not forget that the shirk committed by the people of Nuh (peace be upon him) started because they set up pictures and images of some righteous people who had lived among them. So be very careful. May Allah help us and you to do all that pleases Him and earns His forgiveness! 

And Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad!

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Source: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid