Hadith regarding keeping dolls

7-10-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am looking for a Hadith that testifies the keeping of dolls and other related materials are forbidden at home.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We do not know any Hadith that prohibits keeping dolls and the like for children in a house. Imam Nawawi may Allaah have mercy upon him said: ‘Toys for girls are exempted from the ruling of prohibition of making the three dimensional pictures’. The evidence for this permission is the Hadith of ‘Aaishah may Allaah have mercy upon him who said: “I had some friends and used to play with them, when the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) enters in the house they would restrain from playing. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) brings them to me and then we play together” [Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Among the toys of ‘Aaishah may Allaah be pleased with her there was a horse with two wings, and she used to keep it in the house of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).

However, it is dislikeable for a Muslim to keep such toys in the place of prayer to avoid any distraction. Other than the toys of children the pictures of living beings are forbidden as reported in many sound Ahadith. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “The people who will receive the severest punishment (on the Day of Judgment) from Allah will be the picture makers”.

Allah knows best.

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