Statues/images

some rumor - hadiths ?**

In order to get to the root of the matter, the attitude of the monotheistic religions which came before Islam toward art, as reflected in the sacred books, should be examined. There are no clear statements in the pre-Islamic holy books or in the Qur'an and hadiths (sayings of the Prophet) that clearly define art. The term “esthetic” is a new concept and in the holy texts “beauty” usually means goodness. While  the information found in the holy books is more moral advice, it also gives information about the fundamental qualities of art.

Since the creation of a visual work of art is commonly equated with the creation of  a picture or statue, when art in Islam is mentioned, the focus is on the prohibition of pictures and the debates on the legitimacy of this matter.

 The Old Testament states that, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them” (Exodus 20:4-5). Thus, the limits of art were defined, and the prohibition on the creation of images is found in the second of the   Ten Commandments given to Moses.

The New Testament, although not in as much detail as is found the Old Testament, explains through the use of various comparisons of beauty and goodness that harmony and balance are necessary and that efforts should be sincere:

• “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things” (Matthew 12:34-35).
• “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up taketh the garment, and the rent is made worse” (Matthew 9:16).
• “Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Other than the above statements, nothing is said about art and images in the New Testament. As can be understood from these statements, just as the monotheistic religions attempted to establish order, unity, integrity, harmony and sincerity in life, the same values are sought in art. While the New Testament indicates that Jesus came to complete the laws brought by Moses, it does not contain any information rescinding the prohibition on images in the Old Testament. The iconoclastic movement was one of the more striking events that this prohibition brought about.

In the Qur'an, the last book of the monotheistic religions to be revealed, there is nothing which forbids the production of pictures, statues and similar works of art. However, there are some verses in the Qur'an which can be related to art:

• “So blessed be Allah, the most beautiful!” (Muminun 23:14).

It can be understood “the most beautiful” refers to Allah, the most beautiful Creator and the most beautiful. The creations of man are only individual efforts of artistic creation which interpret the beauty created by Allah.

• “Look at Allah’s dye. And who has a better dye than Allah’s? And we are His worshippers”(Al-Baqara 2:138).
• “He has created the heavens and the earth in just proportions, and has given you shape, and made your shapes beautiful: and to Him is the final goal” (Al-Tagabun 64:3).
• “And the Firmament has He raised up, and He has set up the Balance of Justice”(Al-Rahman 55:7).
• “We have indeed created man in the best of molds” (Al-Tin 95:4).
• “But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): Little thanks do ye give!”(Al-Sajda 32:9).
• “Verily in the heavens and the earth, are Signs for those who believe”(Al-Jathiya 45:3)

 Much of the commentary on this event states that the Prophet took the curtain down because the pictures distracted him during prayer, but the position of the curtain is not fully explained. This curtain is indirectly referred to in the Qur'an: “If you ask his wives for anything, speak to them behind a curtain. This is more chaste for your hearts and their hearts” (Ahzap 33:53). This curtain could be a curtain dividing a section of a house or a curtain covering the entrance door. There is a strong possibility the curtain mentioned in Surat al-Hujurat is the curtain that covered the door leading to the rooms of the Prophet’s wives in the Masjid-i Nabi. In other words, this curtain covered an opening in the wall of the Masjid-i Nabi that served as a door. The front side of the curtain must have directly faced the masjid and the back side faced the room. While the Prophet did not object to material with pictures on it being made into a pillowcase, he, as a prophet dedicated to the struggle against idolatry, was not be pleased with these pictures on the door in the wall of the masjid. It should be noted that after the material was made into a pillowcase, the pictures remained on the material. The only thing that changed was the location of the pictures.

If the Prophet’s life is examined, it is immediately clear how his understanding of life was full of esthetic feelings. This hadith narrated by Ibn Sa’d is a good example of this:

• One day the Prophet went to a funeral. After noticing a slight mistake in the engraving on the grave, he immediately ordered that it be corrected. Someone asked if this would bother the deceased. He said, “Actually these kinds of things do not bother the dead or make them uncomfortable, but the purpose is to make it attractive to the living.”

These words of the Prophet, who wanted a visually displeasing flaw to be corrected on a grave that was going to be covered with dirt in a few minutes, make up the essence of the Islamic understanding of art: “Allah is beautiful and loves beauty” (Tirmizi, Manners: 41; Muslim, Faith: 147). This essence is found in the small details which grew out of the belief of tawhid (unity). In order toadhere to these fine points, it is necessary to follow the path made clear by Allah. ( by aziz doğanay)

''Image-making (tasweer) is a controversial issue among Muslims due to the prophetic traditions that strongly prohibit pictures associated with idolatry and rivaling Allah’s creation. However, the Prophet made a concession regarding images and modern scholars have allowed images if they serve a useful purpose.

 Scholars say that this permission was abrogated by the advent of Islam. However, the verse is still evidence that images are not in themselves an unlawful major sin, because previous prophets cannot commit major sins. In fact, the Prophet made an exception to the prohibition of image-making in some specific cases.

 Therefore, we do not see any harm in images, pictures, and photography if it serves a useful purpose such as education, identification, and entertainment for children. However, if there is no need for the use of images, then it may be better for Muslims to be cautious and avoid them as was done by some of the companions.

Allah the Exalted said: Who is more unjust then he who considers his creation as My creation? Let him create an ant, or a grain of wheat or barely.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 7120, Grade: Sahih

So the reason image-makers are punished is because they intended to rival Allah’s creation or to use images for idol-worship.

Furthermore, it is confirmed in the Quran that the law of previous prophets did not completely forbid images.''

background: Some think that statues and images are forbidden completely in Islam no matter what situation or context.

In The Quran there is one example of Prophet Solomon who had workers make as he pleased, including statues/images:

They made for Solomon what he desired of enclosures, and statues/images, and pools of deep reservoirs, and heavy pots. "O family of David, work to show thanks." Only a few of My servants are appreciative. [34:13]

Thus, The Quran does not prohibit such things completely, it only prohibits being devoted to them or their worship:

When Abraham said to his father and his people: What are these images/statues to which you are devoted?
They said: We found our fathers worshipping them.
He said: Certainly you have been, (both) you and your fathers, in manifest error.
[21:52-54]

To prevent such misuse, it is likely their use would be limited, but that does not mean forbidden completely.

Say: “Who has forbidden the nice things that God has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?” Say: “They are meant for those who believe during this worldly life, and they will be exclusive for them on the Day of Resurrection.” It is such that We explain the revelations for those who know. [7:32]


SOURCE:
Misconceptions About Islam.com