Aslam

Praise be to Allah.The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) interpreted

ruqam in two ways:

(i)That it refers to images in carpets and similar items, which

are walked on and are not treated in a respectful manner like pillows.

This is allowed, because the Messenger

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) allowed it. What is meant

is that he allowed their use, but making images is not allowed.

(ii)That it refers to decorations on garments, apart from pictures

or images. Decoration on clothing is fine and does not come under the

ruling on images. What is forbidden is images of animate beings, human

or otherwise, because it was reported that the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered upon ‘Aa’ishah and

saw a garment on which there was an image. He got angry and tore it

down, and said, “The makers of these images will be punished on the

Day of Resurrection, and they will be told, ‘Give life to that which

you have created.’ ‘Aa’ishah said: So I made it into two pillows on

which the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) could recline.  Al-Nasaa’i narrated with

a saheeh isnaad from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that

the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) had an appointment with Jibreel, and he was late,

so he went out to him and found him waiting for him (outside). Jibreel

said to him: “In the house there is a statue, and a curtain with images

on it, and a dog. Go and break the head off the statue so that it will

look like a tree, and go and make two pillows out of the curtain that

will be thrown on the floor and stepped on, and go and throw the dog

out.” The Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him) went and did that, then Jibreel (peace be upon

him) came in. Abu Hurayrah said: the dog was a puppy underneath a bed

in the house, which has been brought in by al-Hasan and al-Husayn.