Aslam

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:

it is not permissible to engrave aayaat from the Qur’aan or the Name of

Allaah on metals or stone, because this is not the purpose for which these

aayaat were revealed, and because there is the fear that this would expose

these aayaat and the Name of Allaah to disrespect.

Secondly:

using these signs of the zodiac is an idea that comes from jaahiliyyah and

the Muslim is obliged to steer clear of this and of everything that could

lead to a revival of these jaahili ideas. This is in addition to the fact

that they involve pictures of animate beings. On this basis it is not

permissible to make or collect jewellery that bears these images, or to

pray wearing such items.

Thirdly

and fourthly: the ahaadeeth which forbid images of animate beings are

general in meaning and include all images which are called images of

living beings. This also includes images of the head, so on this basis it

is not permissible to make these pieces.

Selling

and buying pictures of animate beings is not permitted, because it was

reported that the Messenger of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah

be upon him) said:

“Allaah

and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and

idols.” (Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 3/43; Muslim, 3/1207).

This

prohibition exists also because it may lead to exaggerated ideas about

those who are represented in the pictures, as happened in the case of the

people of Nooh. In Saheeh al-Imaam al-Bukhaari, it is reported that

concerning the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “And

they have said: ‘You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave

Wadd, nor Suwaa‘, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya‘ooq nor Nasr’” [Nooh

71:23],

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “These were the

names of righteous people among the people of Nooh. When they died, the

Shaytaan inspired their people to set up stone altars in the places where

they used to sit, and these were named after them. So they did this, but

they did not worship them. But when that generation died and knowledge was

lost, the worship of these people began.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6/73). And

there are many other texts which also forbid making and using images of

living beings.

This

applies to anything that is in the form of an animate creature. With

regard to items on which there are pictures of animate beings, whether

those items are made of gold, silver, paper, fabric or are tools, if they

are circulated among people in order to be hung on walls etc. in a manner

which is not considered disrespectful, then it is haraam to deal in them,

because of the comprehensive nature of the evidence which states that

making images is haraam. But if the item on which there is an image is to

be used in a manner that implies disrespect, such as a tool used for

cutting, a carpet that will be stepped on, a pillow that will be slept on,

etc., then this is permissible, because of the report narrated in al-Saheehayn

from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), in which she said

that she hung up a curtain on which there were images, and the Messenger

of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) tore it down.

She said: I cut it up and made two pillows out of it, and he used to

recline upon them. According to a version narrated by Ahmad: I cut it up

and made two cushions out of it, and I saw him reclining on one of them

and there was an image on it. (al-Bukhaari,6/103,

214, 247; Muslim,3/1168-1169, no. 2107).

We should note that making images of animate beings is haraam and such

images should not be used in crafts, on clothing or in anything else,

because of the evidence referred to above.

Fifthly:

it is not permissible to make jewellery that bears the symbols of kufr,

such as crosses and stars of David. It is not permissible to buy or sell

such items.

Sixthly: it is not permissible to sell gold rings

which are made specifically for men if they are going to wear them. The

shopkeepers’ comments that they will not sell them to Muslims is no

excuse, because they are in a Muslim country, and whoever lives in a

Muslim country should not deal in anything except that which has been

permitted by the pure sharee’ah of Islam. This argument is like the

argument of the one who sells alcohol and says that he will only sell it

to the kuffaar, because gold rings are haraam for men.