Question Summary:
What should one do with clothing with animate objects? Please clarify the Hadith of angels not entering the home with pictures in it? Can we accept greetings on non-Islamic festivals and practices?

Question Detail:

1. Sometime our relatives present our children clothes with the figures of living beings. When there is no opportunity to reject we accept it and remove or colour or patch the eyes - is it permissible, and are such images lose their quality of living beings with no eyes or with removed eyes or even head, or they are still considered as haram? Is there any opportunity to use them or anyway we have to get rid of them?
 2. And the similar question: if we are involved in a trade business, and we use catalogues with photos of models and packages and labels with photos, it's it permissible to keep such things at home and to cover them, or even covered they prevent angels from coming into our house?
 3. We don't celebrate the holidays of Kuffar, and our parents and other relatives who used to celebrate them can't understand us in this. So, taking into account that in our daily life we mostly use Gregorian calendar is it permissible to accept their wishes for the next year and for a birthday with the intention to soften their hearts and say good words to them on such dates?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1. It is impermissible to design, store or wear any clothing with animate objects[1]. However you may use the garment by disfiguring the creature, removing the head or transforming the clothing into another use and whereby the picture loses its form altogether. Consider the following narration:
Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that Allah`s Messenger (peace and salutations be upon him) said: “Jibraeel (peace be upon him) came to me and said: I came to you last night, but the only thing that prevented me from entering was the presence of pictures on the door, pictures inside the home on the curtains and a dog inside the home. Therefore, order the head of the picture on the door to be cut so that it will resemble a tree. And order that the curtain be cut into two pieces strewn on the floor to be trampled over, and order the dog to be removed”[2].
2. The Hadith in reference is as follows:
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
لا تدخل الملائكة بيتا فيه صورة
Translation: The angels do not enter the house in which there is a [animate] picture.[3]
This Hadith refers to such pictures which are displayed with honour, respect and as idols. As for pictures which are found otherwise and are not kept out of respect, but due to necessity, they do not fall under the category of the above-mentioned Hadith[4] and do not entail the same ruling[5]. However, those pictures which are unnecessary must be disposed-off immediately.
Furthermore, you should avoid including photos of models and animate objects in your catalogues. Moreover, the inclusion of photos of modelling women is clearly prohibited in Islam[6].
Our advice is you abstain from including any pictures or photos of animate objects and models in the catalogue. There are many other ways to advertise and attract customers without using photos of models. Whatever may be the apparent loss for doing so, Allah will grant you blessings through other avenues. Allah says:
ومن يتّق الله يجعل لّه مخرجا ، ويرزقه من حيث لايحتسب ، ومن يّتوكّل علي الله فهو حسبه
Translation: and whosoever fears Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And he will provide him from sources he could never imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him[7].
3. Alhamdulillah, you understand that as Muslims, we do not celebrate holidays according to the Gregorian calendar, like New Years, Easter etc. The act of simply accepting gifts from family members on these occasions will be an expression of accepting the value of such holidays, many of which have pagan or Christian[8] backgrounds[9]. Thus, it will lead to complacency in Din. The issue of complacency in Din overweighs personal feelings and emotions. It will not be permissible to consider personal feelings to soften hearts of the family as opposed to complacency in Din[10].
In practising on Islamic values, one does not have to be rude and harsh and appear inconsiderate. In a kind and diplomatic way, express your aversion of such practices to your family members[11] and educate them with the true injunctions of Allah and His messenger (peace be upon him). There are many other ways to soften the hearts of people without compromising on basic values of Islam.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Hanif Yusuf Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
UK
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net