entered the Ka'bah and saw in it the image of Ibrahim and Isma'il drawing lots with arrows, so he said: "May Allah fight them! They knew that the two of them never drew lots with them at all." Recorded by Abu Dawud (34). What we mentioned from the report of 'Abdullah that he entered a house containing statues, and what is in the conditions of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, for the People of the Covenant (Ahl al-Dhimmah): that they should widen the doors of their churches and places of worship so that Muslims might enter them to spend the night, and passersby with their riding animals, and Ibn 'A'idh (35) recorded in "Futuh al-Sham" that the Christians made food for 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, when he arrived in al-Sham, so they invited him. He said: "Where is it?" They said: "In the church." He refused to go and said to 'Ali: "Go with the people so they may have lunch." 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, went with the people and entered the church and had lunch, he and the Muslims, while 'Ali looked at the images and said: "What would it cost the Commander of the Faithful if he had entered and eaten?" (36) This is an agreement among them on the permissibility of entering them while they contain images (37), and because entering churches and places of worship is not forbidden; thus, the same applies to houses that contain images. The fact that the angels do not enter it does not necessitate the prohibition of our entering it, just as if it contained a dog. It is not forbidden for us to accompany a traveling party that possesses a bell, even though the angels do not accompany them. Rather, it was made permissible to forgo an invitation because of it as a punishment for the one who did it and to rebuke him (38) for his action. And Allah knows best.
Section: As for covering walls with curtains that are not decorated with images, if it is for a need, such as protection from heat or cold, then there is no harm in it, because he is using it for his need, so it is like the curtain on a door and what one wears on one's body. If it is not for a need, it is disliked (makruh) and is an excuse for returning from an invitation and abandoning
(34) In: The Chapter: Prayer in the Ka'bah, from the Book of Rituals. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/467. It was also recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter: Who says the takbir in the surroundings of the Ka'bah, from the Book of Pilgrimage, and in: The Chapter: Where the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) planted the banner on the day of the Conquest, from the Book of Military Expeditions. Sahih al-Bukhari 2/184, 5/188. (35) Muhammad ibn 'A'idh ibn Ahmad al-Qurashi al-Dimashqi, the scribe, historian, and hadith scholar, died in the year 233 AH, or in the following year. Tarikh al-Turath al-'Arabi 1/2/114. (36) Al-Bayhaqi recorded something similar in: The Chapter: An invitee who sees images in the place where he is invited, from the Book of Marriage Portion (Sadaq). Al-Sunan al-Kubra 7/268. (37) In B and M: "the image". (38) Omitted from: The Original.
