Praise be to Allah.
We have already explained that it is haraam to manufacture these statues, and that there is a stern warning concerning that and that we are commanded to destroy them. See the answer to question no. 7222. This ruling applies equally to images of anything that has a soul, whether it is a human being or an animal.
Based on that, with regard to the ruling on selling these pictures and images, there is no doubt that if it is haraam to manufacture them and keep them, it is also haraam to buy and sell them. It is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that it was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say in the year of the Conquest when he was in Makkah: “Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead meat, pork and idols.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what about the fat from dead meat (i.e., from animals that have died of natural causes)? For it is used to caulk ships and to grease hides, and people use it in their lamps.” He said: “No, it is haraam.” Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the Jews, for when Allaah forbade animal fat, they rendered it and sold it, and consumed its price.” Al-Bukhaari, 2236; Muslim, 1581.
Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth indicates that whatever we are forbidden to eat or make use of, it is not permissible to sell it or to consume its price.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This indicates that if a thing is forbidden in and of itself, its price is also forbidden.
What al-Qaadi and Ibn Hajar mentioned is also proven in a version of this hadeeth that was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah have mercy on him), at the end of which it says: “When Allaah forbids eating a thing, He also forbids its price.” [Musnad Ahmad, no. 2223].
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible for a Muslim to sell statues and make a living from that?
He replied:
It is not permissible for a Muslim to deal in statues, because it is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth that it is haraam to make images or statues of animate beings at all or to keep them. Undoubtedly dealing in them means that one is propagating them and helping others to make images and set them up in homes, clubs and so on.
If that is haraam, then income earned by selling them is also haraam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to make a living from that or to buy food or clothing with that money. If a person does that then he must get rid of that money and repent to Allaah, and Allaah will accept his repentance. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
We have issued a fatwa stating that it is haraam to make images of any animate beings, whether the images are three-dimensional or not, and whether they are made by carving, copying, drawing or with a camera.
Al-Jawaab al-Mufeed fi Hukm al-Tasweer by Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 49-50.
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