Inviting the Angels of Mercy

By Zehrah Yakoob

Imagine having angels descend from heaven to one’s place. Angels of blessing entering a house day and night; angels sent by Allah to the house of His favourites; angels praying for one while he/she’s involved in recitation of Quran; seeking useful knowledge or even when he/she is simply sleeping in a state of wudu. Angels covering the house under their wings of the one involved in zikr of Allah, the Almighty. Who wouldn’t want all this? So if there’s just this one little hindrance stopping these angels of mercy from entering your house, wouldn’t you want to remove it? Wouldn’t you want to have a blessed home? Wouldn’t you want your house to shine for those in the heaven like the stars shine for us?


Hanging up pictures of animated beings is that very hindrance which deprives people of such a great blessing that is the entrance of angels into their house. It has been narrated by Abu Talha that he heard Allah's Apostle (S.A.W.) saying; "Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being or an animal)." [Muslim]


As tough as it may sound to those who have their rooms filled with pictures of animated objects, the task to get rid of something the All-Mighty detests is actually not that hard at all. In fact, the old quotation “when there’s a will, there’s a way” works amazingly well when the task at hand is something you are doing for the Love of Allah or for the love of His Prophet (S.A.W.).


If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust. [Surah Al- Imran 3:160]


We can simply replace the wall hangings of animate objects with inanimate ones. Frames of verses, hadiths, quotations, natural scenery or/and your certificates etc and they are all acceptable. Almost EVERYTHING nowadays comes with pictures, Shaitan will easily fool you, making believe that it’s almost impossible to stay away from this bad nowadays so it’s okay not to fret about it but the trick is simple: keep all framed or hanging pictures lying around your house faced the side without pictures, or if they have pictures on all sides then keep it in closed places like cupboards, drawers etc. 


Newspapers commonly have the most pictures in them. Find the page that has no picture in it and keep it faced up on that side. Dispose off soap, toothpaste and other pictured product boxes as soon as possible. Gather your own pictures lying around and set them in albums. (Note: It’s preferable to completely get rid of stuff with animate pictures but as a start you can begin with these recommendations) It is also worth noting here that one should strictly avoid hanging pictures of the dead. This is very common around us. Doing so is not only prohibited in Islam but also renews the grief. Let us recall that shirk in old times was usually initiated when people set up pictures of the dead ones who had lived righteously. And eventually the people of the later generations started praying to them and giving them higher status than the very Creator, Himself.


And the people of Moses made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship).  It had a sound (as if it was mooing).  Did they not see that it could neither speak to them nor guide them to the way?  They took it for worship and they were zalimun (wrong-doers). [Surah Al-A'raf 7:148]


Similarly, just as we’re not supposed to keep pictures in our homes, we’re also not supposed to DRAW pictures of living things either. But that’s a whole new topic in it of itself. A hadith to be keep in mind is that the Prophet (S.A.W.)  said: “Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and every image that he made will be made to appear to him and will torment him in Hell.”


It is sad, however, that us, Muslims are living in such ignorance that we don’t even know this strict ruling against pictures in Islam. Ask yourselves; what kind of Muslims are we, really? We are Muslims who keep pictures of animated creatures for ‘decorative’ purposes or for the ‘remembrance’ of other people. We are ready to replace the Rehmat of Allah Ta’ala with the satisfaction we get from seeing pictures of strangers, relatives, our own selves and/or even animals. We are Muslims who are ready to lose the Rehmat of Allah being sent on us by putting up immodest boards (especially lawn boards) all over the city. Then we cry over how miserable our lives and the conditions of this country are. How can one expect to be in peace in a place where there’s no Rehmat of Allah Ta’ala?


We can’t achieve anything without Allah Ta’ala’s Help and Mercy on our sides. So may Allah help us remove pictures of all living things and animated beings from our homes and from all over the country. And may Allah take us out of our ghaflat. May Allah grant us the taufeeq to seek and implement on the knowledge regarding what our Lord has commanded and what our Prophet (S.A.W.).


“We turn to you Ya Allah, we beg you to save us from the ghaflat that we are in. We are ashamed of having broken your rules; please turn us into your obedient slaves. Aameen.”

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
[الأعراف :23]
Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost.
[7:23]

Anything good written here is from Allah and any mistake is from myself.