Bought Statue of a False Idol
Fatwa No: 455581

Question

Assalamualaikum What is the ruling on a person who buys a statue of a false idol? Like buddha, or any figures that the hindu worships?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Purchasing statues that resemble living beings is prohibited. It is extremely prohibited if they were statues of idols being worshiped instead of Allah the Exalted, such as Buda or other false gods. Whoever bought such a statue must destroy it as stated in a Hadith reported by Amr ibn Abasah who said: “I came to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, when he started receiving the revelation in Makkah and he was conveying his message in secrecy, so I said: “What are you?” He said: “I am a Prophet.” I said: “What is a Prophet?” He said: "Messenger of Allah." I said: “Did Allah send you? He said: “Yes.” I said: “With what has He sent you? He said: “To worship Allah, break idols, and maintain ties of kinship.” [Al-Hakim; authenticated and approved by Adh-Dhahabi]

Zakaria Al-Ansari said in Asna Al-Matalib: “The Mukallaf (the person who is competent for religious assignments) must break the idols if he can do so.

Allah knows best.

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