Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, which contains 7,277 hadiths across 97 books. It is hadith number 3214 in the Book of Prophets.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#3213

#3214

Sahih al-Bukhari

#3215

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Sahih al-Bukhari #3214

Q: What is Sahih al-Bukhari 3214 about?

This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Prophets), narrated by Narrated Ibn `Abbas:, states: "When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw pictures in the Ka`ba, he did not enter it till he ordered them to be erased. When he saw (the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael carrying the arrows of divination, he said, "Ma…"

Prophets

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمَّا رَأَى الصُّوَرَ فِي الْبَيْتِ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ، حَتَّى أَمَرَ بِهَا فَمُحِيَتْ، وَرَأَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ ـ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ ـ بِأَيْدِيهِمَا الأَزْلاَمُ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهِ إِنِ اسْتَقْسَمَا بِالأَزْلاَمِ قَطُّ ‏"‏‏.‏

When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw pictures in the Ka`ba, he did not enter it till he ordered them to be erased. When he saw (the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael carrying the arrows of divination, he said, "May Allah curse them (i.e. the Quraish)! By Allah, neither Abraham nor Ishmael practiced divination by arrows."

Narrated by Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

Context

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, upon seeing images in the Kaaba, refrained from entering until they were removed. This action underscores the significance of maintaining the purity of worship and the avoidance of idolatry. The Prophet's ﷺ response to the images reflects his commitment to monotheism and the proper conduct of worship.

Modern Application

In contemporary society, this hadith serves as a reminder to maintain the integrity of our worship and to avoid distractions that may lead us away from the essence of our faith. It encourages individuals to focus on the core tenets of Islam.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Command and Image-Making because it addresses the Prophet's ﷺ directive against images, emphasizing the importance of adhering to divine commandments.

Divine Command Image-Making