Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي صَالِحٍ - عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ تَدْخُلُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلاَ تِمْثَالٌ " . وَقَالَ انْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَى أُمِّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَائِشَةَ نَسْأَلُهَا عَنْ ذَلِكَ . فَانْطَلَقْنَا فَقُلْنَا يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِكَذَا وَكَذَا فَهَلْ سَمِعْتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَذْكُرُ ذَلِكَ قَالَتْ لاَ وَلَكِنْ سَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِمَا رَأَيْتُهُ فَعَلَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ وَكُنْتُ أَتَحَيَّنُ قُفُولَهُ فَأَخَذْتُ نَمَطًا كَانَ لَنَا فَسَتَرْتُهُ عَلَى الْعَرَضِ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ اسْتَقْبَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَعَزَّكَ وَأَكْرَمَكَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ فَرَأَى النَّمَطَ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَىَّ شَيْئًا وَرَأَيْتُ الْكَرَاهِيَةَ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَأَتَى النَّمَطَ حَتَّى هَتَكَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَأْمُرْنَا فِيمَا رَزَقَنَا أَنْ نَكْسُوَ الْحِجَارَةَ وَاللَّبِنَ " . قَالَتْ فَقَطَعْتُهُ وَجَعَلْتُهُ وِسَادَتَيْنِ وَحَشَوْتُهُمَا لِيفًا فَلَمْ يُنْكِرْ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ .
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: The angels do not enter a house which contains a dog or a picture. Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani said to Sa'id b. Yasar al-Ansari, the transmitter of this tradition: Go with me to 'Aishah, Mother of Faithful, so that we ask about it. So we went and said to her: Mother of Faithful, Abu Talhah has transmitted to us a tradition so-and-so. Have you heard the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioning that ? She replied: No but I tell what I saw him doing. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went on an expedition and I was waiting for his return. I got a carpet which I hung as a screen on a stick over the door. When he came I received him and said: Peace be upon you, Messenger of Allah, His mercy and His blessings. Praise to be Allah Who gave you dominance and respect. Then he looked at the house and saw the carpet; and he did not respond to me at all. I found (signs of) disapproval in his face. He then came to the carpet and tore it down. He then said: Allah has not commanded us to clothe stones and clay out of the sustenance He has given us. She said: I then cut it to pieces and made two pillows out of it and stuffed them with palm fibre, and he did not disapprove of it to me.