While I was with Ibn ʿAbbas a man came and said, "O father of ʿAbbas! My sustenance is from my manual profession and I make these pictures." Ibn ʿAbbas said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Messenger of Allah ﷺ . I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes a picture will be punished by Allah till he puts life in it, and he will never be able to put life in it.' " Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Ibn ʿAbbas said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on making pictures I advise you to make pictures of trees and any other unanimated objects."  

يَا أَبَا عَبَّاسٍ إِنِّي إِنْسَانٌ إِنَّمَا مَعِيشَتِي مِنْ صَنْعَةِ يَدِي وَإِنِّي أَصْنَعُ هَذِهِ التَّصَاوِيرَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ إِلاَّ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ مَنْ صَوَّرَ صُورَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ مُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى يَنْفُخَ فِيهَا الرُّوحَ وَلَيْسَ بِنَافِخٍ فِيهَا أَبَدًا فَرَبَا الرَّجُلُ رَبْوَةً شَدِيدَةً وَاصْفَرَّ وَجْهُهُ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ إِنْ أَبَيْتَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَصْنَعَ فَعَلَيْكَ بِهَذَا الشَّجَرِ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ رُوحٌ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ سَمِعَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ مِنَ النَّضْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ هَذَا الْوَاحِدَ  

[Machine] "I am a man whose livelihood depends on these images," so Ibn Abbas said, "I heard Muhammad ﷺ saying, 'Whoever creates pictures will be punished by Allah until he breathes life into them, but he will not be able to do so.' So his face turned yellow, and he said, 'If you really must do so, then create plant images, for they do not possess a soul.'"  

إِنِّي رَجُلٌ مَعِيشَتِي مِنْ هَذِهِ التَّصَاوِيرِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَنْ صَوَّرَ صُورَةٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى يَنْفُخَ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ وَلَيْسَ بِنَافِخٍ» فَاصْفَرَّ لَوْنُهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ لَابُدَّ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالشَّجَرِ وَمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ رُوحٌ  

[Machine] I am a human and my livelihood comes from the work of my hands. I create these images. Ibn Abbas said, "I only have what I have heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , who said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "Whoever makes a picture, Allah will punish him on the Day of Resurrection, until he breathes life into it, and it will never be given life."' The man became pale and his face turned yellow, then he said, 'Woe to you! If you insist on creating, then create something without a soul.'"  

إِنِّي إِنْسَانٌ إِنَّمَا مَعِيشَتِي مِنْ صَنْعَةِ يَدَيَّ وَأَنَا أَصْنَعُ هَذِهِ التَّصَاوِيرَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسَ لَا أَجِدُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَنْ صَوَّرَ صُورَةً فَإِنَّ اللهَ يُعَذِّبُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يَنْفُخَ فِيهَا وَلَيْسَ بِنَافِخٍ فِيهَا أَبَدًا» قَالَ فَرَبَا لَهَا الرَّجُلُ رَبْوَةً شَدِيدَةً وَاصْفَرَّ وَجْهُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ «وَيْحَكَ إِنْ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَصْنَعَ فَعَلَيْكَ بِهَذَا الشَّجَرِ وَكُلِّ شَيْءٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ رَوْحٌ»  

[Machine] "O father of Abbas, I am a person whose livelihood is only through the work of my hands. I create these images." Ibn Abbas said to him, "Lower your voice, lower your voice! I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: 'Whoever creates an image in this world will be ordered on the Day of Resurrection to breathe life into it, and he will not be able to.' He would have a severe penalty for this action, and he said, 'Woe to you! If you insist on creating, then restrict yourself to trees and that which does not have a soul.'"  

يَا أَبَا عَبَّاسٍ إِنِّي إِنْسَانٌ إِنَّمَا مَعِيشَتِي مِنْ صَنْعَةِ يَدِي إِنِّي أَصْنَعُ هَذِهِ التَّصَاوِيرَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ ادْنُهُ ادْنُهُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ صَوَّرَ صُورَةً فِي الدُّنْيَا كُلِّفَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يَنْفُخَ فِيهَا الرُّوحَ وَلَيْسَ بِنَافِخٍ قَالَ فَرَبَا لَهَا الرَّجُلُ رَبْوَةً شَدِيدَةً وَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ إِنْ أَبَيْتَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَصْنَعَ فَعَلَيْكَ بِالشَّجَرِ وَمَا لَيْسَ فِيهِ رُوحٌ