I was with Masriuq in the house which had the portrayals of Mary (hadrat Maryan). Thereupon Masriuq said: These are portraits of Kisra. I said: No, these are of Mary. Masruq said: I heard Abdullah b, Mas'ud as saying Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said: The most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. (Muslim said): I read this before Nasr b. 'Ali at-Jahdami and he read it before other narrators, the last one being Ibn Sa'id b Abl at Hasan that a person came to Ibn 'Abbas and said: I am the person who paints pictures; give me a religious verdict about them. He (Ibn 'Abbas) said to him: Come near me (still further). He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said: I am going to narrate to yor what I heard from Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I heard him say: All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell, and he (Ibn 'Abbas) said: If you have to do it at all, then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things; and Nasr b. 'Ali confirmed it.
كُنْتُ مَعَ مَسْرُوقٍ فِي بَيْتٍ فِيهِ تَمَاثِيلُ مَرْيَمَ فَقَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ هَذَا تَمَاثِيلُ كِسْرَى فَقُلْتُ لاَ هَذَا تَمَاثِيلُ مَرْيَمَ فَقَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ أَمَا إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْمُصَوِّرُونَ قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى نَصْرِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَقَالَ إِنِّي رَجُلٌ أُصَوِّرُ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرَ فَأَفْتِنِي فِيهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ ادْنُ مِنِّي فَدَنَا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ادْنُ مِنِّي فَدَنَا حَتَّى وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ قَالَ أُنَبِّئُكَ بِمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ كُلُّ مُصَوِّرٍ فِي النَّارِ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ بِكُلِّ صُورَةٍ صَوَّرَهَا نَفْسًا فَتُعَذِّبُهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ وَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً فَاصْنَعِ الشَّجَرَ وَمَا لاَ نَفْسَ لَهُ فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ