I do know that angels don’t enter the house in which animal resides or pictures are contained. But in today’s times, it is so difficult not to have pictures at home. School books have pictures, passport, and identity cards. How do we deal with this. What if the room in which we are praying doesn’t have any picture, would angels then come there?

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

Answer

There are numerous Ahadiths regarding the prohibition of pictures.

Abu Talha (radi allahu anhu) narrates that the Prophet (sallal lahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Angels do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture.” (Bukhari: 7.833)

Mulla Ali Qari in commentating on the above Hadith writes in his book Mirqaat that the angels that will not enter the house are the angels of mercy and not those angels who have other duties such as for safety or death. In regards to pictures, the scholars have stated that pictures of living creatures are not permissible whereas pictures of non living creatures such as plants, trees etc can be allowed. The pictures that stop an angel of mercy entering the house is general therefore even if the picture is in a place of disrespect e.g floor, the angels of mercy will not enter the house. However some scholars are of the opinion that the pictures that are very small or are in a place of disrespect will not stop the angels of mercy. (Vol 8, P265 & 266)

From the above it is clear that one should avoid having such pictures in the house, however if one is unable for instances pictures in text books, passports etc then these should not be left in a place where they are visible and inshallah this will not be a means of stopping angels of mercy entering the house. If the payer room is free from even these pictures then there is no reason why angels will not enter that room.
Only Allah knows best.

Sayeedur Rahman

Darul Ifta, Birmingham