122 – (The hadith relates that Allah Most High said: “Who is more unjust than one who seeks to create as I create? Let them create a tiny ant; let them create a grain of barley.” Agreed upon.) p. 99

Authentic. It was narrated by al-Bukhārī (4/104, 500), Muslim (6/162), and likewise Ahmad (2/232), through Abu Zurʿa, who said:

“I entered Marwān’s house with Abu Hurayra, and he saw images there. (According to another narration: He saw an image-maker producing images in the house.) He said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say…’”

He then quoted it with the wording: “…a tiny ant; or let them create a grain; or let them create a grain of barley…” The wording is Muslim’s.

Ahmad also narrated it in al-Musnad through other chains from Abu Hurayra (2/259, 291, 451, 527).

Like the preceding hadiths, this hadith establishes, by the general import of its wording, that producing non-three-dimensional images is prohibited. This is how its narrator, Abu Hurayra, understood it. Ibn Battāl said: “Abu Hurayra understood image-making to include both that which casts a shadow and that which does not. For this reason, he objected to images depicted on walls.” I have quoted this from Fath al-Bārī (10/324).

123 – (The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Do not extol me as the Christians extolled Jesus, son of Mary. Rather, say: ‘Allah’s servant and His Messenger.’” Narrated by al-Bukhārī and others.) p. 100

Authentic. It was narrated by al-Bukhārī (2/369) through al-Humaydī—whose narration also appears in his Musnad (1/16/27)—as well as by al-Dārimī (2/320) and Ahmad (23, 24, 47, 55), from the hadith of Ibn ʿAbbās, from ʿUmar ibn al-Khattāb. He said, “I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him…” and then quoted the hadith.