Misconceptions about dolls and teddy bears in Islam

Among many parents and educators, questions often arise about whether toys such as teddy bears and dolls are permissible in Islam. Some fear that their presence may be in conflict with Islamic teachings on images or idol-making. However, a close look at the Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly interpretations reveals a nuanced but clear position: toys made for children, including those that resemble living beings, are permissible and do not constitute shirk or idolatry.

Some Islamic websites express concern over toys that closely resemble living beings, especially when kept by adults. They cite traditions discouraging the presence of images or statues of animate creatures in homes, arguing that such images can prevent angels from entering. They also mention that keeping stuffed animals unnecessarily may constitute extravagance. They even go so far as to advise that if an adult keeps a teddy bear purely for sentiment, it is better to gift it to a child or modify its form so that it no longer resembles a living being. However, they also make clear that toys for young children, especially those below the age of puberty are permitted and not subject to the same restrictions that apply to image-making or statues.

In the well-known narration from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said that she used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. In one narration, he even smiled upon seeing that some of her dolls included animals with wings. Rather than reprimanding her, the Prophet ﷺ allowed and encouraged this innocent play. This incident, reported in collections such as Sahih Muslim, is widely accepted by the scholars as a basis for allowing toys in the likeness of living beings, so long as they are used by children and not created for worship or veneration.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: كُنْتُ أَلْعَبُ بِالْبَنَاتِ عِندَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَكَانَ لِي صَوَاحِبُ يَلْعَبْنَ مَعِي، فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا دَخَلَ يَتَقَمَّعْنَ مِنْهُ، فَيُسَرِّبُهُنَّ إِلَيَّ فَيَلْعَبْنَ مَعِي.

Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. My friends also used to play with me. When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ entered, they would hide from him, but he would call them to join me and play with me. (Bukhari and Muslim)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: “مَا هَذَا يَا عَائِشَةُ؟” قَالَتْ: “بَنَاتِي”، وَرَأَى فِي وَسَطِهِنَّ فَرَسًا لَهُ جَنَاحَانِ، فَقَالَ: “وَمَا هَذَا؟” قَالَتْ: “فَرَسٌ”، قَالَ: “وَمَا هَذَا الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ؟” قَالَتْ: “جَنَاحَانِ”، قَالَ: “فَرَسٌ لَهُ جَنَاحَانِ؟” قَالَتْ: “أَمَا سَمِعْتَ أَنَّ لِسُلَيْمَانَ خَيْلًا لَهَا أَجْنِحَةٌ؟” فَضَحِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ.

The Prophet ﷺ said, “What is this, O Aisha?” She said, “These are my dolls.” He saw among them a horse with two wings and asked, “What is this?” She said, “A horse.” He asked, “And what is this on it?” She replied, “Two wings.” He asked, “A horse with wings?” She said, “Have you not heard that Solomon had horses with wings? ” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then laughed until his molar teeth were visible. (Sunan Abi Dawood and Musnad Ahmad)

Scholars from all four major Sunni schools of thought have commented on this hadith and affirmed the exemption it represents. The Shafi’i scholar Imam Nawawi stated that toys made for children are allowed, citing the example of Aisha. Ibn Qudamah, a Hanbali authority, similarly explained that the prohibition on images does not apply to children’s toys. Even contemporary scholars such as Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen have said that children’s dolls are permitted, though he recommended that their features be simplified when possible to avoid unnecessary resemblance to real beings.

• Imam Nawawi (Shafi’i madhhab):

  “This hadith is proof for the permissibility of dolls and toy figures for girls to play with. This is a special exception to the otherwise general prohibition of image-making.”
  Sharh Sahih Muslim

• Ibn Qudamah (Hanbali madhhab):

  “It is permitted for girls to play with dolls that resemble human figures because of the hadith of Aisha.”
  al-Mughni

• Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Shafi’i):

  “The scholars took from this that it is permissible to make images for the sake of training young girls, and this is an exception to the prohibition of image-making.”
  Fath al-Bari

The permissibility of such toys is based not only on prophetic example but also on the principle that rulings in Islamic law consider both intention and context. Toys designed for play, education, or nurturing empathy do not carry the same ruling as carved idols intended for worship. Children’s dolls help develop imagination, social understanding, and in the case of dolls that resemble babies or family members, even nurturing behaviour. Far from encouraging idolatry, these toys serve a healthy developmental function and fall under the category of mubāḥ (permissible) in Islamic jurisprudence.

Moreover, the Qur’an does not categorically prohibit the creation of all images. What is condemned is the making of idols to be worshipped besides Allah. In Surah Al-Anbiya (21:52), Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is shown confronting his people for their worship of statues. The object of condemnation was not art or form-making in itself, but shirk – the act of giving divine status to objects. In contrast, the Qur’an also speaks of Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) having jinn who made statues and artistic creations for him by Allah’s permission (Surah Saba 34:13). This indicates that not all forms are inherently haram; rather, it is their use and purpose that determine their ruling.

For adults, the matter is more nuanced. Keeping stuffed toys for sentimental reasons, particularly when they are placed in areas of prayer or where they are highly visible, may fall under makrūh (discouraged) or even impermissible according to some scholars. This is due to the general prohibition on images of living beings in adult spaces and the hadiths that mention angels not entering homes that contain images or dogs. Nevertheless, if an adult keeps a toy discreetly or uses it for educational purposes, scholars have stated that there may be room for leniency, particularly if the form of the toy is modified or its presence is not prominently displayed.

There is strong and well-established evidence within Islamic tradition for the permissibility of dolls and teddy bears as toys for children. The Prophet ﷺ himself allowed such toys in his own household, and classical as well as contemporary scholars have upheld this exemption. What matters is the intention and usage: toys are not idols, and their purpose is not worship, but play and development. Concerns about idolatry are only relevant when an object is revered in a religious sense. In the absence of such veneration, and especially when used by children, toys such as dolls and teddy bears are permissible in Islam and should not be a cause for undue worry or restriction.