On the authority of Aisha (RA), that she said:
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) returned from the battle of Tabook or Khaibar (the narrator of the hadith was in doubt about whether he was told "Tabook or Khaibar."). There was a curtain covering her 'sahwah' (chamber or small room in front of the house). The wind blew a side of the curtain and uncovered Aisha's dolls. He (SAW) said: What is this, O Aisha? She said: My dolls. The he (SAW) saw amongst them a horse with two wings from scraps of cloth. He (SAW) said: What is this which I see amongst them (amongst the dolls)? She said: A horse. He asked: What is upon it? She said: Two wings. He (SAW) asked (in astonishment): A horse with two wings? She said: Didn't you hear that Sulaiman (Solomon - AS) had horses with wings? She said: Then he (SAW) laughed until I saw his molar teeth. [Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa'iee as-Sunan al-Kubraa, Albani (ra) says the chain of narrators of an-Nasaa'ee is authentic (Saheeh). As for the chain of narrators of Abu Daawood, Albani (ra) has also declared it to be authentic (saheeh)]
Shaykh Muhammad Shams al-Haqq al-'Adheem Aabaadee, in his Sharh (explanation) of Sunan Abu Daawood, says: This hadith and the one before it (Hadith #20) is used as an evidence of permissibility of possession of dolls and toys for the purpose of little girls playing with them. This (permission) is a special exception from the general prohibition of possession of images (suwar). This position has been stated with certainty by al-Qaadee 'Iyaad, and he has quoted it as teh opinion of the Jumhoor (Majority of Scholars). He also said that the Jumhoor has allowed the sale of toys (dolls) for little girls, in order to train and prepare them from childhood for their household affairs and the raising of their children.
He also said: Some of (the scholars) [see Little Girls Playing With Dolls for mention of some of those held this permission abrogated, like al-Bayhaqee, Ibn al-Jawzee and others] held the opinion that this (permission) has been abrogated... (Awn al-Ma'bood, Sharh Sunan Abu Daawood)
Al-Bayhaqee (As-Sunan al-Kubra ma'a al-Jawhar an-Naqee, Kitaab: ash-Shahaadaat, Baab: Majaa 'Fi al-la'ab bi-l-banaat), after narrating this hadith says: Abu Daawood narrated it in the Sunan from Muhammad ibn 'Awf, from Sa'eed ibn Abi Maryam, and he said: "In this hadith (are the words): '... he (SAW) returned from the Battle of Tabook or Khaibar.'"
The prohibition of both two dimensional images (tasaaweer) and three dimensional images (tamaathee) has been authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (SAW), by way of many different chains of narrators.
Therefore, it is probable that the correct narration of Abu Salamah from Aisha (RA) is: "... his (SAW) return from the Battle of Khaibar"; and that took place before the prohibition of as-suwar and at-tamaatheel (two dimensional and three dimensional images). Then, the prohibition of images came afterwards.
Abu Hurairah (RA) was one of those who narrated the prohibition of Images from the Prophet (SAW). He had become a Muslim in the time of Khaibar. Therefore, it would have been after Khaibar that he heard (the hadith prohibiting images).
It is also mentioned in the hadith of Jaabir (RA) that the Prophet (SAW) commanded Umar ibn al-Khattaab (RA), in the time of the Conquest of Makkah, while he was at "al-Bat-haa," to go to the Ka'bah and to erase/remove (yamhoo) every image (surah) found in it. The Prophet (SAW) did not enter (the Ka'bah) until every image in it was removed (Abu Daawood and it is authentic). Ash-Shaykh (Imaam al-Bayhaqee) said: The time of the Conquest (of Makkah) was after Khaibar [(This shows that the permission given to Aisha (RA) was BEFORE the prohibition, and therefore abrogated. The applicable rule being: the later legislation is the "naasikh" (the one which abrogated), while the earlier legislation is the 'mansookh' (the one while is abrogated).]
Therefore, it is possible that her occupation with her toys/dolls - and the Prophet's (SAW) approval of her doing that - was up until she reached the age of puberty. And Allah knows Best!
This is the way it was understood by Abu 'Ubaid, who said: We don't see there being any reason for that (permission to play with her dolls), except due to the fact that these toys are a source of amusement (lahw) for the children. So, if they were owned by adults, it would definitely have been detestable (makhrooh).
Al-Haleemee mentioned that if it (the toys/dolls) were made from wood, stone, brass (sufr) or metal (copper), in the shape of a human, complete with limbs like the idols (wathn), it would be obligatory to break it up. It would absolutely not be permitted for them (the young girls) to possess it.
On the other hand, if one of them (the young girls) takes a rag or piece of cloth and twists and turns it into the shape of a child and calls it a baby girl or a mother and plays with it - she is not prohibited from this.
He also mentioned some of the benefits from this, like cheerfulness of her heart, good rearing and training her to care for children (as-Sunan al-Kubraa, al-Bayhaqee).
Information From
The Islamic Ruling Concerning Tasweer
by Abu Muhammad Abdur-Ra'uf Shakir