Question: Oh Virtuous Shaikh, there has come a prohibition* on covering the walls. Is this prohibition forbiddance? Next, is this prohibition for covering one side or all sides?
Answer: Covering the wall is divided into two. The first division is: to cover from the outside. So he covers the house or rock as the ka’bah is covered. So this is no doubt prohibited because his house resembles the Ka’bah.
The second division is: covering inside. So there is no harm in this if a person needs this, either to protect from the cold or to protect from the heat or to block the light if he wants to sleep. This is because the new building, as you know, are cold in the winter or hot in the summer. So there is no harm in placing something of cloth on the wall to reduce the coldness in the winter or reduce the heat in the summer. This is because the purpose of this is not the screen in itself, however, the purpose of the screen is to gain warmth in the winter or protect against the heat in the summer or block the light for the one who wants to sleep in comfort.
[Taken from Liqaa al-Baab al-Maftooh no. 2 found here: https://shamela.ws/browse.php/book-7687#page-59]
Translated by
Faisal ibn Abdul Qaadir ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
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* Translator’s Note: Some of the evidences for the prohibition of covering the walls are:
نَهَى أنْ تُسْتَتَرَ الجدُرُ
The Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited covering the walls
[Saheeh Jami no, 6811]
Imam al-Bayhaqi rahimahullah mentioned this narration under the chapter: What has come in regards to covering the houses
Also Imam al-Bukhari mentioned:
ودعا ابن عمر أبا أيوب فرأى في البيت سترا على الجدار فقال ابن عمر غلبنا عليه النساء فقال من كنت أخشى عليه فلم أكن أخشى عليك والله لا أطعم لكم طعاما فرجع
Ibn ‘Umar invited Abü Ayyub, and the latter saw a curtain on the wall. So Ibn ‘Umar said, “We have been overpowered by the women in this matter .” AbU Ayyüb said, “I was afraid that some people might do such a deed but I never thought that you would do so, By Allah, I will not eat anything of your food .” And so Abu AyyUb returned.
[Reported by Al-Bukhari Mu’allaq and Graded Saheeh by Al-Albani in Adaab uz-Zafaaf pg. 129]
And Allah knows best
