Sahih Muslim Book - 37, Hadith - 5540

قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ : قَرَأْتُ عَلَى نَصْرِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيِّ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ، قَالَ : جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي رَجُلٌ أُصَوِّرُ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرَ ، فَأَفْتِنِي فِيهَا ، فَقَالَ لَهُ : ادْنُ مِنِّي ، فَدَنَا مِنْهُ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: ادْنُ مِنِّي ، فَدَنَا حَتَّى وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ ، قَالَ: أُنَبِّئُكَ بِمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: كُلُّ مُصَوِّرٍ فِي النَّارِ ، يَجْعَلُ لَهُ ، بِكُلِّ صُورَةٍ صَوَّرَهَا ، نَفْسًا فَتُعَذِّبُهُ فِي جَهَنَّمَ. وقَالَ: إِنْ كُنْتَ لاَ بُدَّ فَاعِلاً ، فَاصْنَعِ الشَّجَرَ وَمَا لاَ نَفْسَ لَهُ ، فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ.

It was narrated that Sa'eed bin Abul-Hasan said: "A man came to Ibn 'Abbas and said: 'I am a man who makes these images; advise me about that.' He said to him: 'Come close to me.' So he came closer to him. He said: 'Come closer to me.' So he came closer to him, until he put his hand on his head and said: 'I will tell you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w). I heard the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) say: "Every image maker will be in Hell, and for every image that he made, a soul will be created which will punish him in Hell.'' He said: 'If you must do that, then make (images of) trees and inanimate things.'" Nasr bin 'Ali approved of it.