Q: The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu anhum) and everyone else were forbidden to see the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) reading quran with his head in the lap of Aaisha (radhiyallahu anha). They were also forbidden from seeing him kiss Aaisha (radhiyallahu anha) on the forehead.
So my question is: Is it permissible to imagine the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) placing his head on the lap of Aaisha (radhiyallaha) and reading quran? Is it permissible to imagine him kissing Aisha (radhiyallahu anha) on the forehead?
I sent this question twice to aqwaf (not your website) and they replied that it is permissible. But I find it difficult to trust their answer because the principle says: EVERYTHING THAT IS FORBIDDEN TO SEE IS EQUALLY FORBIDDEN TO IMAGINE.
Also, I ask you to elaborate what it means to imagine him in a respectful manner. Because there are scholars that say that imagining him naked is kufr size sin. Isn't the imagining of him with his head in the lap of Aisha (radhiyallahu anha) and reading quran somehow close to indecency with imagining him naked? Because placing your head in your wife's lap is one of the ways of showing affection and intimacy, although not sexual but it is still intimacy. And it is relatively close to sexual intimacy because from one kiss and one touch you can easily end up having sexual intercourse.
When he read quran with his head in the lap of Aisha (radhiyallahu anha) he undoubtedly felt the soft and kind touch of her legs below his head. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) undoubtedly felt her kind lap keeping his head straight in order for him to read quran.
Pininterest.com (a non Islamic website like Wikipedia) even has a picture of a man kissing a veiled woman in the forehead with the title: The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to kiss Aisha (radhiyallahu anha) before leaving for prayer. Is it allowed to look at this picture?
LASTLY BECAUSE I HAD AN INSTINCT TO IMAGINE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE, I ASK YOU to elaborate the saying: (THAT HE MUST BE IMAGINED IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER). What does it mean to imagine the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) in a respectful manner? Is it respectful if you imagine him with old clothes because he was poor? Is it respectful to imagine him sick and weak in his death bed? Is it respectful if you imagine his skeleton, stomach, heart, liver?
A: When this is a personal life matter of a great personality then my humble opinion is that respect his personal life. Allow the personal and covered life to be personal and covered.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
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