Ali said: We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at a funeral when he said: ‘Who will go to Madinah and not leave a single grave except that he levels it, nor a single image except that he defaces it, nor a single idol except that he breaks it?’ A man stood up and said: ‘I will.’ But then he became intimidated by the people of Madinah, so he sat back down. Ali said: So I went, and then I came back and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I did not leave a single grave in Madinah except that I levelled it, nor a single image except that I defaced it, nor a single idol except that I broke it.’ He ﷺ then said: ‘Whoever returns to doing any of that has disbelieved in what Allah revealed to Muhammad.’
Ponder This Quote
After roughly twenty years of Prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ had finally established his authority over Mecca at the Conquest, and shortly thereafter he sent Companions to destroy the various idols and images that had been used for devotion and worship across the region. When it came to Madinah, Ali volunteered for the mission himself — and here he tells us in his own words what he did and what the Prophet ﷺ declared it would mean for anyone who returned to those practices.
This stands in striking contrast to modern Ismaili practice. Jamatkhanas themselves contain large images of the Aga Khan displayed prominently on each side. Ismailis also keep pictures of him in practically every room of their homes, in their cars, and in their wallets. One has to ask — if Ali was the one sent to tear down such images, why would his supposed followers be the ones putting them up?
And this raises a serious question: if Ismailis — who are known for the unusual practice of displaying photos of their Imam throughout their homes — do not fall into the category of those who “returned” to keeping graven images, then who does?