The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "There was a prophet among the prophets who used to draw lines. Whoever's practice matches his knowledge, that is his knowledge."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: كان نبي من الأنبياء يخط، فمن وافق علمه فهو علمه.
Ahmad (9117) narrated it from Abu Ahmad (that is, Zubayri), who said, Sufyan (that is, Thawri) related to us, from Abdullah bin Abu Labid (that is, Abu Mughira Madani), from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurairah, and he related it. Its chain of transmission is sahih.As for his saying, "There was a prophet among the prophets of Allah who used to draw lines," this was by way of revelation and inspiration from Allah Most High, and it is not something available to anyone other than the prophets. So the Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever's line matches his, then that is it," meaning he made the condition for its permissibility a matching of the line. This condition cannot be verified now, so it is not permissible for anyone to draw such lines.Nawawi said, "The Prophet ﷺ thus preserved the sanctity of that prophet while clarifying the ruling as it applies to us. The meaning is that there was no prohibition regarding that prophet, and likewise if you knew that your line matched his, but you have no way of knowing that." End of quote.