If I buy a doll for my daughter and cut out the face would she be allowed to have it?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Most of the scholars made an exception for baby toys from the prohibition of making pictures or statues.  Imam Al-Nawawi said: 'Baby toys are excluded from the prohibition of making pictures that have their shadow for the Ahadith that prove the concession for toys.  All kinds of toys are permissible whether they are like human beings or animals, with solid material or not, or similar to the animals or not.  The evidence for this ruling is the Hadith of Ayisha (Radiya Allahu Anha) who said: "I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me".' [Muslim]

Another Hadith reported in Sunan Abu Dawood reads: "When the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived after the expedition to Tabuk or Khaybar (the narrator was doubtful), the draught raised an end of a curtain which was hung in front of her store-room, revealing some dolls which belonged to her.  He asked: What is this?  She replied: My dolls.  Among them he saw a horse with wings made of rags, and asked: What is this I see among them?  She replied: A horse.  He asked: What is this that it has on?  She replied: Two wings.  He asked: A horse with two wings?  She replied: Have you not heard that Solomon had horses with wings? She said: Thereupon the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) laughed so heartily that I could see his molar teeth".

It is also proved that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) married Ayisha when she was six years old and consummated the marriage when she was nine years old and he used to play with her.

Also there are many benefits in making, selling and purchasing such toys, some of them are as following:

-      *   Teaching girls to love those smaller than themselves, and learn how to raise them since the girls, in general, like to be with such toys. 

However, using such toys as decoration is not permissible since the exception is made for the necessity of children; thus this exception should not be used as a general rule.

Allah knows best.