Is drawing Haram? Drawing is a lot like an addiction. Many people draw as a hobby. They chose drawing as their profession.
In our present world, there is a huge appreciation for painting artists. Many painters in the pages of history have become immortal because of their artistic work.
There are different categories of painters. Someone painted a picture of a tree. And Someone draws pictures of animals, birds, or creatures. Someone draws pictures of flowers, fruits, or other things.
What is the provision in Islam that so many images are drawn? This is a normal question. In our visible blog post, we are trying to discuss the answer.
Table of content
Is drawing Haram?
Generally, Just drawing is not Haram. However, depending on the object or person on which the picture is drawn, the drawing can sometimes be Haram and sometimes halal.
Such as drawing statues or sculptures. Art of painting pictures of animals and birds and drawing pictures of trees or young vines. So the answer we are discussing in detail is in a few headings.
Rule of drawing sculptures?
Suppose the form of a human or any animal is created by stone, soil, wood, etc. It has its own shadow. The head remains. All the organs are full.
It is not a toy doll or an insignificant object. Rather, considering all aspects, it is an idol sculpture or similar. Then it is Haram with the unanimous consent of Fuqahaye Keram.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
Translation: On the Day of Resurrection, there will be more punishment among the people than those who used to compete with Allah’s creation. (Sahih Bukhari – 5610)
In another hadith –
‘Every painter will go to Hell. In contrast to each image, a living entity will be created. Then he will punish him in Hell. ‘(Sahih Muslim – 562)
Is drawing animate objects Haram
Books, books, cars, houses, mountains, the sea, the moon, the sun, the planets, the stars, all the inanimate objects of the universe, small and big, pictures, art, and everything is allowed to be published through art and all kinds.
Whether it is hand-drawn or photographed, or created in any other way.
Whether painted on paper or cloth, placed on the wall or displayed on multimedia screens like mobile computer television, etc. Or web pages such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, etc.
Is it Haram to draw trees?
In biology, plants, flowers, and herbs have been included in the living world. That is why some jurists think that plants belong to the fauna.
For this reason, although all the Fuqaha’is agree on the legitimacy of the image of the inert world, one or two jurists have disagreed on the issue of the legitimacy of the image of plants.
However, the pure and acceptable thing is that the picture of the plants is also included in the picture, which is permissible.
Such as Dr. Yusuf Al Kardawi – Hafizahullah – said –
Translation: Apart from all these (physical form) plants-trees, rivers, seas, ships, mountains, sun, moon, stars, etc., natural landscapes, whether plants or inanimate objects, there is no difficulty in drawing or preserving them. (Al Halal Wal Haram Phil Islam – 129)
Saeed Ibn Al Hasan – may Allah have mercy on him – said –
Translation: ‘I was with Ibn Abbas – Radiyallahu Anhu. Then a man came and said – O Ibn Abbas! My livelihood depends on the creation of my hands. I draw pictures.
Then Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am narrating what I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say.
I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say:
‘Whoever makes a picture, Allah Ta’ala will continue to punish him until he can die in that picture. And that person will never be able to die in it. ‘
Hearing this, the man sighed. And his face became pale. Then Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “If you disobey, destruction is inevitable.”
But if you want to make a painting, draw a picture of a tree. And draw a picture of every object that has no life. ‘(Sahih Bukhari-2112)
Is drawing animals Haram?
Not drawing animals is not Haram; suppose a picture of an animal is drawn by hand on paper, cloth, wall, etc. – as the painters do, which does not have its own shadow. The body does not exist.
Then there is a difference of opinion among the scholars on whether it will be halal.
According to a dissenting opinion – pictures of people and animals are forbidden. Many people in Fuqaha’i Keram have naturally said this type of film is Haram.
Whether his body or not. Shade or not. Be it hand-drawn or printed photography.
As stated in Al-Mawsuatul Fiqhiyatul Quitiyah –
‘Pictures of all living things are generally forbidden. I want his shadow or not. It is the Hanafi Shafi’i and Hanbali schools.
Imam Nawabi has been very strict in this regard. He even claimed that there was consensus on it or the consensus of all the Imams.
But he has questions on the claim of this consensus. It will be known in the next discussion.
Ibn Nuzaim has expressed doubts about the validity of Ijma. ‘
Scholars at Al Lajnat al-Daima, a well-known Arab jurisprudential research institute, answered a question.
‘Photography is a form of haram photography. Pictures painted with yarn or different colors and portraits with bodies are all equal in order.
There is no need to differentiate between rulings due to differences in making or creating pictures. ‘
Documents of animals being Haram
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
‘Whoever makes a picture, Allah Ta’ala will continue to punish him until he can die in that picture. And that person will never be able to die in it. ‘(Sahih Bukhari-2112)
Imam Bukhari – may Allah have mercy on him – narrates –
Gabriel promised the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that we would not enter a house with a picture or a dog. (Sahih Bukhari – 3055)
Second opinion – hand drawing and printed photography are halal.
Another Jamaat faqih thinks that hand-painted and printed photography are not included in the prohibited picture. So this type of picture is permissible.
As Sayyid Sabik – Rahimahullah – said –
‘And that picture has no shadow. As pictures painted on wallpaper or placed on cloth screens and pictures of photography are all permissible. Pictures were banned in the early days of Islam and have since been abolished. ‘(Fiqh Sunnah – 3/502)
The opinion of Islamic scholars
Dr. Yusuf Al Kardawi – Hafizahullah – said –
‘The legitimacy of pictures and photography painted on different objects is closer to the requirements of Shariah. Or more, it can be called Makrooh. ‘(Al Halal Wal Haram Phil Islam – 156)
Al-Mawsu’at al-Fiqhiyat al-Quitiyyah says:
Many Maliki and Salaf sects and the Hambali sect of Bin Hamadan have taken it for granted that it is not Haram if the following conditions are not in the picture.
The first condition: must be a shadow picture of a person or an animal. So if it is flat, it will not be Haram, such as pictures painted on wallpaper or cloth.
The second condition is that the limbs must be full. If an organ is imperfect, the animal cannot survive; it will not be Haram—for example, a picture of a beheaded, stomachless, or chestless animal.
Third condition: The picture should be fixed on iron, copper, stone, wood, etc.
So if a picture is painted on something that is not fixed, such as a walnut husk or a piece of flour, etc., it will not be Haram. ‘
Is digital drawing haram?
Digital art refers to the art that is created through the use of various software on mobile or computer.
For example, in Adobe Premiere Pro software, you can draw a picture of an animal using a pen tool. I do not know of any wise jurist who has spoken of such digital art.
However, the images drawn through the software are not taken through photography. Rather, it is a complete hand-painted or hand-drawn picture.
The only difference is that hand-drawn pictures are drawn on paper, fixed in a certain place.
But digital art is a virtual page drawn with the help of digital software, which does not remain fixed in certain places.
So while there is an argument to say that this picture is permissible in multimedia or web page before it is printed, there is no reason to say that it is permissible after it is printed.
Especially according to the view that photography was justified by accepting and displaying the image created by Allah Ta’ala through photography.
Moreover, no decision is going to be given in this regard. There is room for reflection.
