Is Drawing Haram?
Is drawing haram? Drawing any living thing with a soul is haram or forbidden in Islam but generally drawing anything that is not alive like trees, mountains, or the sun is allowed in Islam.
Is Drawing Haram In Islam?
Drawing images depicting god, prophets, any living creature with a soul, adultery, and all other forbidden things is haram in Islam.
If you want to draw scenery, mountains, the sun, the moon, airplanes, cars, or anything that doesn’t have a soul, then Islam is okay. Sometimes medical students need to draw human parts to understand medicine. In that case, drawing parts of the human body or any other animal is allowed as it will generally help humanity.
Muslim b. Subaih reported:
I was with Masriuq in the house which had the portrayals of Mary (hadrat Maryan). Thereupon Masriuq said: These are portraits of Kisra. I said: No, these are of Mary. Masruq said: I heard Abdullah b, Mas’ud as saying Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had said: The most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures. (Muslim said): I read this before Nasr b. ‘Ali at-Jahdami and he read it before other narrators, the last one being Ibn Sa’id b Abl at Hasan that a person came to Ibn ‘Abbas and said: I am the person who paints pictures; give me a religious verdict about them. He (Ibn ‘Abbas) said to him: Come near me (still further). He came near him so much so that he placed his hand upon his head and said: I am going to narrate to yor what I heard from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). I heard him say: All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell, and he (Ibn ‘Abbas) said: If you have to do it at all, then paint the pictures of trees and lifeless things; and Nasr b. ‘Ali confirmed it.
[Sahih Muslim 2109c, 2110a]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) cursed those who eat and pay riba (interest), as well as the image drawer. This implies that creating images of human beings and living things is prohibited.
Regarding prohibited types of photos, an exception is made in cases of necessity, such as drawing pictures of criminals so that they can be identified and caught, creating pictures for identity cards that are required and cannot be obtained otherwise, and other cases of requirement.
Allah says:
He has forbidden to you—except when compelled by necessity? Many ˹deviants˺ certainly mislead others by their whims out of ignorance. Surely your Lord knows the transgressors best.
[Quran 6:119]
Muslims do not duplicate images because they believe that on the Day of Judgment, they will be required to place a soul in the images they created.
While drawings are illegal, photographs taken with a camera for magazines, televisions, newspapers, books, computers, drawings, and so on are permitted.
However, such pictures may be forbidden if they show nudity or other indecent expressions. Even if they are permitted, they should only be used when absolutely essential.
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Is Art Forbidden In Islam?
It is often considered that Islamic law forbids art, however, the issue is more complicated. Drawing images of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), angels, God, or any human being with a soul is prohibited.
Photographing live beings is permitted as long as it does not involve God, Prophets, Angels, or anything related to nudity or obscenity.
What Type Of Art Is Haram In Islam?
Only paintings of trees and lifeless things should be permitted. Although pagans worshipped trees and stones during the Prophet’s time, he solely condemned representations of animated creatures.
Drawing of living things is haram although taking pictures with a camera is allowed due to necessities.
Is Picture Allowed In Islam?
As far as pictures from a digital camera are concerned it is totally allowed in Islam. The forbidden are those images that are drawn by hand and only of living things. Even the drawing of non-living things is allowed.
Can You Paint In Islam?
Islam does not prohibit art, painting, and illustration, but it forbids depicting God’s likeness, drawing Prophets, or drawing live things. The Persian Islamic painting style has greatly influenced modern painting, and it is not forbidden in Islam.
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Final Thoughts
Digital pictures taken with a camera are totally halal. Images and pictures of nonliving things are also allowed in Islam, except for all living things. In Islam, it is haram to draw anything that is or was alive and has a soul, such as humans.
