format_quote Originally Posted by
*dua
Assalamu alaykum,
As much as I love writing, I also love drawing/painting and have done so for as long as I remember.
I'm aware of it being haram to draw people, but is it haram to draw nature as it's also what Allah (swt) has created?
I usually paint animals/sea creatures etc, is this okay? Friends and family often compliment me on my work, but I feel uncomfortable when I question myself if it's okay for me to draw/paint such things ): :exhausted
:sl:
Jazakallahu khayr for the question.
The prohibition of drawing and painting humans and animals:
Firstly drawing and painting animals and humans is prohibited due to the act that there are countless Hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) that strictly prohibit painting pictures of animate objects, for example:
Sayyiduna Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) forbade the keeping of pictures at home and making them."
(Sunan Tirmidhi, no: 1749)
Sayyiduna Abu Talha (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: "Angels (of mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, no: 5609)
Due to these and many other similar narrations, most classical scholars are of the opinion that painting and drawing pictures of humans and animals is unlawful and sinful. They state that 'picture-making' (taswir) of human or animal life has been explicitly forbidden by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and as such it will be sinful. Only Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him) is reported to have differed with this position of general prohibition.
In one of his narrations, Sayyiduna Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him), contrary to the other three Imams and most other Mujtahids, is reported to have stated that only those pictures are unlawful that are three-dimensional and have a body to them, such as statues and sculptures. A picture that does not have a body or shadow to it will not be unlawful although somewhat disliked, such as drawing a picture on a paper, cloth or on any other object. This is one of two positions narrated from Imam Malik, with his other position being similar to that of the vast majority of classical scholars.
The position of the vast majority of classical scholars is based on the fact that there is no distinction in the various Hadiths between a tangible and intangible picture. The Hadith indicating the permissibility of intangible and non-solid pictures refers to pictures of other than humans and animals.
(See: al-Mugni, 7/7 & Takmila Fath al-Mulhim, 4/155)
Based on this, the reliable and mainstream opinion of the classical jurists is that picture-making is unlawful, whether by painting a picture on an object or making a sculpture. This is the position held by the three main Sunni Schools of Islamic law (i.e. Hanafi, Shafi'i & Hanbali) and also one of two positions related from Imam Malik (Allah have mercy on him). It would be better if one referred to a Maliki Scholar to determine the relied upon (mufta bihi) position of that School. As such, one should avoid drawing/ painting pictures of humans and animals.
Drawing and painting nature:
There is no such prohibition with regards to drawing and painting pictures of nature, like for example plants, sea, sunset etc. The only prohibition is that of drawing humans and animals in detail with all its details, or the face and neck with all its details (except when necessary for immediate educational purposes and the like).
Drawing the outline of humans and animals without detail:
As for drawing an outline of the human body, without detailed features, and labeling the various parts, or drawing the details of a particular part (such as the heart), this is permitted, and this is not disliked if for a reasonable purpose (such as education).
It is mentioned in Imam ` Ala ' al-Din al-Haskafi's al-Durr al-Mukhtar that, among the types of pictures that are not prohibited to have are those that are
"(Small) such that the details of their limbs are not apparent to someone who looks down at them standing while they are on the ground, as Halabi mentioned, (or with their head or face cut off) or with an organ effaced out that the body cannot live without, (or of an inanimate object)."
Ibn Abidin clarified in his supercommentary, Radd al-Muhtar, "(His saying
"with their head" cut off") That is, whether it did not have a head in the first place, or it had one and it was effaced."
[Radd al-Muhtar` ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, "Babma yufsidal-salatwama yukrahufiha"]
School children painting and drawing for educational purposes:
Regarding school children drawing humans and animals for educational purposes then it would be permitted, because such drawings are rarely detailed enough to constitute prohibited picture-making, as explained in the answer above.
Hope that clarifies matters.
And Allah knows best in all matters
Referances:
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.a...D=15655&CATE=1
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.a...=2276&CATE=153
http://spa.qibla.com/issue_view.asp?ID=9334