Robots...

[Fishman]

:sl:
Is drawing/sculpting robots halal? You aren't actually drawing a living thing, but it does look like one.
:w:

[akulion]

Good question,

Making the painting / idol of a man or woman or of animals is forbidden in Islam as we know.
This particular question falls in the category of making "idols" with our own hands.

A robot could easily be a machine with a metal body or even a synthetic rubber coating over it to make it less "metallic"

So there really is no need for giving it a human form at all and best to my knowledge would be the same as making a human like idol.

That is all I can think of from my limited knowledge.

And Allah swt knows best.

[Fishman]

Good question,

Making the painting / idol of a man or woman or of animals is forbidden in Islam as we know.
This particular question falls in the category of making "idols" with our own hands.

A robot could easily be a machine with a metal body or even a synthetic rubber coating over it to make it less "metallic"

So there really is no need for giving it a human form at all and best to my knowledge would be the same as making a human like idol.

That is all I can think of from my limited knowledge.

And Allah swt knows best.

:sl:
I don't really understand what you are saying. We are forbidden to depict people or animals because that would be like creating life ourselves and thus imitating Allaah (swt), right? But if you draw a picture of a robot, you are not attempting to depict a lifeform, but attempting to depict a machine.
:w:

[akulion]

Making a technical diagram of a robot is quite different from making an imaginary robot like "the transformers"

Technical diagrams would be allowed since they show the mechanisms of the robot itself

However as I said, my knowledge is limited in this regards so it is best to try and avoid things which MAY destroy our deeds.

After all would the exchange of "jannah" for a "painting of a robot" be a fair deal to you?

So better to be safe bro

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[DigitalStorm82]

Asalamu Alaikum bro,

That is a good question indeed. I have looked up ruling on drawing robots, but have been unsuccessful so far. Although I did come across a fatwah regarding imaginary beings. Even though the fatwah doesn't directly deal with machine coming to life, such as robots... but as I understand it, the fatwah does deal with imaginary beings which may include robotic life. We all know robots aren't really "alive," it is just a computer code programed to respond a certain way... however, it does mimic the creator of all that exist. To attempt to bring a robot to "life" would be like attempting to play God. It is best to stay away from the doubtful things... Allah knows best. Below is the fatwah on imaginary beings.

Is it permissible to draw imaginary pictures such as a man with wings?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

The focus of the prohibition on image making is images of animate beings, whether they are sculpted or drawn on walls or fabric or paper, or they are woven, and whether they are drawn with a quill or pen or made with a machine, and whether the image is of the creature as it naturally appears or whether imagination comes into play and it is made smaller or larger, or made beautiful or distorted, or the skeleton inside is shown in the picture.

The reason for the prohibition is that what is represented is animate beings, even if they are imaginary images such as those that are drawn to represent ancient peoples such as the pharaohs and commanders and soldiers during the Crusades, or images of Jesus and Mary that are placed in churches, etc. This is because of the general meaning of the texts and because of the imitation of the creation of Allaah, and because it is a means that leads to shirk.

From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 1/479.

Muslim narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came from a journey and I had hung a curtain at my door, on which were pictures of horses with wings, and he told me to take it down.

This hadeeth indicates that images of animate beings are not allowed even if they are imaginary pictures of things that do not exist in real life, because there are no horses with wings in real life.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

[Mawaddah]

Hmmm.....Good Question.

As far as I know things like robots are not prohibited. Since they are in no way a living thing.

But Allahu A'lam, someone needs to check up on it insha'allah.

[Woodrow]

I would say it depends on how human the Robot is intended to look. If the goal is to make a Robot look human, that in itself seems like it would be a form of sculpture and to draw a robot like that would be the same as attempting to draw a Human figure.

[Fishman]

I would say it depends on how human the Robot is intended to look. If the goal is to make a Robot look human, that in itself seems like it would be a form of sculpture and to draw a robot like that would be the same as attempting to draw a Human figure.

:sl:
What if it looked obviously mechanical, with pistons and the like on it?

Note: I am not talking about the picture of Moronbot that's in my avatar, as I did not draw that, and I have not paid or otherwise encouraged the artist to make such drawings. I am talking about my sci-fi work (a book with added CGI illustations). Since drawing pictures of aliens is haram, and because using living soldiers is more risky for the aliens, I have decided that the alien army will be mechanised. I do not plan to depict any living things in my sci-fi work at all.
:w:

[amirah_87]

As Salaamu Alaykum,

I heard a fatwaa a while back saying that it is Permissable to draw Non-Living things!!

Like if you were to have a fruit, rock, sun with a face on it.. and etc

wallahu a'lam

[AnonymousPoster]

What about drawing human beings for the sake of science?
I don't think I could have learned anatomy without relaying heavily on books which depict the human body in detailed drawings
such as this

Also how come many of the early Muslims depicted scientific images in their research if it were Haram?
thanks
:w:

[DigitalStorm82]

I heard... long as it doesn't have a face... its ok.

Like for example... a shape of an eagle.. my school logo is an eagle but some of the shirts dont have a face on it.. its just a design of the eagle... I heard that long as you dont see the face like eyes, mouth, nose and such its ok.

Allah knows best.

Or, you can ask Islam-qa sheikhs with a specific question if you cant seem to find an answer.

[AnonymousPoster]

If it doesn't have an eye then how can we learn this?

I really don't know that drawing/painting is Haram unless you are doing it with the intent of taking on false idles, or seducing people with lewdness ... but that is just me and I can definitely err. It is my opinion that if drawing is for educational purposes that it wouldn't be Haram. when I ask, I always get divided opinion so I am not sure. but I am certain that God doesn't want to make religion or life difficult for us. so we need some scholars to really define the lines of what is appropriate and what isn't. Otherwise we'll all be left wondering????

[DigitalStorm82]

Meaning... on the face... like you would see the entire face..

But the again, you might paste a picture of a face showing different cheek bones and parts and ask the same question.

But, I agree... we should ask the scholars.

...and here is a fatwah regarding educational pictures.

Praise be to Allaah.

Pictures are haraam as stated in the question. From the hadeeth about the curtain which ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) used as a screen in her house, it is clear that pictures are haraam, even those which do not cast a shadow (i.e., two-dimensional). The fact that these pictures are for educational purposes does not justify allowing them in this case. Making images is haraam except in cases of necessity, because in cases of necessity, things which are ordinarily forbidden may be permitted. Although some (scholars) permit such pictures for educational purposes, to be on the safe side, it is better not to allow it, especially since the aim can be achieved through other means.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr

If you denounce them and do not take part in this project, you will have freed yourself from blame and there will be no sin on you. May Allaah help us and you to do all that is good.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

[Fishman]

:sl:
About those body diagrams, I heard it's halal to draw those since vital parts of the creature are missing. So drawing dinosaur skeletons, eyeball diagrams and model arms etc are halal.

But what I'm wondering about is whether drawing (not building) a robot is halal. I do not intend for my robots to be lifelike, just mechanical machines with mechanical arms, legs and heads, along with other things. No lifelike skin or covering is envolved, just something more like this, which is obviously not alive:

:w: