Making and Selling of Pictures

Q: Prohibitions and Permissions-11: We make and sell pictures made out of little sticks, fixed on a wooden board. Just as we make pictures of sceneries, we?also make pictures of animals, which people display in their homes and offices. Is this permissible?

Answer: It is not permissible to make, sell and display pictures of animate objects. Doing so is a great sin. It is, however, permissible to make, sell and display pictures of inanimate objects as long as they are not worshipped.

In a Hadith of Bukhaari and Muslim, Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas RADI. reports that Rasulullaah SAW. said, "Every person who made a picture will be in the Jahannam. where the picture will be given life to punish him." Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas RADI. then commented saying, "lf you need to make any picture, make a picture of a tree or some other inanimate object.

Fataawaa Daarul Uloom (Vol.7 P5.256) makes it clear that it is a major sin to make pictures of animate objects, regardless of whether these are paintings, engravings or photographs. They all fall into the category of picture making, which has been declared Haraam by so many Ahadeeth that classifying them is Tawaatur will not be wrong. It adds that taking photos, having them taken as well as keeping them with one are all Haraam acts, which render a person a Faasiq. It will therefore be Makrooh Tahreemi to follow a person engaged in this in salaah when a better person cannot be found. This Fatwa had been prepared by Hadhrat Moulana Mufti Muhammad Shafee RAH. Wand had been endorsed by Hadhrat Moulana Asghar Husain, Hadhrat Moulana I?zaaz Ali, Hadhrat Moulana Shamsul Haq and Hadhrat Moulana Mas'ood Ahmad of Daarul Uloom Deoband.

Fataawaa Mahmoodiyyah (Vol.5 Pg.146) also makes it clear that it is Haraam to make pictures of animate objects, whether these are done on walls or on paper and regardless of whether done by hand or by a machine. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.3