Pictures In Islam

[Amna_]

As salamu alaikum.

As we all know, pictures are not allowed in islam. I remember what happened in Denmark (i guess so) when someone wanted to make face of the Prophet Muhammad. My question is about Ali and His face. I saw many times in the series or pictures on the walls. Is it ok? Thank you for your answers.

[Ethics]

As salamu alaikum.

As we all know, pictures are not allowed in islam. I remember what happened in Denmark (i guess so) when someone wanted to make face of the Prophet Muhammad. My question is about Ali and His face. I saw many times in the series or pictures on the walls. Is it ok? Thank you for your answers.

 

(wasalam) it is not forbidden per-say in Shia Islam Fiq, but highly discouraged and wrong because no picture can do justice to their pious faces, so it will always be disrespectful then good. I as a Shia have seen those pictures before, what can you do? People will make them and have them regardless. All we can do is help them rationally understand.

[guest050817]

(wasalam) it is not forbidden per-say in Shia Islam Fiq, but highly discouraged and wrong because no picture can do justice to their pious faces, so it will always be disrespectful then good. I as a Shia have seen those pictures before, what can you do? People will make them and have them regardless. All we can do is help them rationally understand.

 

I agree with you brother. What if our Imams a.s never even looked like these pictures, is it not disrespectful? Surely drawing them with only light in place of their face is more respectful - and even that is questionable by some people.

 

Just to add, scholars who say it is permissible do so only on the condition it is not derogretory. The cartoons of Muhammed pbuh are utterly derogratory.

 

However, i condemn the killings and terrorist acts wholeheartedly.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Tawheed313

[Saintly_Jinn23]

As salamu alaikum.

As we all know, pictures are not allowed in islam. I remember what happened in Denmark (i guess so) when someone wanted to make face of the Prophet Muhammad. My question is about Ali and His face. I saw many times in the series or pictures on the walls. Is it ok? Thank you for your answers.

 

According to Ayatollah Sistani:

 

Question: Is it permissible to draw or produce a scene which shows the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), one of the past prophets or the infallible Imams (a.s.), or other luminaries and show it in cinema, on television or theater?

 

Answer: If due deference and respect is observed, and the scene does not contain anything that would detract from their holy pictures in the minds [of the viewers], there is no problem.

 

Question: Is it permissible to draw or produce a scene which shows the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), one of the past prophets or the infallible Imams (a.s.), or other luminaries and show it in cinema, on television or theater?

 

Answer: If due deference and respect is observed, and the scene does not contain anything that would detract from their holy pictures in the minds [of the viewers], there is no problem.

 

Question: Students are asked to draw a human being or an animal; the requirement is such that it is difficult for the student to refuse the assignment. Are they allowed to do the drawing? What is the ruling if they are asked to do a sculpture work instead of the drawing?

 

Answer: Drawing a non-sculptured figure is allowed. Based on obligatory precaution, it is necessary to refrain from drawing a sculptured picture of a living being. And to say that it is a compulsory part of the school work does not justify violating the obligatory precaution. This prohibition is relaxed, only in the event of necessity; for example, if not carrying out such an assignment would lead to the student expulsion from the school and that would put him in difficulty of the kind that is normally intolerable.

 

http://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01175/

http://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01282/

 

Painting in three dimensions, of living creatures, is haraam:

 

Painting living creatures, such as human beings and the like, in three dimensions is haraam, as a mater of ihtiyat. As for ordinary painting, evidently it is permissible. There is no harm in photographic imaging that is commonly used nowadays. There is no harm too in acquiring three dimensional portraits and selling [trading in] them, albeit the latter is makrooh.

 

http://www.sistani.org/english/book/45/2013/

 

According to Ayatollah Yousouf Saanei:

 

Q1007: What is your view on the art of sculpture and on trading the works of sculpture? What is the case of painting and drawing in general?

 

A: Sculpture for reasonable purposes, is not illegal; Painting or drawing will be legal and permissible if it does not include vulgar and nasty figures and does not encourage depravity and immorality.

 

Q1008: What is your view on miniatures which often include the covered figure of a woman? Is it permissible to trade such painting?

 

A: Miniature and other paintings which do not popularize depravity and moral corruption are legal and it is legal to trade them.

 

http://www.saanei.org/?view=02,01,09,1,0#02,02,09,209,0

 

 

According to Ayatollah al-Hakeem:

 

Question #20: I had a painting of myself done couple of weeks ago by another student. Do you think that it is against the religion to have something like that done for oneself?

 

Answer: In general, painting of live things is prohibited but owning the painting is not prohibited. As for the student who made the painting, his action is not prohibited since he did not know the verdict.

 

http://english.alhakeem.com/pages/quesans/listgroup_ques.php?numpage=2&Where=152

 

According to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei:

 

Q: What is the view on making dolls and sculpture, or drawing living beings (plants, animals, and human beings)? And what is the view on selling, buying, acquiring, and exhibiting these items?

 

A: There is no harm at all in the sculpture, photography and painting of beings that have no soul. Nor is there any harm in making sculptures or drawings of living beings that have a soul provided it is not done in three dimensions or full-size. As for a complete sculpture of a human being or any animal, it is a problem. However, it is permissible to sell, buy, or keep pictures and statues. There is no objection to showing them in an exhibition as well.

 

http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/

 

According to Ayatollah Makerem Shirazi:

Q:What is the ruling of making the complete human body statue or half body statue of human or animals? What is the ruling of painting them?

A:Sculpture has problem and painting is permitted.

Q: Is prohibition of painting and sculpture because of paganism construe of them and their idolatrous feature? In this way, what is the ruling of them today that these acts don’t propagate idolatry and are known and used as arts?

A: Sculpture and trading status have problem anyway except toys.

Q: Please answer the following questions about sculpture :

A) What is the ruling of building a symbol of martyr in one of the squares of the city in order to dignify the memory of martyrs?

B.)Is it permissible to build the statue of a soldier who is shooting at the enemy?

C) Is it permissible to reconstruct a scene for showing the evilness and aggression of imperialism (for example oppression to the people of Halabja, who were killed during poison gas attack) as it has happened?

D) If a person, who is prostrating and worshiping god, is built then does it have problem?

E) Does it have problem to amend the historic works like engraved images or statues which have been remained f r o m previous ages?

A: Sculpture has problem according to religion of Islam, but it is permitted to consider the following matters as exceptions:

1) Engraved images which can be seen in plasterwork and other artistic engravings.

2) Dolls and those which are being used for playing.

3) Statues which are being built for deceiving the enemy and are being placed in different places and are war necessities.

4) Statues which consist of many parts and are being used in medicine for education and become the replacement of anatomization in many cases and it seems to be necessary to have them for education.

5) Computerized robots which have not been built for entertainment, and are being use in human life needs

Q: It is a while that I carve picture s on wood and subsist in this way because I heard that making complete statue with soul is Haraam not a part of the body that is carved in wood. Is it religiously permissible for me to persist in this way?

A:These kinds of carved picture s don’t have problem but do not carve picture s that propagate religions other than Islam or picture s that cause moral corruption.

Q: Some picture s can be seen in houses, public places and movies which are ascribed to infallible Imams (a.s.) and take the attention of the viewer, in the way that a part of the body of those pure infallibles (a.s.) has been shown in some of TV programs; on the other hand, showing the holy faces of pure Imams has been introduced without problem in some of associations which have religious and seminary ranks. Albeit, it has not been seen in the movies yet but there is a fear of this act to be done, considering that there was no photography instrument in those days and they are close to god please say that what is your opinion about this matter?

A: If they ascribe these picture s to holy prophet (s.a.) or Imams (a.s.) certainly then it is not permitted but it doesn’t have problem as a possibility, on the condition that the picture should be a proper picture and about movies, observing the dignity of those superiors obliges that their face not to be shown clearly but their presence to be felt in scenes.

Q: Is it permissible to ornament mosques and Husseiniyyas?

A: If ornamentation is not performed with gold and the picture of creatures which are alive and it is not considered as squander then it doesn’t have problem.

 

http://makarem.ir/Question/ViewQuestion.aspx?lid=1

 

According to Ayatollah Yaqoobi:

 

 

QUESTION:

Among the Shiites, pictures are permitted. However, it’s strictly forbidden to portray holy persons, like the Prophet (s.), to prevent degradation. With respect to the Prophet (s.) we follow this rule.

But I can’t understand why it’s different with the Imams, for example, Imam Hussein (a.) or Imam Ali (a.).

Isn’t that a kind of degradation? For me that is a contradicti on in terms. Why is it allowed, to portray Imams (a.)? Maybe there’s a Hadith or another source that explains this.

ANSWER: It’s forbidden to make representations of persons and animals. However, painting and drawing of other subjects are permitted. The pictures of the Imams must not be used for degradation, such as painting and portraiture. (Take a look at already existing Fatwas with regard to pictures.)

 

http://www.yaqoobi.de/index.php/en-us/islamic-laws

 

According to the late Ayatollah Fadlallah:

 

Q: What is your opinion concerning both the manufacturing of solid shapes and their possession?

With respect to the above mentioned issue, I’d rather take an obligatory precaution by doing without it rather than prohibiting it. Indeed, its prohibition is built upon this obligatory precaution. As to their possession, if they are taken as a object to play with –or similar uses then there is no problem. As a matter of fact, the texts, we usually refer to, and which prevent such shapes, depend mostly on the purpose  they are made for by the artist and not on their use , for it was, many times, mentioned that “the one, who had made a picture or had carved a statue will be asked to infuse life in his statue although he is not a blower, in the doomsday” This statement reveals that this issue depends upon the maker himself whether he is imitating God or not. Thus it is an issue  that has to  do with the mentality of the maker ,and  I, Like any other Jurist, declare that their possession, selling, and use are not forbidden.

Q: Is the statue, which shows only the upper half of the body, subject to the same law?

Indeed, what is prohibited, in this area, is the statue that reveals the whole body of a person. But if this statue shows half of the body because the other half is behind a wall or a curtain, then it is unlawful or, let me say, it is still subjected to be unlawful as compulsory precaution. On the other hand, an incomplete statue which shows part of a man such as a head or the upper part in a way that is generally considered a statue of an incomplete body, then this incomplete statue is not unlawful.

Q: What about drawings, photographs, and the Islamic carves which include Quranic verses and the names of God?

All kinds of photographs are legitimate simply because they are not mentioned among the unlawful acts . As for the carves, they are not considered photographs and they are not at the same time, prohibited.

Q: Is it allowed to make a flat statue, for example a frog? So you can hang it like a picture at the wall.

If it is not embodied, then it’s allowed. (In other words, if it is flat and doesn’t look like a full-bodied object - human or animal -, then it is allowed.

Q: Is it allowed to make puppets/dolls that make parts of music boxes, paintings or other pictures. Mostly they are for the biggest part covered by a blanket, tree, window, so you can only see the head and the arms.

A: Assuming it is not embodied, then it is allowed.

 

http://english.bayynat.org.lb/QA/7a.htm

http://english.bayynat.org.lb/jurisprudence/art.htm

 

According to the Late Ayatollah Lankarani:

 

Q1: I would like those pictures claimed to be the pictures of our holy Imams, are they really the pictures of our Imams? I would appreciate a reply from you as soon as possible. May Allah swt reward you.

A1: No, there is no historical evidence substantiating the claim that these are the pictures of those Imams.

Q2: The artistic and imaginary pictures of the Holy Imams are very common and popular in the Iranian markets but they seemed to me very awful. Now I would like to know whether or not they are permitted according to Islamic Laws. Please advise.

A2: If the pictures are not in relief and are not insulting, there is no problem. However, to believe that the pictures, definitely, are of the Infallible Imams, is not correct.

Q3: Is taking pictures allowed in Islam?

A3: There is no problem.

 

http://lankarani.com/eng/faq/index.php

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The late Allameh Jafari also published extensive works on art in Islamic philosophy and law which may be of further use. You should consult your respective maraji for more details on the permissibility of pictures, including those of the Imams (as) or the Prophet. All scholars who permit portraits of the Prophet (pbuh) or Imams in every generation, however, have always agreed on the need for such images to pay due respect to holy personage and nature of the characters they depict.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Saintly_Jinn23

[mohsin87]

(salam)

 

As per the Islamic law, there is no problem in it by itself provided that it is not considered desecrating or disrespectful according to Urf (custom) and that it is not opposed to the status of the Imams.

For more information refer to:

http://www.islamquest.net/en/archive/question/fa694

[Khalilallah]

We don't know what the Imams looked like so any image we draw of their face is a lie.