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In the Name of God بسم الله

Can I hang art ( a painting ) of Buddha?

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  • Basic Members
Posted

Salam everyone ,

I'm new to this forum and have a question. I'm a shia Muslim residing in the the USA, and I just bought a painting depicting Buddha's face to decorate my living room. According to shia law, is it permissible to hang such a piece of art in the house? It's obviously just for decorative purpose and the picture basically depicts budha's face with a few flowers on the sides. A few of my Sunni friends here pointed out that muslims can't have a picture of Buddha in the house as only Buddhists would have those. Is this true? Please help me solve my dilemma and if possible, please provide reference or a fatwa to help me understand.

Thanks,

Erum 

  • Basic Members
Posted

No as in it's not allowed to hang the painting? Can you please elaborate so that I can understand. Thank you! 

  • Forum Administrators
Posted

According to Shias, a painting of Buddha would not be allowed. See the quote below:

Quote

Sculpting and Painting and Drawing

Sculpting, painting or drawing of living or non-living things or symbols that are used as objects of worship by other religions is not allowed. So making, buying or selling idols or religious symbols such as a cross would not be permissible.

From here: 

https://www.al-islam.org/islamic-business-ethics-sayyid-muhammad-rizvi/your-business-b-haram-business-and-trade#sculpting-and-painting-and-drawing

Posted
15 minutes ago, hameedeh said:

According to Shias, a painting of Buddha would not be allowed. See the quote below:

From here: 

https://www.al-islam.org/islamic-business-ethics-sayyid-muhammad-rizvi/your-business-b-haram-business-and-trade#sculpting-and-painting-and-drawing

Read his question carefully. He is specifically asking about hanging it up, not about making, sculpting or painting it.

Your quote does not cover that.

  • Forum Administrators
Posted
35 minutes ago, E.L King said:

Read his question carefully. He is specifically asking about hanging it up, not about making, sculpting or painting it.

Your quote does not cover that.

Since it is haram to make, buy or sell idols or religious symbols used as objects of worship by other religions, how can you say that putting a painting of Buddha on his wall is allowed? If it is haram to buy it in the first place, then it is haram to hang the painting on the wall or lean it against the wall or suspend it from the ceiling, etc.

Posted
15 minutes ago, hameedeh said:

Since it is haram to make, buy or sell idols or religious symbols used as objects of worship by other religions, how can you say that putting a painting of Buddha on his wall is allowed? If it is haram to buy it in the first place, then it is haram to hang the painting on the wall or lean it against the wall or suspend it from the ceiling, etc.

1) That's what you call qiyas.

2) Some scholars say it is haram to make any sculpture, but say it is halal to have them in your house or hang them up. 

What you're doing is qiyas sister.

Yes it can be haram to buy it, but that's one sin. You have already committed that sin, but now you are hanging the painting up.

Is that a second sin in and of itself or not? That's the question.

  • Forum Administrators
Posted
3 minutes ago, E.L King said:

2) Some scholars say it is haram to make any sculpture, but say it is halal to have them in your house or hang them up. 

The OP already said that Sunni friends of his told him it is haram. Should he value his friendship with them or put the Buddha on his wall? Would you hang a painting of Buddha in your house? Would your family allow it? 

Posted
43 minutes ago, hameedeh said:

The OP already said that Sunni friends of his told him it is haram. Should he value his friendship with them or put the Buddha on his wall? Would you hang a painting of Buddha in your house? Would your family allow it? 

That's not a Fiqhi answer, I am sorry to say sister.

  • Forum Administrators
Posted
52 minutes ago, E.L King said:

Yes it can be haram to buy it, but that's one sin. You have already committed that sin, but now you are hanging the painting up.

So and your family would not put a Buddha painting on your wall, but you are okay telling the OP that there is no problem in doing that. 

Posted
19 minutes ago, hameedeh said:

So and your family would not put a Buddha painting on your wall, but you are okay telling the OP that there is no problem in doing that. 

I also would not jump in a pool full of mud, that does not mean it is haram.

This question is simply a haram and halal question, that's what he's asking.

All extra comments are unnecessary.

  • Advanced Member
Posted (edited)

@E.L King What would you do if you bought a painting and then upon arriving home learned that it is painting of Lat and Uzza? (Let's just assume in this example we all know what those idols or sculptures looked like). 

I see the points you stated above and where you are coming from at a technical angle, but what would you do in this situation I have said. 

I believe it makes full and complete sense for a Muslim not to buy, keep or hand a painting, sculpture or anything else the another religion has made a false deity. 

Having said that, as I was typing this last paragraph up, something else came to my mind. So with my above statement of not being allowed to have to hand or keep these 'items', does that mean that I can't have a painting of a lion or cow? Because maybe someone or some religion takes these animals as a God..... (Btw I believe it is fine to have a painting or sculpture of an animal, as long as there is no worship or dodgy business involved). 

i still personally would never hang or keep any picture or item of a specific false deity that another group or religion has taken, be it bhuda, or the Hindu one (some blue person?) or any other. 

Edited by YAli
Posted
5 minutes ago, YAli said:

@E.L King What would you do if you bought a painting and then upon arriving home learned that it is painting of Lat and Uzza? (Let's just assume in this example we all know what those idols or sculptures looked like). 

I see the points you stated above and where you are coming from at a technical angle, but what would you do in this situation I have said. 

I believe it makes full and complete sense for a Muslim not to buy, keep or hand a painting, sculpture or anything else the another religion has made a false deity. 

Having said that, as I was typing this last paragraph up, something else came to my mind. So with my above statement of not being allowed to have to hand or keep these 'items', does that mean that I can't have a painting of a lion or cow? Because maybe someone or some religion takes these animals as a God..... (Btw I believe it is fine to have a painting or sculpture of an animal, as long as there is no worship or dodgy business involved). 

i still personally would never hang or keep any picture or item of a specific false deity that another group or religion has taken, be it bhuda, or the Hindu one (some blue person?) or any other. 

I would destroy any painting in my home that is a symbol of falsehood which includes symbols of other religions and/or sects.

No it would not make sense for a Muslim to have such things up, but like I said I am coming from a completely technical Fiqhi angle.

As for your question regarding pictures of animals, drawing such pictures is controversial amongst various ulama. Hanging them is not haram but praying in such a room would be makruh, so it is better to not have such a thing in a room where you pray.

  • Basic Members
Posted

Thank you everyone. I see now that I made a mistake in buying that painting, though unintentional but a mistake nevertheless. I'll just go and return it. Thank you again for your time and replies, and I'm not a "brother" but a sister:)  

P.S. I'm trying to attach the painting in this reply but don't know how to. To be honest, I didn't even know that it depicted Buddha until later!

  • Basic Members
Posted

So if I go out now and buy a painting that doesn't depict any false religious deity but still has any generic pictures of people , that should be ok to hang in the house? 

  • Moderators
Posted
14 hours ago, Mure said:

So if I go out now and buy a painting that doesn't depict any false religious deity but still has any generic pictures of people , that should be ok to hang in the house? 

If the people in the painting includes women without hijab, your Sunni friends might object to that. 

  • Basic Members
Posted

Yes you can hang a photo of the Buddha as long as you do not worship it.

The Buddha is a symbol of high consciousness and Knowledge, also known as Ma'rifa. 

I would however advise that the photo be away from your prayer area.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Advanced Member
Posted

It is makrooh to perform prayers in a room where there is a picture of an animate beings. Therefore, you should not hang it in the room where you perform prayers.

There are a number of places where it is Makrooh to offer prayers. Some of them are the following:

  • Public bath
  • Saline land
  • Facing a human person
  • Facing an open door
  • On a road or street, provided that offering of prayers at these places does not cause inconvenience to others. If it is a source of inconvenience, and discomfort to them, it is haraam to obstruct their way.
  • Facing fire or a lamp
  • In the kitchens, and at every place where there is a furnace
  • Facing a well or a pit where people often urinate
  • Facing the picture or models of living creatures, unless it is covered
  • In the room where a Mujnib is present
  • At a place where there is a picture, even if it may not be placed in front of the person who offers prayers
  • Facing a grave
  • On the grave
  • Between two graves
  • In the graveyard
  • Advanced Member
Posted (edited)

It is makrooh to perform prayers in a room where there is a picture of an animate beings. Therefore, you should not hang it in the room where you perform prayers. Makrooh means that it is permissible but there is less sawab in the prayers that you perform.

 

 

Edited by Jawid Akbari

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