I recently started to draw a character that I saw as my desktop wallpaper. Suddenly, I realized that drawing living creatures is haram, and that Allah will ask us to put life into the pictures that we draw. I stopped drawing the character immediately, but I am still confused about whether or not it is haram to draw living creatures, especially fictional ones. Are these drawings really haram, even if we have no intention of giving them life or just drawing to do the timepass? I am especially wondering about fictional creatures like anime and other cartoon characters. Is it permissible to draw these?
1 Answer
This is difference of opinion and the interpretation of those Hadith are differed upon. According to the Maliki madhab, the prohibition of image making is referring to making idols or statues or sculptures of animate beings, not drawing them. Or drawing them with the purpose of veneration. But other than that, it is permissible according to the Maliki madhab to draw animate beings. According to the Hanafi, Shafi’i and Hanbali madhabs, even drawing animate beings is haram unless there’s a reason for it such as a sketch to identify a criminal, and scholars also give permission for it for teaching purposes or even in giving dawah such as Islamic cartoons is an exception according to the majority of scholars in all 4 madhabs. According to authentic Hadith, dolls made for kids to play with also is an exception to the prohibition
