Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Azaadville

What about pictures of a skeleton, or skull?

Published as Pictures Of The Head Of An Animate Object, Skeletons, Skulls And Fantasy Creatures

· 24 Ramadan 1444 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

Is it permissible to draw, paint, keep, buy or sell a head of a living being without a body, since a living being cannot live without a head and only a body?

What about pictures of a skeleton, or skull?

What about the pictures of fantasy creatures which do not exist in real life?

Answer

It is not permissible to paint, draw, take, keep, buy or sell a picture of a head on an animate object. Similarly, the picture of a skeleton which literally represents the body of an animate being, would be deemed impermissible as it is also emulating the creation of Allah Ta’aala.

However, it would be permissible to draw the skull on its own which is the bone structure that forms the head and surrounds and protects the brain.

The same Hukm (ruling) of impermissibility will apply to a picture of a fantasy creature as what is represented is animate beings and pictures of animate beings have been prohibited in Shari’ah.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

مذکور الصدر تمام روایات مرفوعہ اور آثار صحابہ سے بھی ثابت ہوا کہ صرف چہرے یاسر کی تصویر یا ایسی ناقص تصویر جس میں سر موجود ہو، بنانا بھی حرام ہے، اور اسکا استعمال بھی ناجائز ہے (احادیث اور آثار صحابہ کیلئے

مفتی شفیع صاحب رحمہ اللہ کا رسالہ کا مطالعہ کیا جائے)

[ جواھر الفقہ ] ۲۵۳/۷ مکتبہ دار العلوم کراچی

اسی طرح تصویر کا پریس میں چھاپنا، مشین یا سانچے میں ڈھالنا بھی ناجائز ہے،

[احسن الفتاوی ] ۴۳۷/۸ ایچ ایم سعید

بے جان اشیاء کی تصویر یا جاندار کی ایسی تصویر جس میں سر کٹا ہوا ہو یا چہرے کے سوا الگ الگ اعضاء کی تصویر بنانا، بیچنا، خرید ناسب جائز ہے۔

[احسن الفتاوی ] ۴۳۹/۸ ایچ ایم سعید

اور براق تو جاندار ہے اسکی تصویر کسی حالت میں بھی (مذکورہ خرابی ہو یانہ ہو ) رکھ نہیں سکتے کہ جاندار کی تصویر شر عاحرام ہے

[فتاوی رحیمیه ] ۱۴۶/۱۰ دار الاشاعت

Approved by
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.
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Source: Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Azaadville — https://www.iftadua.co.za/pictures-of-the-head-of-an-animate-object-skeletons-skulls-and-fantasy-creatures/21606/
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/azaadville-21606

People also ask

Are photographs and taking pictures permissible?

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