Is it permissible for a web designer to upload cartoon pictures on websites?

26 Jan 2013 · 14 Rabiʻ I 1434 AH2 min readFatwa 24166English

Question

asalam o alaikum

i m graphic and web designer, can i upload cartoon pictures on customer website ?but cartoon is not made by me,i just download pictures from net and paste on website.

or can i upload company product on website? but company products have pictures of cartoons.and cartoon is not made by me. examples are below!

Image 1

Image 2

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

You have stated that you are a web designer and you upload cartoon pictures onto websites.

In principle, the prohibition of pictures is not restricted to only manufacturing and creating pictures. Rather, the prohibition also includes utilizing pictures in a way that gives significance and value to the pictures. [1] Mullā Ali al-Qārī Rahimahullāh states in Mirqāt al-Mafātīh, a commentary on Mishkāt al-Masābīh:

As for the ruling of utilizing items that have pictures of animate objects, it is impermissible. For example, hanging a picture on the wall, whether the picture has a shadow or not, wearing pictured clothing or a pictured turban, etc. (Mirqāt al-Mafātīh, Hadīth No. 4489)

The purpose of posting pictures on a website is to attract and fascinate the viewers. This gives importance and value to the picture. Therefore, it is impermissible to upload pictures of human beings or cartoon characters onto websites.

However, Sharīah has made a distinction between small pictures and big pictures. In defining a small picture, the Fuqaha have mentioned that if a picture is placed on the ground and a standing person with a reasonable vision is unable to discern the features of the picture, then it is small. And if the standing person is able to discern the features of the picture, it is big. [2]

To make or manufacture pictures, whether small or big is impermissible. However, Sharīah has overlooked and granted leniency for having small pictures in one’s house etc. Therefore, there is a leeway to post small pictures on websites. [3]

We have viewed the link that was sent with the query. The two pictures on the bottom of the page are considered small since the features are not discernible. Hence it is permissible to upload such pictures. However, the pictures on the jelly bottles that have been uploaded on the top of the page are not small. The facial features are clearly discernible. Hence, to upload such pictures is impermissible.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Abdul Azīm bin Abdur Rahman,
Student Darul Iftaa
U.S.A.

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

وَأَمَّا اتِّخَاذُ الْمُصَوَّرِ بِحَيَوَانٍ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مُعَلَّقًا عَلَى حَائِطٍ سَوَاءً كَانَ لَهُ ظِلٌّ أَمْ لَا، أَوْ ثَوْبًا مَلْبُوسًا أَوْ عِمَامَةً أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ (مرقاة المفاتيح، في شرح حديث 4489)

[1] ثُمَّ التِّمْثَالُ إنْ كَانَ عَلَى وِسَادَةٍ أَوْ بِسَاطٍ لَا بَأْسَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهِمَا وَإِنْ كَانَ يُكْرَهُ اتِّخَاذُهُمَا (البحر الرائق، ج 2، ص 28، سعيد)

(قَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يُكْرَهُ اتِّخَاذُهُمَا) اُنْظُرْ مَا الْمُرَادُ بِذَلِكَ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ لَا بَأْسَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهِمَا وَنُظِرَ فِي شَرْحِ الْمُنْيَةِ فِي دَعْوَى الْكَرَاهَةِ لِمَا مَرَّ مِنْ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَلِمَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ لَوْ كَانَتْ الصُّورَةُ عَلَى وِسَادَةٍ مُلْقَاةٍ أَوْ عَلَى بِسَاطٍ مَفْرُوشٍ لَا يُكْرَهُ لِأَنَّهَا تُدَاسُ وَتُوطَأُ بِخِلَافِ مَا إذَا كَانَتْ الْوِسَادَةُ مَنْصُوبَةً أَوْ كَانَتْ مَعَ السِّتْرِ لِأَنَّهُ تَعْظِيمٌ لَهَا. اهـ.

قُلْت وَقَدْ يُقَالُ الْمُرَادُ بِقَوْلِهِ لَا بَأْسَ بِاسْتِعْمَالِهَا أَيْ بِأَنْ يَتَّكِئَ عَلَى الْوِسَادَةِ وَيَفْرِشَ الْبِسَاطَ وَقَوْلُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يُكْرَهُ اتِّخَاذُهُمَا أَيْ اتِّخَاذُهُمَا لِزِينَةٍ وَنَحْوِهَا مِمَّا فِيهِ تَعْظِيمٌ أَوْ يُقَالُ الْمُرَادُ بِالِاتِّخَاذِ فِعْلُ التَّصْوِيرِ فِيهِمَا أَيْ أَنَّ التَّصْوِيرَ فِيهِمَا مَكْرُوهٌ دُونَ اسْتِعْمَالِهِمَا تَأَمَّلْ (منحة الخالق، ج 2، ص 28، سعيد)

وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعَلِّقَ في مَوْضِعٍ شيئا فيه صُورَةٌ ذَاتُ رُوحٍ وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُعَلِّقَ ما فيه صُورَةٌ غير ذَاتِ رُوحٍ كَذَا في الظَّهِيرِيَّةِ(الفتاوى الهندية، ج 5، ص 359، سعيد)

[2] Tasveer Kay Shari Ahkaam, Pg. 71, Idaaratul Ma’arif Karachi

[3] (قَوْلُهُ إلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ صَغِيرَةً) لِأَنَّ الصِّغَارَ جِدًّا لَا تُعْبَدُ فَلَيْسَ لَهَا حُكْمُ الْوَثَنِ فَلَا تُكْرَهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ وَالْكَرَاهَةُ إنَّمَا كَانَتْ بِاعْتِبَارِ شَبَهِ الْعِبَادَةِ كَذَا قَالُوا وَقَدْ عَرَفْت مَا فِيهِ وَالْمُرَادُ بِالصَّغِيرَةِ الَّتِي لَا تَبْدُو لِلنَّاظِرِ عَلَى بُعْدٍ وَالْكَبِيرَةِ الَّتِي تَبْدُو لِلنَّاظِرِ عَلَى بُعْدٍ كَذَا فِي فَتْحِ الْقَدِيرِ وَنَقَلَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ عَلَى خَاتَمِ أَبِي مُوسَى ذُبَابَتَانِ وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا وُجِدَ خَاتَمُ دَانْيَالَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ - فِي عَهْدِ عُمَرَ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - وُجِدَ عَلَيْهِ أَسَدٌ وَلَبُؤَةٌ بَيْنَهُمَا صَبِيٌّ يَلْحَسَانِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ بُخْتَ نَصَّرَ قِيلَ لَهُ يُولَدُ مَوْلُودٌ يَكُونُ هَلَاكُك عَلَى يَدَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ يَقْتُلُ مَنْ يُولَدُ فَلَمَّا وَلَدَتْ أُمُّ دَانْيَالَ أَلْقَتْهُ فِي غَيْضَةٍ رَجَاءَ أَنْ يَسْلَمَ فَقَيَّضَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَسَدًا يَحْفَظُهُ وَلَبُؤَةً تُرْضِعُهُ فَنَقَشَهُ بِمَرْأًى مِنْهُ لِيَتَذَكَّرَ نِعَمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَدَفَعَهُ عُمَرُ إلَى أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ وَكَانَ لِابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ كَانُونٌ مَحْفُوفٌ بِصُوَرٍ صِغَارٍ اهـ.

وَفِي الْخُلَاصَةِ مِنْ كِتَابِ الْكَرَاهَةِ رَجُلٌ صَلَّى وَمَعَهُ دَرَاهِمُ وَفِيهَا تَمَاثِيلُ مِلِكٍ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ لِصِغَرِهَا. اهـ. (البحر الرائق، ج 2، ص 28، سعيد)

(قَوْلُهُ الَّتِي لَا تَبْدُو لِلنَّاظِرِ عَلَى بُعْدٍ) لَمْ يُبَيِّنْ هُنَا حَدَّ الْبُعْدِ وَيُفَسِّرُهُ مَا فِي الْمُنْيَةِ وَشَرْحِهَا بِحَيْثُ لَا تَبْدُو لِلنَّاظِرِ إذَا كَانَ قَائِمًا وَهِيَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ أَيْ لَا تَتَبَيَّنُ أَعْضَاؤُهَا (منحة الخالق، ج 2، ص 28، سعيد)

Tasveer Kay Shari Ahkaam, Pg. 71-72, Idaaratul Ma’arif Karachi

Answered by: Abdul Azīm bin Abdur Rahman
Checked & approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

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