Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen

Designing Cartoons and Animations

· 10 Shawwal 1433 AH1 min readEnglish

Question

I am a graphic designer by profession. Sometimes, I am hired to design cartoons and animations of people, animals, etc. Can I accept these jobs?

Answer

All pictures of animate objects are haraam and forbidden in Islam. All the four mazhabs are unanimous upon the impermissibility of drawing and creating pictures of animate objects. There is no difference in the Islamic ruling between a picture that is drawn by hand and a digital picture. Hence, earning via this means is impermissible in Shari’ah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:

Those involved in picture-making will be subjected to the worst forms of punishment on the Day of Qiyaamah.

Q: A graphic designer who makes computer games with animals and people, will he have to give up his job?

A: It is permissible for him to design pictures of inanimate objects.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

إن أشد الناس عذابا عند الله يوم القيامة المصورون (صحيح البخاري رقم 5950)

وكذا النهي إنما جاء عن تصوير ذي الروح لما روي عن علي رضي الله عنه أنه قال من صور تمثال ذي الروح كلف يوم القيامة أن ينفخ فيه الروح وليس بنافخ فأما لا نهي عن تصوير ما لا روح له لما روي عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه أنه نهى مصورا عن التصوير فقال كيف أصنع وهو كسبي فقال إن لم يكن بد فعليك بتمثال الأشجار (بدائع الصنائع 1/116)

Answered by
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
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Source: Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen — https://muftionline.co.za/node/644
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/muftionline-644

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