Salam and Attention to all!
This is a statement to make things clear for myself or anyone think he/she involves in.
“As of this moment, I shall STOP designing, drawing and illustrating ANYTHING which consist of living things. This will include humans, animals, and all those things that have a soul in them. And if you have any of my graphic designs which consist of any or combination of all that, please delete or throw it away. I shall replace your money necessarily or I will redesign it back again at no extra charge.”
Dear all,
This will be an enormous shift in my career. I’m sorry that I can’t produce any graphic images or even take pictures of living things. And yes, in this industry there is a whole lot more things that you can do such as abstract graphic or even typography. So, good luck to me and anyone who is ready to make a change.
“I care about the triumph in the Hereafter and this is my worldly sacrifice”
*Please continue reading if you are a Muslim or interested to know about why I need to make a change. Thank you for your time.
These are my major concern. I’m quoting few Hadith, saying of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him which are taken from the book Riyad-us-Saliheen and each of them is authentic Hadith. (The commentaries are also taken from the same book and it is not my own commentary)
Prohibition of Drawing Portraits
Ibn ‘Umar r.a. said, The Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. said, “Those who draw pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection; and it will be said to them: ‘Breath soul into what you have created.’ ” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
We learn from this Hadith that drawing pictures of humans, animals and all those things that have a soul in them is a great sin and is liable to heavy punishment. However, one will not taken to task for such pictures which are made compulsory by the Government, i.e., identity cards, passports domicile cert etc., because one cannot exercise his own will in such matters, but this exemption is subject to the condition that he does not exceed the compulsory requirement.
Ibn ‘Abbas r.a. said: I heard the Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. saying, “Every painter will go to Hell, and for every portrait he has made, there will be appointed one who will chastise him in the Hell.” Ibn ‘Abbas said: If you have to do it, draw pictures of trees and other inanimate things. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
A painter will be punished for his paintings according to the number of his products. The greater the number of paintings he has produced, the more would be the punishment. Thus, there is a great warning for those who make films and photographs on marriages and functions because they make photographs of hundreds or thousands of persons at a time. If, in spite of knowing that his act is unlawful in Shariah, they do it on account of slackness on their part, they shall have to suffer heavy punishment for it in Hell. If they think that it is permissible in Islam, while it is forbidden, they would be regarded infidels and abide in Hell. It is absolutely wrong to think that this prohibition applies only to the painters or sculptors and that photograph taken by camera is not a picture but a mere reflection and, therefore, one is exempted from their prohibition. Whether a picture is made by hand or camera or video, it is a picture and its makes is warned with Hell. May Allah save us from it. However, pictures of natural scenery which are lifeless are permissible.
Ibn Mas’ud r.a. said: I heard the Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. saying, “These who will receive the most severe punishment from Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be painters (of living objects).” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Abu Hurairah r.a. said: The Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. said, “The Almighty Allah said: ‘Who is more an oppressor than him who goes to create like My creation? Let him make an ant or a grain of corn of a grain of barley.’ ” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
The Hadith has a stern warning for photographers and video-makers who try to imitate the Creative Attribute of Allah.
Abu Talhah r.a. said: The Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. said, “The angels do not enter a house which there is a dog or a portrait.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
Angels here means angels of mercy whose visit is a blessing for homes, because the angles who supervise us and record our deeds are with us all the time.
Abul-Haiyaj bin Husain said: ‘Ali bin Abu Talib r.a. said to me: “Shall I not send you to do a task that the Allah’s Messenger s.a.w. had assigned to me? Spare no portrait unwiped out, and leave not a high grave unlevelled.” [Muslim]
Commentary:
Drawing pictures and raising graves over the height of a span are forbidden and their removal is the responsibility of Muslim rulers. An Islamic state neither allows pictures, nor does it permit permanent structures over graves or graves over a span’s height. “Leave not a high grave unlevelled” does not mean levelling them to the ground. What it really means is that these should be reduced to the permissible height.
Thus, I hope everything is clear and there is no need for me to explain more. There is no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’. I’ve heard and now I myself have read it, so I shall obey it. Spread the words and may Allah forgive my sins and all of us. Ameen.
*Anyone who can translate this entry for me in different language, please let me know so that I can put a link here. Thank you.