Islamic rules regarding drawings/pictures

[xdianax]

I have heard that one is not supposed to create drawings or pictures in Islam. I vaguely understand it has to do with not trying to create something, when Allah only has that power, but I was curious behind the entire reasoning behind it. Also, if this is the basic reasoning behind it, I was wondering why some Muslims create drawings through the use of calligraphy.
http://faculty.luther.edu/~martinka/art43/daily/3rd/cal1.jpg
http://www.sca.org.au/lochac/artsci/images/scribes/bird.jpg

Does this defeat the purpose of the rule?

:) In love,

Diana

[cabdirazzaq]

There view is consensus among the scholars that drawing pictures of living beings with ones hands is strickly forbidden, no one can compete with Allah(may he be exalted) in his creation.

http://www.illvet.com/Shared/bildbank/downloads/desktops/Dolphin/S/Desktop_thumbnail.jpg

Secondly, the drawing of these pictures and carvings are among the sources for idol worshipping, it was described by Ibn Abbas(may Allah be pleased with him) how the first polytheist came about. After the death of Adam(peace be upon him) people had gradually been loosing the religion until they felt that they had to erect statues as to remember those knowledgble people who used to live among them sense they all had started to die, ignorance started prevaling while knowledge was decreasing until along time had passed and people had forgot why these statues were there and soon started to worship them, we see the same thing has happend to the buddhist faith, idols and statues were erected to honour him and history tells us that these idols were made soon after his death but while the years passed more and more people started worshipping these things, why? Because they saw their fathers doing it.

[xdianax]

:) Interesting...therefore is such calligraphy, (like the pictures I posted) not accepted in Islam because it is another way of idol worship? I was curious because I remember my history textbook showing a picture of Islamic calligraphy that stated that Muslims were forbidden from drawing pictures. It puzzled me, because I thought that the calligraphy seemed to be a way of getting around that rule, and drawing them anyway. Also, what do you think about such calligraphy?

:) In love,

Diana

[cabdirazzaq]

What I do not know about, I can´t really answer.

And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned

[naps]

They are not life-like or pornographic or 3D-statues.

There is a difference of opinion based on what school of thought you follow.
For example for a malki mazhab.


The rule is that anything that is unlawful to look at in real-life is also unlawful to look at when depicted in a life-like photograph. Therefore, pornography in magazines, billboards, posters, electronic screens, projector screens, etc. is all unlawful. As our definition of pornography is very strict (since it includes the exposure of both the light and coarse nakedness of the human being (please refer to footnote 768)), the person living in the present time (and the future) will face difficulty practicing this ruling. [Anytime that a ruling is difficult to practice, the person should try his best and ask Allah for forgiveness.]

As for other non-pornographic photographs (e.g., of a panda bear, a properly-dressed human, or a building), they are generally mubah to look at (see figure 42-1). [The instructions we gave above in footnote 2622 are only for people who are travelling the Path and have not yet reached the Goal (and not for the general body of the members of our din).]

As for drawing animate life (e.g., humans, animals, and insects) with the hand, it may be employed for instruction purposes, children's cartoons, etc. but only if the depiction is not completely life-like (life-like handdrawn portraits of humans or other animate creatures are unlawful to make or keep). Please note that plant life is not considered to be animate in our din and thus is lawful to draw even if it is life-like.

As for life-like statues of animate life which include the head (e.g., a cavalry horseman in stone or a plastic flamingo/bird), they are unlawful to make or keep.

As for children's toys, they are permissible to make and keep (e.g., a doll, an action figure, an artificial stuffed animal, etc.).

[cabdirazzaq]

That horse look pretty life alike, the best is to be on the safe side and stay away from drawing such pictures without motives.

[BradinTheGreat]

I read in my art book that images depicting living things are forbidden in mosques. This was put in place so that no one would worship these images. In Islamic books, however, it is ok to create images of living things and what not.

[cabdirazzaq]

You are correct when you state that putting pictures in mosques is something prohibited, but there shouldn't exist pictures in ones home either, even though most muslims today keep them and hang them up anyway. It is not ok for any muslim to draw pictures without a motive, this is because of the great deal of evidence found in quran and sunnah.

[BradinTheGreat]

Oh, I see.

You learn something everyday.

[cabdirazzaq]

Masonry does not involve living things and therefor is not forbidden.

What do you mean by fun? No man has yet created a living animal, how can it be fun if they can´t even do it?

O mankind! A parable has been made, so listen to it: Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are the seeker and the sought.[Quran Al-Hajj]

[SpliffVortex]

Billy Joel Lyrics

Captain Jack Lyrics


Saturday night and you're still hangin' around
Tired of livin' in your one-horse town
Like to find a little hole in the ground
For a while

So you go to the village in your tie-dye jeans
And you stare at the junkies and the closet queens
It's just like some pornographic magazine
And you smile

Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push and you'll be smilin'

Your sister's gone out. She's on a date
You just sit at home and masturbate
The phone is gonna ring soon but you just can't wait
For that call

So you stand on the corner in you New English clothes
And you look so polished from your hair down to your toes
But still your finger's gonna pick your nose
After all

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
La da da, Oh yeah, yeah

So you decide to take a holiday
You got your tape deck and your brand new Chevrolet
Ah but there's no place to go anyway
And what for...
You've got everything, but nothing's cool
They've just found your father in the swimming pool
And you guess you won't be going back to school
Anymore...

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
La da da, Oh yeah, yeah

So you play your albums and you smoke your pot
And you meet your girlfriend in the parking lot
Oh, but still you're aching for the things you have not got
What went wrong...
And if you can't understand why your world is so dead
And why you've got to keep in style and feed your head
Well, you're twenty-one and still your mother makes your bed
And that's too long...

But Captain Jack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Just a little push 'n' you'll be smilin'
Yeah, Captain Jack will get you by tonight
Yeah, Captain Jack will get you by tonight

[BradinTheGreat]

What does that song have to do with this post?