PAINTINGS & SCULPTURE & ARTS ARE ALLOWABLE IN ISLAM
- Sheikh “Muhammad Abduh”(1849-1905) Head of Islamic verdict in Egypt & most Islamic countries in his time was asked about the paintings& photography & sculpture legality in Islam & he replied that it is halal (legal) as per the following
- ALLAH instructed us not to decide what is haram except what ALLAH only states Q 16;116
وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ
translation “And do not say what your tongues untruly describe, this is halal (lawful) and this is haram (unlawful),” ———- & for those heavily relying on hadith for religious judgments , then there is a hadith unanimously believed to be true & fully Sahih by all hadith scholars saying that the Prophet (pbuh) said
“الحلال ما أحله الله والحرام ما حرمه الله فى كتابه و ما سكت عنه فهو عفو
Translation “Halal and Haram are what is stated by ALLAH in his book , and whatever he was silent about is pardoned (forgiven)” –. This hadith makes all hadith fans muslims revert only to Quran for halal & haram & debunks & annuls any hadiths judging any halal or haram & nothing in Quran is mentioned referring to banning or objecting to sculpture or paintings or arts in general
- The so called hadith that the painters are the most tortured people in the afterlife should not be a basis for legalization or banning because as shown above the only basis for this is the Quran & nothing is mentioned in Quran that calls for banning sculpture or paintings or arts in general . Even if we assume –for the sake of argument- that this hadith was said , then if we trace it we will find that it was said in front & specifically to those who made or dealt with paintings/ sculpture made for the sake of being worshipped in Makkah area
- And finally , the Islamic Sharia (legislation) would not ever prevent such useful means of knowledge & learning & science , on the contrary the Sharia serves to attain people development , welfare & interests & that paintings , sculpture & arts are in general allowable in Islam
In supportive of what the Sheikh has said , I also quote Quran verses stating that king & Prophet Solomon ordered the Jinn assigned to him by ALLAH to make statues , thanking God for this grace , Q34;13
يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِن مَّحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا
translation “They made for him what he willed of elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles. [We said], “Work, O family of David, in gratitude.”——–
Also Quran never banned making statues or drawings but ordered us not to worship these art works same as HE ordered us not to worship the sun or moon or fire or any human or creature but only worship ALLAH , & this is clear in the verses showing the dialogue between Prophet Ibraham & his people as stated in Quran blaming his people for worshipping statues
21:54
إِذْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ مَا هَـٰذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنتُمْ لَهَا عَاكِفُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾ قَالُوا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا لَهَا عَابِدِينَ ﴿٥٣﴾ قَالَ لَقَدْ كُنتُمْ أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
21:67
قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ ﴿٦٦﴾ أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Translation ” When he said to his father and his people, “What are these statues to which you are devoted They said, “We found our fathers worshippers of them.”He said, “You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.”
& He said, “Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you Uff to you and to what you worship instead of Allah. Then will you not use reason