Why Graphic Designing Is Not Haram in Islam: 3 Arguments
C.J Ahmed-15.03.2023
Graphic designing is a form of discipline or profession where various forms of designing and creative art strategies are used for communication, marketing and branding. Graphic designing is not haram in Islam and those who forbid graphic designing do not k now what graphic design in g is in the first place. The opposition for graphic designing comes from lunatics who give armchair fatwas without understanding the common man’s suffering. Those who say that graphic designing is haram state that when graphic designing, you have to create animate objects and this is not the case. Even if we agree for the sake of argument, still it is halal to indulge in graphic designing because creating animate objects is halal under necessity. Islam is a very easy and pragmatic religion an d below are the three main arguments from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah proving why graphic designing is halal.
1Modern Day Image Making is Different is Different
Islam is a pragmatic religion which can be followed in any day and age. Making images of living- beings such as humans or animals is not haram in Islam. Modern day images are created usin g photography and even the drawings are already created using software’s which have drag and drop features. The drag and drop features already have characters which are already created hence creating images of animate objects using such modern day technology makes graphic designing completely halal.
2Necessity Dictates Exceptions
Cartoons are made for several reasons and under necessity it is not at all haram to make such cartoons. This is how Allah (Swt) explains the principal of necessity.
"And why should you not eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has been pronounced (at the time of slaughtering the animal), while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity?”
(Al-Quran-6:119)
And
"He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, and swine, and that which has been consecrated to any other than Allah. But who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. For Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate."
(Al-Quran-2:173)
These verses give a clear picture that proves that something that is already made haram will become halal due to a necessity if there is no transgression.
"Narrated Anas (Rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
In this hadith, the prophet (Sal) allowed Abdur Rahman bin auf and Zubair bin Awwam to wear silk because they had an itch. Generally wearing silk is haram for men except for embroidery but the prophet (Sal) allowed silk for the two sahabi due to a reason.
3 Misquoting the Word “Tasweer” (image)
Some are of the view that graphic designing involves image making. This argument is ludicrous and unacceptable. The argument of making photography is based on the hadiths prohibiting of making images of living souls. The prophet (sal) said:
"Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The prophet (sal) said:
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like my creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas (Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
None of the above hadiths has anything to do with watching animals mating. The argument that video or photography is haram is taken from the fatwa of Sheikh Naseeruddin al Albani (Rahee) Sheikh Albani defended his stance that photography and video making is haram by saying
"Those who say that photography is permitted have “frozen” the meaning of the word “tasweer,” restricting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is “tasweer” or “picture-making” in every sense – linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?”
(Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albani, p. 38)
Sheikh Albani’s fatwa is a wrong fatwa. The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images and reflections do not come under this. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in Arabic to describe photography when it was invented by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(). Now in modern day colloquial Arabic the word "SayYaara"() refers to a car. Allah says in the Quran:
""
"And there came a caravan of travellers and they sent their water-drawer"
(Al- Quran-12:19)
In the above verse, the word "SayYaara"() means a caravan but in modern colloquial Arabic it means "Qafila"(). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYaara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
The push button example given by Sheikh Naseeruddin al Albani is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making an image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the opposite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a handmade drawing or a reflection? Or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? Are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way? A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons. The above explanation clearly proves beyond doubt that graphic designing is not haram in Islam.
Graphic designing is a form of discipline or profession where various forms of designing and creative art strategies are used for communication, marketing and branding. Graphic designing is not haram in Islam and those who forbid graphic designing do not k now what graphic design in g is in the first place. The opposition for graphic designing comes from lunatics who give armchair fatwas without understanding the common man’s suffering. Those who say that graphic designing is haram state that when graphic designing, you have to create animate objects and this is not the case. Even if we agree for the sake of argument, still it is halal to indulge in graphic designing because creating animate objects is halal under necessity. Islam is a very easy and pragmatic religion an d below are the three main arguments from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah proving why graphic designing is halal.
1Modern Day Image Making is Different is Different
Islam is a pragmatic religion which can be followed in any day and age. Making images of living- beings such as humans or animals is not haram in Islam. Modern day images are created usin g photography and even the drawings are already created using software’s which have drag and drop features. The drag and drop features already have characters which are already created hence creating images of animate objects using such modern day technology makes graphic designing completely halal.
2Necessity Dictates Exceptions
Cartoons are made for several reasons and under necessity it is not at all haram to make such cartoons. This is how Allah (Swt) explains the principal of necessity.
"And why should you not eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has been pronounced (at the time of slaughtering the animal), while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity?”
(Al-Quran-6:119)
And
"He has only forbidden you carrion, blood, and swine, and that which has been consecrated to any other than Allah. But who is driven by necessity, neither craving nor transgressing, it is no sin for him. For Allah is Forgiving, Compassionate."
(Al-Quran-2:173)
These verses give a clear picture that proves that something that is already made haram will become halal due to a necessity if there is no transgression.
"Narrated Anas (Rali):
The Prophet (sal) allowed `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf and Az-Zubair bin Al-`Awwam to wear silk because they were suffering from an itch" .
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
In this hadith, the prophet (Sal) allowed Abdur Rahman bin auf and Zubair bin Awwam to wear silk because they had an itch. Generally wearing silk is haram for men except for embroidery but the prophet (Sal) allowed silk for the two sahabi due to a reason.
3 Misquoting the Word “Tasweer” (image)
Some are of the view that graphic designing involves image making. This argument is ludicrous and unacceptable. The argument of making photography is based on the hadiths prohibiting of making images of living souls. The prophet (sal) said:
"Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The prophet (sal) said:
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like my creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas (Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
None of the above hadiths has anything to do with watching animals mating. The argument that video or photography is haram is taken from the fatwa of Sheikh Naseeruddin al Albani (Rahee) Sheikh Albani defended his stance that photography and video making is haram by saying
"Those who say that photography is permitted have “frozen” the meaning of the word “tasweer,” restricting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is “tasweer” or “picture-making” in every sense – linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?”
(Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albani, p. 38)
Sheikh Albani’s fatwa is a wrong fatwa. The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images and reflections do not come under this. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in Arabic to describe photography when it was invented by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(). Now in modern day colloquial Arabic the word "SayYaara"() refers to a car. Allah says in the Quran:
""
"And there came a caravan of travellers and they sent their water-drawer"
(Al- Quran-12:19)
In the above verse, the word "SayYaara"() means a caravan but in modern colloquial Arabic it means "Qafila"(). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYaara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
The push button example given by Sheikh Naseeruddin al Albani is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making an image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the opposite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a handmade drawing or a reflection? Or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? Are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way? A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons. The above explanation clearly proves beyond doubt that graphic designing is not haram in Islam.