Drawing On Faith

CITATION
Rasheed, Muhammad. "Drawing On Faith." Cartoon. The Official Website of Cartoonist M. Rasheed 14 Jul 2018. Pen & ink w/Adobe Photoshop color.

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Insha Kahar - Is drawing a bad thing in Islam?

Muhammad Rasheed - In my opinion, drawing is only a bad thing if:

1. The art is created to be an image to be worshiped
2. The image is intended as a depiction of God, that will most likely cause people to lean towards worshiping the image as a idol.

In both these cases the artist is tempting people and there is a very real danger that the weak will succumb to the temptation. History demonstrates that such weakness creates trends that can lead entire generations of people astray. Since Allah in the Qur’an never forbade the believers to draw such images, I personally wouldn’t do it for fear I myself might be responsible for initiating some horrible, paganism snowball effect.

Muhammed Mustafa - Dear brother, when it comes to rulings of Islam, my opinion and your opinion don’t matter. We need to refer to Quran and Sunnah (authentic hadiths), and drive the rulings from there.

Just today, I read some authentic hadiths and it made it clear to me that drawing pictures (of things with soul) isn’t permissible. It isn’t just about “worshiping” (I use to think that before), rather it is also about trying to imitate Allah’s creation. And there will be severe punishment for it.

Today, things are gone way beyond simply drawing pictures. Multi-million dollar companies are trying to create robots in an attempt to imitate Allah’s creation. They will all face torment in hereafter.

Hadiths:

“…All the painters who make pictures would be in the fire of Hell. The soul will be breathed in every picture prepared by him and it shall punish him in the Hell…” (Source: Sahih Muslim 2109c, 2110a)

May Allah guide us and help us come over the temptation of drawing pictures. May He help us use our skills and talent in halal way.

Muhammad Rasheed - In the Qur’an, Allah says it was He who taught humankind the use of the Pen, now here you want me to believe that the hadith that condemn the Pen’s usage are actually authentic. Do you really believe a simple line drawing is an attempt to “ imitate Allah’s creation?” What aspect of the creation looks like a cartoony line drawing?

I’m glad that you prefaced your comment with the fact that your opinion doesn’t matter, since the confusion it conjures lacks any kind of value.

Peace.

Muhammed Mustafa - Seems you got offended by my statement; which I didn’t intend to. Rather, I wanted to emphasize how important it is to share authentic teachings, rather than just our opinions (which might be based on our own personal perceptions and feelings). And sharing such opinions on the internet can misguide people. Thus we need to make sure to share the right info.

And yes, my personal opinion doesn’t matter. Therefore, I shared authentic narration(s).

Regarding “ Who taught by the pen “ (Surah Al-'Alaq - 4 - Quran.com), please read the Tafseer there. It has nothing to do with drawing pictures, rather it is a symbol of knowledge. To use PEN to record the knowledge.

And if you simply say God commanded us to use the pen to draw faces, then please bring forth your evidence. Because without authentic sources, it is again merely your personal opinion.

May Allah guide us all. W.Salaam

Muhammad Rasheed - Muhammed wrote: “Seems you got offended by my statement”

Of course I did.

Muhammed wrote: “rather than just our opinions (which might be based on our own personal perceptions and feelings)”

You give the impression that you never learned to draw and you resent people who do, so you conjured a weird opinion about it from a hadith that isn’t backed by the Qur’an at all to offend me. And you’re doing it during Ramadan.

Muhammed wrote: “And yes, my personal opinion doesn’t matter.”

Doesn’t stop you from harassing me with it though, innit?

Muhammed wrote: “It has nothing to do with drawing pictures, rather it is a symbol of knowledge. To use PEN to record the knowledge.”

Drawn pictures are symbols made of line that convey knowledge. smh Note this is done with the Pen that Allah provided for the purpose. Go make salah.

Muhammed Mustafa - So you are fine looking up to these people (the pagans) but reject the authentic hadiths (from Prophet Muhammed PBUH) that back and elaborate upon the Quranic verses? Interesting.

And just FYI, if there is a need, it is permissible as per the scholars. Such as drawing human anatomy for biological studies, etc. Now it is all there, we don’t need to draw them. And thus, with the examples you gave, we have evolved our communications into way better symbols (that are alphabets and not pictographs). Thus the need is gone, long ago before Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) came.

May Allah guide us all and protect others from our ignorance.

PS: If you are someone who rejects hadiths and say “Quran is enough” then here is what Allah commands in the Quran itself, in several places: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger!…” (64:12).

Muhammad Rasheed - Muhammed wrote: “So you are fine looking up to these people (the pagans)”

More insults? I’m not “looking up to the pagans,” but merely provided a clearer example of the use of the Pen to help you widen your narrow mindset over a topic you kneejerk react towards from a layman’s ignorance.

Muhammed wrote: “but reject the authentic hadiths (from Prophet Muhammed PBUH) that back and elaborate upon the Quranic verses? Interesting.”

This is incorrect. The only thing referenced in the Qur’an was that it was Allah who taught us how to use the Pen, and this “hadith” is saying using the Pen will send me to hell. lol I reasonably question the quality assurance of those determining which hadith are authentic or not.

Muhammed wrote: “And just FYI, if there is a need, it is permissible as per the scholars.”

I worship Allah and follow His messenger. I do not worship your clout-chasing, faux-priesthood scholars. They need a stronger argument on this item.

Muhammed wrote: “Such as drawing human anatomy for biological studies, etc. Now it is all there, we don’t need to draw them.”

So, arbitrary rulings of what use of the Pen is allowed or not is supposed to be taken seriously? lol

Muhammed wrote: “And thus, with the examples you gave, we have evolved our communications into way better symbols (that are alphabets and not pictographs). Thus the need is gone, long ago before Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) came.”

It’s just another language and a different writing system. lol One is not “evolved” over the other. The original Law of Moses was no doubt written in those same pictographs on the tablets for Moses (pbuh).

Muhammed wrote: “May Allah guide us all and protect others from our ignorance.”

And may He protect us from jealous haters and their arbitrary rules pretending to be Al-Islam.

Muhammed wrote: “PS: If you are someone who rejects hadiths”

I do not.

Muhammed Mustafa - Well, do you think that if Quran is saying to use the pen, it means you can use it for anything? Like, anything? How about drawing vulgar adult images? Would you still say that it is permissible as there is no guidance on “how to use the pen”? Think about it.

Again, you are finding my comments offensive, idk why. I am just trying to be direct and am sharing the knowledge with you.

And, if those pictographs were used by Moses (AS) then I would take back my statement; even though I still cannot find any authentic sources to verify this info (Moses used pictographs to write). Nevertheless, even if it was used, they aren’t that DETAILED drawings of faces, etc as done by Pharaohs (sculptures) or anyone else these days. Such briefly outlined silhouettes of things, which (as I heard) are permissible.

Anyways, I am done here. If I am mistaken, may Allah guide me. And if you are, may Allah guide you too.

All I wish is the best for you.

Muhammad Rasheed - Muhammed wrote: “How about drawing vulgar adult images? Would you still say that it is permissible as there is no guidance on ‘how to use the pen?’ Think about it.”

How many times in the Qur’an does Allah ask the believer to reflect and do we use our reason? Obviously, I’m not supposed to use the Pen to slander, backbite, create porn, solicit a prostitute, etc., but to create lined symbols to convey knowledge.

Muhammed wrote: “Again, you are finding my comments offensive, idk why.”

Oh, because you are dismissing the idea that your interpretation of the subject can be wrong to harass me with it. I disagree with your position and I thought that was clear. Your pushy, vacuum cleaner salesman style of argument is off-putting and arrogant.

Muhammed wrote: “I am just trying to be direct and am sharing the knowledge with you.”

You’re sharing your opinion with me and the argument seems to have run its course a few posts ago.

Muhammed wrote: “And, if those pictographs were used by Moses (AS) then I would take back my statement; even though I still cannot find any authentic sources to verify this info (Moses used pictographs to write).”

Well, we know he grew up in Pharaoh’s household and was educated in their system. Ancient Egyptian was the language he spoke/wrote for formal communication.

Muhammed wrote: “Nevertheless, even if it was used, they aren’t that DETAILED drawings of faces, etc as done by Pharaohs (sculptures) or anyone else these days. Such briefly outlined silhouettes of things, which (as I heard) are permissible.”

More arbitrary rulings based on emotion and what the faux-priesthood scholars just made up according to how they felt that day, or saw the moon. It’s impossible to take that kind of stuff seriously, especially since there were numerous Islamic communities of old that made plenty of drawings/paintings. Obviously, the topic is not as you would believe it to be.

Muhammed wrote: “Nevertheless, I am done here.”

You were already done.

Peace.

See Also: "...Having Taught Man the Use of the Pen..."

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