Forbidden Images on Clothes

19-3-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Asslamualikum warahmatullahi wabarakaatuhIs there consencus that it is haram to wear clothes with images?Because I see many people doing it and also rickshaws have pictures of human/bird etc painted on them. i understand that printing pictures is an issue of dispute but what about painting?Because I read your fatwa that one cannot enjoin good in ijtehadi matters ,so I wanted to know, if I should advise those who deal with pictures e.g. should I tell the rickshaw driver to remove the painting?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

According to the view of the majority of the scholars, it is forbidden to wear clothes on which there are pictures of animate beings. Some scholars even reported the consensus of the scholars on this issue. However, it is not forbidden to make it as a mat or a pillow. This is permissible because the Prophet leaned on a pillow on which there was a picture. [Ahmad]

However, please note that the forbidden image is that which a complete image of the animate being, from which parts of its body that are essential for it to remain alive are not removed. Therefore, if the parts that are essential for it to remain alive are removed from it, such as its head, or chest, or belly, then it is not forbidden.

Al-Buhooti from the Hanbali School of jurisprudence said in his book Ar-Rawdh said: “If what is essential for it (the animate being) to remain alive is removed from the image then it is not disliked.” [End of quote]

Therefore, you must forbid this evil when you see it according to your ability.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 336841 and 323455.

Allah knows best.