THIRD SUBJECT
THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICAL ANALOGIES FROM CONTEMPORARY REAL WORK

We have seen that forbiddance stands when the act of sculpture is associated with the intention of heathenism, or worship, or when it is used to act as intermediate for winning Allah's favor or emulating Allah's otherwise inimitable and only true act of crea­tion. But when it is not associated with these intentions forbid­dance falls. The same thing applies to owning a sculpted or drawn product when it is not accompanied with the intention of idolatry, mediation or considering the act of making a statue simi­lar to Allah's act of creating out of nothing.

For each matter there are specific ramifications :

First : Interior Design

Some go as far as forbidding the use of images and statues in decorating houses out of aversion, or out of precaution, or out of zealotry in following the literal sense of the Prophetic Tradition. Their attitude springs from extreme precaution and is analogous to that of those who reject the hobby of sculpture to be on the safe side and to avoid awakening any sense of dormant vanity. By so doing all of these try to get closer to Allah, following the belief that faith is of different degrees. These are similar to those who refrain from revelling in extravagant forms of food out of as­ceticism and fear of Allah, though knowing that most of Allah's graces are allowed and can be enjoyed in whatever manner. People differ in their capacities and wills.

Abstinence from certain kinds of art -such as sculpture and the making of statues- may get widespread among Muslims, in appre­ciation for the Prophet's (PBUH) history of struggle against hea­thenism. We commend this behaviour because society is free to give its culture the color and arts that suit its history. This is the case in many societies. But religion is objective and it is not right to say that it forbids this kind of art in itself even if it is not asso­ciated with evil intentions of infidelity and vanity. If images and statues were forbidden in themselves regardless of whether the in­tentions were innocent or not, it would have been more appro­priate to make them inaccessible to children for the sake of good education, because they are not yet mature and it is possible that they may have got used since their early age to appreciating images and statues and to giving them a great value, which may ultimately lead them to harboring intentions of idolatry in the fu­ture. It was reported that Aïsha said that the Prophet (PBUH) had a saying in which he allowed the use of images and statues as toys for children⁽¹⁵⁾.

As for non-Muslims towards whom we have a duty that cons­ists of explaining Islam to them in a clear fashion and gradually making faith closer to their hearts, we should try to explain things to them in detail.

If we look closely at the contemporary world, we will find that the majority of sculptors and painters do not harbor any in­tentions or ideas or illusions of equalling Allah's creative act when they make representations of nature. Wide is the difference bet­ween the artist's inanimate representations and Allah's creation that throbs with life, action and verbal behaviour.

Some people may be so conceited as to try to equal Allah's act of creation in their sculpture and their paintings. The vanity of these people makes them answer for their acts and makes their acts subject to forbiddance. Yet this does not mean that these forms of art should be forbidden outright in themselves. The in­tentions of the majority of the practitioners are not tamished with evil thoughts. Evil thoughts do not comprise the admiration of artistic skills that is devoid of any comparison with the divine acts of creation. The statue maker, the handicraftsman and the weaver, all have skills that may be subject to admiration and all try to present their work in such a way as to make it desirable.

We notice that Islam had an important and basic mission which is monotheism and the unity of Allah. The main source of rules and regulations is the Quran, followed by the Prophetic Tradition. If sculpture and the making of images were forbidden in themselves regardless of whether they are associated with any intent of infide­lity, godlessness or conceitedness, we would have found verses in the Quran that say so explicitly, because that is part of matters that are to the heart of religion and are in no way of a complementary nature, to be dealt with by the Prophetic Tradition only. All of this shows that the forbiddance dealt with in the tradition is inextricably related to intention. It becomes null once it is established that it is devoid of apprehensions of infidelity, idolatry and the simulation of Allah's act of creation. Forbidding these forms of art and handcraftsmanship is related to the heathen context of the time when the Prophet had to deal with them.

Therefore, we should advise the practitioners of these arts that it is incumbent upon them to rid their souls of what defiles them. If some avoid these arts out of extra caution, they are not by so doing pious in any definite form of forbiddance, but are only avoiding something permitted out of fear of delusion, which is in itself a rare happening, possible only in a few cases. If we stand up for the view that calls for forbiddance, we will put restraint and bring repression upon nations, most of whose members have got used to practising these arts and owning them innocently, without associating that with conceit or the emulation of Allah's creation. The statue is no more than a stone in the view of its sculptor or purchaser, there is no room for comparing it to flesh, blood, veins, heart, stomach, brain, soul, action and other graces that Allah the Great bestowed us with. Likewise, the image is no­thing but lines and colors on a flat surface which does not bear comparison to wood, trees, air, hurricanes and real waves.

There are exceptions to forbidden things, which are made legitimate by necessity and tradition within the limits allowed by the spirit of Islamic legislation and which consists in tolerance and care. For example, the Prophet (PBUH) said : "Do not sell what you do not have". But theologians excepted from that forward hi­ring and the professional contracts that are based on it and for­ward buying and the farming contracts related to it, because these practices are widespread amongst people and do not necessarily lead to conflicts. Therefore, some theologians hold that "if there was a right proof and there was a full induction that some contracts or acts have become so indispensable in their lives that they would be distressed if these practices were to be forbidden, they should be allowed to do what relieves them of their distress even if it were forbidden"⁽¹⁶⁾ It is therefore clear that general rules concerning forbiddance may have certain exceptions, allo­wing which will lead to the realization of legitimate interests and to avoiding creating distress for people without a clear and fundamental good reason.

In the past, in heathen societies, popular culture was related to infidelity and polytheism. The spread of these practices made it imperative to forbid sculpture and the making of statues, the way the Prophet (PBUH) did.

There is nothing that prevents us from ruling for allowing the arts of sculpture, painting and statue making in our contemporary societies where there is no danger of people falling into the temptation of infidelity or in the illusion of equalling human acts to divine acts.

Guidance and Instruction

What is needed in this context is to give guidance and instruc­tion to artists, sculptors and statue makers. This guidance can be in the form of religious lessons and lectures on the history of idols in the Arab Peninsula. Only by so doing, can we be sure that their souls are pure and untamished with arrogance or the in­tention of infidelity, as they are carrying out their daily hobbies and jobs.

Instructions should also deal with touristic promotion and advertising. It is inappropriate that in an Islamic country, ads and promotion cards are issued in which the word God is used for other than Allah, as when cards bearing the image of the Pharaoic Cat is issued with a print on its back saying that this is the God of this and that, or when an image is referred to as the temple of this or that God, or when a statue is exposed as the God of Good or Evil. The decorum of faith requires that one be careful in using the word "God" or "Worshipped" for no one but Allah, the Praiseworthy. The word "God" should be substituted by the word "Symbol".

In historical explanations, one should mention past events as they actually took place. The author should for example say: the ancient Egyptian used to believe that that statue is the God of Good and Evil.

Theologians and Scholars are a Guarantee Against Deviation

On the other hand, if signs of sedition and dissent are noticed and groups of people or artists pretend that they are endowed with the same ability to create as Allah, or present their arts as means for getting them closer to Allah and as things to be wors­hipped along with Allah, if there is this danger, then combating these social ills and eradicating them becomes a must. This may even go as far as forbidding sculpture in a country as a whole. For each time, its rulers, scholars and theologians, and for each society its watchful guardians; therefore, what is allowed may be subject to restrictions in predilection for common interests or out of expediency when things change.

Yet, we believe that our time is devoid of whatever ambiguities as to invite concern and worry to such a degree as to incite us to forbid sculpture and the making of statues entirely. The majority of people are interested in these arts for aesthetic reasons and sot out of pretending to be as creative as Allah. It is there­fore unbecoming to restrict their freedom by forbidding these arts even if they do not affect their doctrine at all.

Second : Art, Science and Writing

Science involves making three-dimensional inventions. It is true that inventors imitate Allah's creatures and endow them with "auto-mobilization" in order to benefit science and technology. If These works are not only allowed but are required; Islam can never be an obstacle to science.

We live in the age of computers. People cannot be accused of infidelity for these inventions, even if they take human form as a model, as with robots. Nobody claims that the computer is similar to the human mind. It is simply an auxiliary machine that helps the human mind, which is in itself a divine creation. Mechanical limbs are medical three-dimensional limbs which are used as substitutes for the lost limbs. Can anyone say that artificial limbs are like natural limbs ? Can any religious scholar call for forbidding these medical products because they are imply the emulation of Allah's creation ?

Scientific inventions and discoveries, which involve kidneys, hearts, electricity, energy, are all engins invented by human beings, bearing in mind the relationships between different kinds of components; nobody can call for creating obstacles to experimental sciences, which are useful and beneficial to humanity. "God has created you and your handiwork" (Saffat 95).

If we look closely, we will find that some old languages had their forms of writing mixed with the art of sculpture and pain­ting. Should we then consider hieroglyphic forms of writing which involve engravings that represent people, animals, birds, and vegetation, something to be forbidden ?

Third : Examples of Allowed Images

Some scholars have forbidden images and statues of animals and have considered them among the greatest sins and have dee­med their makers and their users threatened with the severest pu­nishment; whether the invention was intended for misuse or for any other use, it is forbidden⁽¹⁷⁾.

But we believe that the spirit of the Islamic Sharia' tends to­wards making it easy for people by alleviating constraints in the following matters :

-Sculpture and paintings for educational, sports, military trai­ning, commercial (fashion shows) reasons. The same thing goes for three-dimensional and motion toys, be they big or small, be­cause they are used for a legitimate purpose, which is amuse­ment. Aïsha reported: "I used to play with girls in the Prophet's house; I used to have friends who came to my place but disap­peared out of fear of the Prophet (PBUH) who appreciated their coming to play with me"⁽¹⁸⁾.

In another version, it is said that the Prophet (PBUH) told her one day : "Who are these ? She said: my girls ; He said: what is that amongst them ? She said : a horse. He said : what is on it ? She said : wings. He said : a horse with wings ? She said : Don’t you know that Suleiman Ibn Dawood had horses with wings ? The Prophet laughed till his molars appeared"⁽¹⁹⁾

- Sculpture and the making of statues for historical and biolo­gical research.

We find that scholars and researchers gather dinosaurous bones and assemble them and make up for what is missing. Do they claim to be making dinosaurs ? On the contrary, they are trying to prove the existence of one of Allah's creatures which lived a long time ago.

- Photographic and television representation as well as audio­visual recordings.

Fourth : Forbidden Sculptures, Statues and Images

Of forbidden statues and sculptures, the makers or buyers of which sin, we can cite the examples of :

- Any sculpture or painting that is motivated by conceit or the illusion of wanting to be equal to Allah, which are intentions that make their bearer a great sinner.

- Pornographic design and sculpture.

- Any sculpture, painting or drawing that has as a goal a devilish act like magic and superstition.

-   Sculpture and paintings that are produced for the sake of wors­hipping idols or gaining Allah's favour. It is forbidden that a Muslim artist make a statue for an idol, knowing that the contractor will bow and worship it. That would be one of the greatest sins one could commit.

- Anything that is made in order to be lucky and to avoid evil.

Fifth : Undesirable Feelings

1. All different kinds of conceit : secret thoughts that may deve­lop in the mind of the maker or the buyer of the statue concerning the fact that an inanimate thing may speak of itself or that Allah may make it speak for the beauty of its make, its precision or its superb form. These thoughts may come and go and come back again. The artist should try to combat them ; combating does not only lead to the purification of the soul but to the achievement of a service that is of benefit to humanity: the artist or the scientist will then be able to be useful with his science and experience which can lead to invention and development. He should therefore make his faith stronger so that he would come to the conclusion that whate­ver he creates is of Allah's making. Only by so doing, can he make sure not to find himself one day without faith and full of vanity and conceitedness.

2. The belief that a statue will bring forth blessing and will stave away evil. In this context, Islamic books report that the Pha­raohs built the Sphinx to prevent sand from invading the people of the Jiza and they made other talismans to prevent flood; other countries made talismans to fend off epidemies of insects⁽²⁰⁾. We warn that the belief in these superstitions as if they were true facts is strictly forbidden and is against true faith.

3. To give homage to people by making statues for them is extremely undesirable. Many countries refrain from that, because it makes rulers feel very conceited and work not only for the common interest, but solely to be represented by a statue in a future time. The members of their family may also get the same feeling of vanity as a result of that.

In short, any work of sculpture or painting that aims at transgression is forbidden ; other than that, all other works are allowed and permitted.