Masks in the shape of the faces of wild beasts and animals
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Fatwa No. ( 18030 )
Praise be to Allah alone, and may peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. After that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from the honorable Assistant Director of the Center for Da'wah and Guidance in Jeddah , which was referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, with number (2886) and date 18/6/1416 AH. The questioner asked a question, the text of which is as follows: One of the brothers came to the Center requesting a fatwa regarding what has spread in some of the markets of Jeddah these days, namely that some merchants are importing plastic masks that are worn on the head, and these masks are made in the shapes of the heads of wild beasts and frightening animals . When a person wears them, he appears to be a wolf, a monkey, or a lion, while his body is that of a human being. People wear these masks on the occasion of the arrival of one of the festivals of the Christians, where they wear masks and congratulate one another while in disguise; therefore, these masks have spread these days due to the increased demand for them on this occasion.
I hope you will graciously issue what you see fit regarding this matter; for people need to know its ruling, whether it is associated with their festival or not, and to work to remove this evil which some who have strayed from the path of truth have rushed into.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee responded as follows: It is not permissible to sell these masks, nor to buy them, nor to use them; for several reasons: First: They are forbidden images depicting the faces of wild animals, and images of anything that has a soul are forbidden in all their forms. Second: They involve imitating animals, and it is not permissible for a person to imitate an animal, especially wild beasts. Third: Using them involves imitating what the Christians do in their festivals, as the questioner mentioned in his question, and imitating the disbelievers and participating in their festivals, all of which is what Allah has forbidden for Muslims. Therefore, it is obligatory to prevent the import of these masks into Muslim lands, and to prevent their sale and purchase, to spare the Muslim community from falling into these prohibitions. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.