Making animated dolls to demonstrate how to pray
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 20522 )
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from Dar al-Bar Association in Dubai, United Arab Emirates , and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, with number (4591) and date 27/7/1419 AH. The inquirer asked a question, the text of which is: It is a pleasure for Dar al-Bar Association in Dubai to send you its best greetings, and it asks Allah for your continued health and well-being. Your Eminence: There is a company in the United Arab Emirates that has an idea to manufacture educational toys. These toys are animated dolls (girls) that perform the movements of prayer, such as bowing and prostration and the like, or recite
the Qur'an or Prophetic dhikr, or pronounce the letters of the alphabet, or Arabic words and the like. Knowing that the goal of this project is to instill Islamic and Arabic principles in children, in addition to the intention to trade in them. Please inform us, may you be rewarded.
After the Committee's study of the inquiry, it responded as follows: Depicting living beings, whether in the form of human beings or otherwise, is forbidden by the Shari'ah, and is indeed among the major sins; for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the image-makers and informed that they would be the most severely punished of people on the Day of Resurrection. Three-dimensional depiction in the form of the dolls mentioned is a greater crime and a greater sin than other types of depiction. Furthermore, depicting these dolls to perform the movements of prayer and other acts of worship, or to recite the Qur'an and teach children the letters of the alphabet and the like, involves belittling the matter of worship and the Qur'an, and showing contempt and disparagement for their status, exposing them to mockery due to the routine actions and words these dolls perform. It also involves playing with the Book of Allah and the rituals of Islam, given the disturbances and defects that occur in these inventions in performing the recorded and programmed words and actions. Moreover, that practice is a religious innovation with no basis, and the righteous Salaf did not do it. Teaching people and the youth what concerns them regarding their religion and instilling the virtues of good morals in their souls is to be done through teaching from the reliable, authoritative books of Islamic law, and explaining that
and transmitting it to them, and applying it practically by the teacher. It is also done through good example, where the father, brother, or other person adorns himself with good morals so that his children and family may follow his righteous deeds. There is no harm in seeking assistance in this through beneficial Islamic tapes. This is the teaching that conforms to what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed, and it is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with his Companions, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous Salaf acted upon it. In this lies all good. Centuries have passed for people while they were upon this in spreading knowledge and education, and they were in no need of that, and their leaving it did not harm them; rather, they were stronger in faith, more perceptive of the matters of their religion, and more in application and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Accordingly, it is obligatory to leave off the production of those dolls mentioned, even if the intention behind them is good, and to dispense with them in favor of what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed. Whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something better. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from Dar al-Bar Association in Dubai, United Arab Emirates , and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, with number (4591) and date 27/7/1419 AH. The inquirer asked a question, the text of which is: It is a pleasure for Dar al-Bar Association in Dubai to send you its best greetings, and it asks Allah for your continued health and well-being. Your Eminence: There is a company in the United Arab Emirates that has an idea to manufacture educational toys. These toys are animated dolls (girls) that perform the movements of prayer, such as bowing and prostration and the like, or recite
the Qur'an or Prophetic dhikr, or pronounce the letters of the alphabet, or Arabic words and the like. Knowing that the goal of this project is to instill Islamic and Arabic principles in children, in addition to the intention to trade in them. Please inform us, may you be rewarded.
After the Committee's study of the inquiry, it responded as follows: Depicting living beings, whether in the form of human beings or otherwise, is forbidden by the Shari'ah, and is indeed among the major sins; for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the image-makers and informed that they would be the most severely punished of people on the Day of Resurrection. Three-dimensional depiction in the form of the dolls mentioned is a greater crime and a greater sin than other types of depiction. Furthermore, depicting these dolls to perform the movements of prayer and other acts of worship, or to recite the Qur'an and teach children the letters of the alphabet and the like, involves belittling the matter of worship and the Qur'an, and showing contempt and disparagement for their status, exposing them to mockery due to the routine actions and words these dolls perform. It also involves playing with the Book of Allah and the rituals of Islam, given the disturbances and defects that occur in these inventions in performing the recorded and programmed words and actions. Moreover, that practice is a religious innovation with no basis, and the righteous Salaf did not do it. Teaching people and the youth what concerns them regarding their religion and instilling the virtues of good morals in their souls is to be done through teaching from the reliable, authoritative books of Islamic law, and explaining that
and transmitting it to them, and applying it practically by the teacher. It is also done through good example, where the father, brother, or other person adorns himself with good morals so that his children and family may follow his righteous deeds. There is no harm in seeking assistance in this through beneficial Islamic tapes. This is the teaching that conforms to what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed, and it is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did with his Companions, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the righteous Salaf acted upon it. In this lies all good. Centuries have passed for people while they were upon this in spreading knowledge and education, and they were in no need of that, and their leaving it did not harm them; rather, they were stronger in faith, more perceptive of the matters of their religion, and more in application and adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Accordingly, it is obligatory to leave off the production of those dolls mentioned, even if the intention behind them is good, and to dispense with them in favor of what Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed. Whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something better. 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.