What is your opinion of one who depicts Allah the Exalted in a physical form in a cartoon that appears in the newspaper?
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: We begin this monthly meeting, or rather this weekly meeting after the break, on Thursday, the twenty-sixth of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir in the year 1416.
And since it is time for questions and we cannot speak about any part of the exegesis, we will begin with the questions now, and we ask Allah for success for everyone.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is your opinion of one who depicts Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, in a physical form in a cartoon that appears in a magazine or in a newspaper?
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Our opinion is that this is clear misguidance, because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is too great and exalted to be depicted by anything. Indeed:[Ash-Shuraa 42:11], and whatever image a person imagines, he will not be able to depict Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And if we know that this artist intended to belittle the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, then he is a disbeliever who has apostatized from Islam. He must be asked to repent, and if he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is to be killed. Some scholars said that he does not need to be asked to repent, but this is left to the judgment of the lawful ruler. If he sees that it is in the public interest to ask him to repent, he does so; otherwise, he kills him immediately.
There is no doubt that one who depicts the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in a cartoon mocking Him is undoubtedly an apostate, and that he must be killed immediately without needing to be asked to repent, because such a person is among the most wicked of Allah's servants.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows: We begin this monthly meeting, or rather this weekly meeting after the break, on Thursday, the twenty-sixth of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir in the year 1416.
And since it is time for questions and we cannot speak about any part of the exegesis, we will begin with the questions now, and we ask Allah for success for everyone.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is your opinion of one who depicts Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, in a physical form in a cartoon that appears in a magazine or in a newspaper?
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Our opinion is that this is clear misguidance, because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is too great and exalted to be depicted by anything. Indeed:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُThere is no doubt that one who depicts the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, in a cartoon mocking Him is undoubtedly an apostate, and that he must be killed immediately without needing to be asked to repent, because such a person is among the most wicked of Allah's servants.