In Islam, there is a very strict ban (haram) on the depiction of living beings. This is explained by the fact that a person who draws living things is trying to become a creator like Allah, and this is a sin.
What did the prophet Muhammad say?
This prohibition is mentioned in the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, Abu Hurayrah testifies to such his words: “Allah Almighty said:“Who can be more unjust than the one who tries to create something similar to what I have created? Let them create an ant, or let them create a grain of wheat or barley!”” Another saying of Muhammad, transmitted by Ibn Abbas: “Everyone who creates images will be in Fire, and each image he creates will be given a soul that will torment him in Hell”.
The Prophet claimed that on the day of the Last Judgment, such people would be punished: “On the day of Resurrection, a neck of Fire will appear and say:“Truly, I am the authorized tormentor for three: for everyone who appealed along with Allah to someone, for every tyrant, and for those who create images””.
Islam forbids not only portraying, but also keeping images of people and animals at home. Here is the story of one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad - Aisha: “Once the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) returned to Medina after one of the campaigns, and I hung a thin curtain on my closet, which depicted living beings, and when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw this curtain, his complexion changed, and he said: "O Aisha, on Sunday the most severe punishment before Allah will be those who try to become like Allah in creation!"
According to the testimony of the same Abu Hurayra, Muhammad told the following: “The angel Jibril appeared to me, peace be upon him, and said:“I came to you yesterday and did not come in only because there were sculptures at your door, and there was a red curtain in the house with pictures and a dog. So they ordered to separate the head of the sculpture and the sculpture would become like a tree, and they ordered to cut the curtain and make two rugs (mats) for the feet out of it, and also they took the dog out."
So that a person does not have the temptation to become like Allah, any image should be destroyed, as the prophet himself did. Osama ibn Zayd testifies: “Once I entered the Kaaba, to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who was there, who, seeing the images on the walls, said to bring a bucket of water. I brought him water, and he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), washing away these images, said:
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"May Allah destroy the peoples who represent what they did not create."
Do Muslims comply with the ban?
However, in our time, many Muslims take and view photographs, go to the cinema, and watch TV. How does this fit in with religious precepts?
Islamic jurists are actively discussing this topic. Some believe that haram applies to any image, others - that only paintings or sculptures.
Sheikh Muhammad Bahit, the mufti of Egypt who lived in the middle of the last century, argued in his fatwa that since videos and photographs are images of real objects, there is no reason for a ban. Only images invented by artists and sculptors are prohibited. Otherwise, Muslims would have a problem even with photographing for documents.
Rules and exclusions
However, some adherents of Islam are sure that everything can be portrayed that does not go beyond the bounds of decency. For example, you cannot portray naked people, but people in clothes can.
Ardent supporters of the prohibition believe that the creation and use of images of living creatures can lead to idolatry: a person will not worship Allah, but, for example, animals that are depicted in the form of statues. The same happens if the image of the animal is on the coat of arms, applied to the shirt or on the body in the form of a tattoo.
Nevertheless, if we analyze Muslim art, we will find there images of both people and animals. At present, such images are prohibited among the Sunnis, and among the Shiites they are allowed, if we are not talking about religious objects.
Thus, it is difficult to say that these types of images are explicitly prohibited in Islam. As always, there are many exceptions for each rule.