Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterDepicting Animate Objects
Question
Assalamu Alaikum,I work in online and run a business too. This is called print on demand (e-commerce). I have some clients who's store's designs are made by me.Sometimes I have to make designs which are image based,like cat,dog,human,horse etc. Some designs are for sneakers.I download image from internet and just place it for sneakers,socks ,tshirt etc.I also download some drawn pictures from internet like silhouette,vectors and make it for tshirt,mug etc.you might also know today is digital era. Everyone wants custom designs on his/her tshirt/mug etc,so I make it.My question is:1) Is it Halal?2) I have earned money,if it is haram then what should I do?3) What should I do? regarding the situation.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Images of animate objects, whether they are photographic or drawn images: If they are incomplete by lacking something without which life is impossible, such as not having the chest and having the head alone for example, then it is acceptable to photograph it and print it. However, if the image (being photographed) is prohibited for another reason, such as images of pigs, symbols of disbelief and misguidance, and other things that Islam prohibits one to glorify, then it is not permissible.
Conversely, if the images are for animate objects and are complete (in shape), then it is forbidden to photograph them according to the view of the majority of scholars, except the Maaliki scholars. It appears that printing them out takes the same ruling as drawing them, so printing them out is also forbidden.
The money earned from printing them depends on the permissibility of the printing itself. If the printing is permissible, the money earned from it is permissible, but if the printing is forbidden, then its money is also forbidden.
Ibn Al-'Uthaymeen 
said: “The compensation for any forbidden item or benefit is forbidden based on the rule established by the Prophet : ‘When Allah forbids something, He forbids its price (when sold).’” [End of quote –Excerpted from Al-Liqaa’ Ash-Shahri –the Monthly Meeting]
As for what you have earned in the past, then there is no harm on you to benefit from it, Allah willing, and you do not have to get rid of it, because of there is an opinion which states that whoever earns forbidden money with the consent of the giver and then repents, then he may benefit from what he earned in the past –especially if you are ignorant of the prohibition of this type of work.
Allah knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
