Drawing Images In The Maliki Madhab

A lot of people think Islam completely bans all drawing, but it’s actually much more nuanced depending on the Islamic legal school of jurisprudence. In the traditional Maliki tradition / madhab, drawing nature, landscapes, and buildings is totally fine, and flat 2D art like sketches, paintings, or digital drawings of people and animals is generally viewed with a lot of leniency rather than being strictly forbidden. The main prohibition is really on sculpting fully formed 3D statues of living beings, which historically stems from avoiding idol worship, while everyday things like kids’ toys, educational art, and abstract figures are completely exempt.

Shaykh Shadee Elmasry: