Is it permissible to draw separate parts of the body (such as a head without a body, or a full body without facial details) for drawing practice? Is it permissible to draw a full-featured body with a head and face in comic strips that do not deviate from Islamic teachings and are for entertainment? And is adopting the Maliki opinion on the permissibility of drawing a complete figure considered a circumvention of the forbidden, especially with my friend saying: "We do not seek to compare our creation to Allah's creation... rather, all we seek is to represent what Allah has created with a drawing that describes it, not to emulate it"?
Electronic drawing and digital images of animate beings are a matter of dispute, with the more likely opinion being their permissibility. They are even more deserving of permissibility if they are incomplete in their creation or their features are not clear. As for real drawing on paper of complete images, the original ruling is that it is forbidden, except for children's stories to educate and entertain them. The reason for the prohibition of imaging, which is the act of "mimesis" (mudaahah), is not limited to the intention of imitating the act of the Creator. Rather, it occurs merely by imaging something that resembles Allah's creation, something that has a soul. If a layperson finds the jurists differing, they should follow the one they trust most, or adopt either opinion if they consider them equally authoritative.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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