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Is it forbidden to draw emojis that are automatically converted into shapes with features resembling human faces?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The emoji (smiley or frowny face) does not fall under the ruling of forbidden images, because the real features of the face are not apparent in it, and it is devoid of a head. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The image is the head, so if the head is cut off, there is no image." Likewise, if an image has something cut off from it without which life cannot persist, it is not forbidden. Two matters should be noted: that this usage is not considered drawing an image, and that it is not permissible for a woman to use these emojis in her conversations with a non-mahram man, because they express the state of the user. Also, a woman's conversation with men is permissible when necessary, provided it is in a public forum, not a private one.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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