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Fatwa CenterWorking with and using robots
Question
I am an Iranian Muslim computer student of university. Recently I was chosen for Robocop team of my university. I should tell them if I accept or not by the weekend. I know that building figurines is taboo. It is important for me to know whether working by robots is taboo too or not. Robocop is a subset of Robot science that is new and under development. It works under robotic brain.
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. If the robot is built in the form of living beings like human beings, animals or birds then making it, cooperating in developing it and possessing it is forbidden. The evidence is the general ruling of Shariah that prohibits making pictures and statutes and prohibits using them as well. For more details, please refer to the Fatwa: 83249. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) sent Ali (Radiya Allahu Anhu) and ordered him: "Do not leave a statue standing without removing it. Do not leave a grave raised without leveling it" . In addition, if the robot is made in the form of a living soul then it is an act of imitating Allah's Creation, which is forbidden. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "The most grievous torment for the people on the Day of Resurrection would be for those who try to imitate Allah in the act of Creation" [Reported by Imam al-Bukhari ]. Know that such machines (robots) overtime will lead people to respect them and the people would be tempted with them. Therefore, you should not take part in making or developing such machines except if they do not resemble living souls. If they resemble living souls then it should be without a head because the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Order him to cut off the head of the statue that exists in house to let it become like a tree" [ Abu Dawood, Sheikh al-Albani graded it as sound]. Allah knows best.
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