Assalaamu alaykum. I have a question. I am a girl who likes to draw, but I always make sure that my drawing is cut off (so that it would not be able to live by its own if it were real). Usually, I cut them off at the stomach or waist. Sometimes, I draw them without giving them a face. Sometimes, I only draw the body to design clothes. I want to ask whether drawing women is impermissible in this case? I usually draw women without wearing the hijab, but I make sure that it does not incite sexual desire (in my opinion). So I am asking: if I draw a woman with her hair uncovered and maybe her arms (but wearing modest clothes), is this permissibile? Also, I never draw a real, living woman, I draw what is in my imagination. Please explain the details. May Allah bless you.

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, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we stress that it is prohibited to produce images of living beings according to the majority of scholars, based on the hadeeth of ʻAbdullah ibn ʻUmar, may Allah be pleased with them, who narrated that the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “Those who make images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, 'Bring to life that which you have created.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Making images of living beings includes making images of imaginary creatures. Ibn Hajar Al-Haytami said, “...and even if the image has no equivalent (in real life), like a horse with wings ...” [Az-Zawaajir] Haashiyat Al-Bujayrimi reads, “...and even if it is of something that has no equivalent (in real life) like a cow with a beak or a wing...”

The scholars gave concession to drawing images that are incomplete in a way that makes it impossible for this being to live without the missing part, such as an image missing the head, half of the body, or the like. They relied on the hadeeth wherein the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, ordered ʻAa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, to tear down the garment she had on which there were images, so she cut it up and made two cushions from it for the Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, to sit on. This hadeeth is cited in Saheeh Al-Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, and other books.

Ibn Qudaamah said:

“If the head of the image is cut off, then it is no longer disliked. Ibn ʻAbbaas said, ‘The image is the head. So if the head is cut off, it is no longer an image ... If the image is incomplete, producing a creature that cannot live without the missing part, such as an animal without its chest or belly, or with a detached head, the prohibition does not apply to it ... but if the animal can survive without the missing part, then the prohibition applies, such as an image missing an eye, an arm, or a leg. The same applies to the image of a body without a head or a head without a body or an animal's head attached to the body of a non-animal; all this is not included in the prohibited images because it is not the image of an animal.” [Al-Mughni]

If you heed these conditions, then there is no harm in drawing images, even if the image is that of a woman. The view adopted at Islamweb it that it is permissible to draw the image of a woman without hijaab if the drawn pose does not incite sexual desire and if looking at it does not cause Fitnah (temptation). It is better for those who are afflicted with drawing to draw images of women with hijaab.

Allah knows best.