Is it true that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to draw shapes?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the best educator ever, as stated in the Hadeeth (narration) on the authority of Mu‘aawiyah ibn Al-Hakam As-Sulami who mentioned that he had never seen a better educator than the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, neither before him nor after him.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to draw some things for his Companions as a means of illustration. In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, drew a square on the ground. He then drew a line through its middle and another line outside it and a number of small lines around it. He then told his Companions that the line in the middle represented man and the square represented his inescapable lifetime. He added that the small lines around it represented the afflictions and calamities that happen to man, one after the other, for example sickness, hunger and so on. As for the line outside the square, it represented man’s extended ambitions in this worldly life, ambitions that he believed he would attain before his death, but he would not. [Al-Bukhari]

In another Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, drew a straight line and said that this line represented his Sunnah (Prophetic tradition). Then, he drew lines to its right and left and said that these are the devil’s ways, then he recited the verse where Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous.} [Quran 6:153] [Ahmad and Al-Haakim] [Al-Haakim and Ath-Thahabi: Saheeh]

In the two previous Hadeeths the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, illustrated the meaning that he wanted to convey to his Companions through drawing. Hence, it is permissible to draw inanimate objects for the sake of illustration.

Allaah Knows best.