Tashwir Between Tradition and Modernity: Contemporary Debates in Hadith and Scholarly Thought

Abstract

Drawing, sculpture, and photography have evolved from mere artistic expressions into recognized academic disciplines, taught in universities worldwide, and even forming the basis of specialized faculties. Beyond aesthetics, these creative practices have become sources of livelihood and cultural identity in the modern era. However, their development raises profound theological and legal questions within Islamic discourse, particularly concerning the concept of taṣwīr as addressed in hadith and classical juristic thought. This study aims to explore the perspectives of hadith and Islamic scholars on taṣwīr, examining its legal, theological, and ethical dimensions. Employing a library research method, the study systematically analyzes textual sources from canonical hadith collections and the opinions of classical and contemporary scholars. The findings reveal that authentic hadiths contain stern warnings against image-making, primarily due to concerns about idolatry (shirk), imitation of divine creation, and the potential moral corruption (fitnah) associated with representational art. Scholars’ interpretations of these texts, however, vary significantly. Some jurists permit taṣwīr under specific contexts, viewing artistic representation as permissible so long as it does not promote polytheism or moral deviation. Others, predominantly from the Ḥanafī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī schools, adopt a stricter stance, declaring all forms of image-making—whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional—as categorically prohibited, a position even regarded as ijmāʿ (consensus) by al-Nawawī, except for the Mālikī school. In contemporary discourse, this study contributes academically by bridging classical hadith interpretations with modern contexts of visual culture, including photography and digital media.