Are you talking about painting figures specifically? There is certainly a long history of Muslim art, some of it, mainly the Persian tradition, being miniature painting. I am good friends with a few Muslim artists.
That said,
I don't believe there is much wiggle room when it comes to drawing of figures that possess life/animation. If this is the only thing that you have a jihad with, then mash'Allah brother!
Have you spoken to a scholar about this issue? Maybe write in to Seekers Guidance? I can even give you the number/email of a respected artist, a convert, who is in my community if you like akhi
I gather he has had similar issues.
A major Scholar in Bangladesh told me pretty much the same. I have heard this many times from different sources mostly scholars in India. I understood it as the accepted view point. I have spoken to scholars about many things.
Yeah sometimes it is simpler to just do as you are told. But I cannot find true Sincerity in just doing that. Things get mixed up.
It is not my intention to paint and offend the Ummah as a whole. If it was I would rather not paint at all. But if I am cast out of the Ummah because of it then I have to try harder to understand where my failure is.
No matter the history behind it posted before their are many who feel there is no "wiggle room" I am just told you cannot do a thing no matter what the intention of your heart is. I just take it to the heart that I am being accused of something I had no intention of doing, with a very broad brush. Why do I resist? I will answer that with what I know about myself this deen is my last there will be no others. Pushed too far and I may as well become an atheist. So I must protect my deen with sincerity and certainty, I cannot just take something at face value if it is going to cause me to doubt myself later.
So since you brought up the "No Wiggle Room" aspect of my journey in Islam, I will have to share with you that painting is the very least I worry about trying to hold on to my faith.
I do not enjoy getting to a point in life where everything I do is guided by others. How can I stand on my Faith and protect it if it is only the belief and words of others and it does not live in me with Ikhlaas?
I understand you are not suppose to say bad things about other brothers so I will try to point out how I personally HAVE FAILED*.
*I think guidance is great for someone who is willing to submit to every word others has told him. I do not want to waste the time of brothers who are willing to teach me a thing if I am just going to turn around and dismiss what they have told me. I take how people guide me very seriously and when I run into those who take it lightly it hurts me. The worst of it is Guidance based on Fear or Cultural Traditions. If you guide me with fear I get to a point where I am no longer afraid and soon dismiss what you have told me as nonsense.
(Sidq: Truthfulness that permits neither falsehood nor hypocrisy)
So my failure in this is I need to submit with truth in my heart, learning true submission, I am still learning that aspect of being a Muslim. The unfortunate problem I have is I cannot find peace if I cannot endure something I an told to do then forgive me Ummah I must turn to Allah(SWT) for Respite.
In India while staying at a Masjid near a dried river bed (rainy season was still a month away) the brothers I travelled with saw some wild pigs eating the trash that was thrown over the back wall near the dried river bed. The elder who was with me and leading us wanted to reinforce in us his dislike for these Pigs. So he wanted to teach me to reject them, stone them if I felt the need.
So I was told this story that Pigs were created to eat the wastes and trash on Noah's Ark thus being unclean and forbidden to us. So I looked again at that thing eating the trash and told him, that Pig is a better Muslim by definition than I am.
It is submitting to what it was created to do. So why should I hate it? I am told I should not eat it and I do not but why must I hate it for being what it was created to do?
Tell me to hate a dog and because of my experience with them I never cared for them much but I don't remember Pigs causing me fear.
Thus the problem with me. I cannot just accept guidance and teachings that do not feel logical based on what the intention, purpose, or wisdom was for a thing.
So if I felt it was a blessing from Allah (SWT) to find peace in painting, a place I could go when I felt physical pain... But I am told become a teacher instead if you cannot stop yourself from painting figures, then I just feel like I am not being what I was created to be.
You cannot just remove the purpose of a thing on a whim, you must have a sincerity and truth behind each action or your deen becomes empty. I see it as a greater sin if I have made myself a slave to everyone else's guidance but ignore Allah's (SWT). Talk about making idols. So I was hit with many reasons why following orders was important and a blessing that had rewards. Yet at the same time I found that Elders surrounding me just looked like a lot of fat cats taking advantage of those who submitted to their every whim. Maybe it was also a culture shock of seeing men being submissive to other men. I was shocked that some Indian brother I just met seem to have this huge crush on me and was being ultra nice to me, serving me food or getting me things I needed. (It had more to do with the teachings of getting more rewards from Allah(SWT) by doing these things) Then you had the older elders who did not speak english but would show me brotherly love by holding my hand and not letting it go for an awkward amount of time. (Cultural / Rewards)
So rewards became a great thing. I had to learn how to gain more rewards and acceptance. An example is getting a non-believer to say the Shahada by any means even if you had to trick them or they did not even know what they were saying, Why? REWARDS!
It was justified by telling me if someone says it even if they go to Hell after a time because they have had said it they can get out of Hell after a period of time has passed. I have to admit I became kinda obsessed with rewards. The rewards of having prayed your salats in so many different masjids so far away from home brother would not stop telling me what I was getting. I was HYPED! Oh and praying in Makkah and Medina oh my the rewards times thousands! So I have to admit I was losing some focus.
I remember pestering the Scholars that I met with many questions and the one I came back to the most was what was the Rewards for the Sisters? What was in it for my Wife?
Because they kept telling me about how important getting married soon was. I became less reward focused when I found there was not much hype for sister's rewards. Mostly none of the brothers knew and most of the Scholars I met seemed to need to think hard about it.
You have to understand being told these awesome stories daily about rewards and then asking simply what do the sisters get? I am just a clueless newbie after all. Getting rewarded with my own personal Paradise whose size can be 10x the size of Earth for the lowest among us. The more good deeds you do the bigger that place gets and the closer to Allah it becomes. So I kept asking what about this wife you guys keep telling me to get? I have to respect these sisters for they truly love Allah(SWT)
Its not like I ever saw a sister to ask her what her rewards would be like. Not that I was made to believe that even talking to one was possible unless you sat with her father or brother with the intention of marriage.
The other new thing I learned beyond reward was the 4 lane Highway concept of Schools of Law in Islam. To say the least, I was reluctant to choose my lane. Recruitment was subtle but evident. I never did choose.
So I had to keep reminding myself why I reverted in the first place which is:
How Beautiful is Islam? It is clear, logical, and easy! Most of all it is Haq!
Then in my travels I was told the Deen is hard and complex and you are tested.
So I will list a few to show that my issue with painting is easy but these broke me
TESTED 1 = I got to a point where I felt serious uneasiness for entering my bathroom paranoid of what lived in the bathrooms. That you did not speak in the bathroom. Even deep fear and panic late at night. From all these stories the brothers would tell. I felt wow there needs to be a Hollywood horror movie about these creatures because they are disturbing me. Then came the brother that told me sleeping on my stomach means I am anally raped by these creatures at night. So I learned that fine line between Cultural Superstition and Deen.
TESTED 2 = I feared Urine the most! This was MAJOR, because of my Sickle Cell Anemia and the drinking of lots of water to try and prevent painful episodes and the many times I had a
Urinary catheterization done leaving me with a condition of sometimes leaking easily breaking my wudu often during Prayers. (when I tried to get guidance about this problem I was told to try feminine pads or depends diapers) Not only that it was annoying and broke my wudu often but the constant stories of what would happen to you in the grave because of urine from elders and brother. So just like those invisible creatures that live in my bathroom, fear of urine became a nightmare.
TESTED 3 = Due to many health issue, I have had this problem of passing out while walking or standing up. I could be walking outside to go to the store and start seeing my vision go black and my brain would just feel heavy and I would hit the floor out. So this finally happened during Fajr prayer at the masjid. It was embarrassing as always but at the masjid it was worst and although most of the brothers were understanding. Others took having their Salat messed up very personal. Some even told me I should stay home. I felt really bad. It became a constant thing if they were going to visit a masjid in a nearby city that brother would just say are you sure you want to go with us? I don't want you to faint on us again.
TESTED 4 =
Tablighi Jamaat I really should not have agreed to go on this trip but I could not say no to the Sheikh when he told me he wanted me to go. That's why I ended up in India and Bangladesh - I would not have done it but before going to India we would stop in Makkah for Umrah after just 4 months of being a new Muslim. But the challenges ahead really tested me. I was not really for a 4 month Jamaat in India.
At the end of two months when I refused guidance to go to Pakistan next by an elder, I continued to with some brothers to Bangladesh instead but even there the only thing keeping me sane was the help of a brother helping me to memorize the minor Surahs I was up to 14 learned when I got too sick and took the next plane back home early. The hardest regret was that I could not finish to 4 months.
I still remember the stories that were told that brothers who went against the elders advice during the Jamaat, disappeared or went insane. (I got really tired of this brother trying to scare me into submission it felt like an insult) I was being told this often because my leader was strict he was an older guy and was a painter too. So I hung out with an artist like myself for months but his views were very hard for me to follow. I was not being a good at following the steps of the Sahabah. I learned from him but it was difficult he was strict with everyone and himself I guess it came from converting in Art School then stopping for a few years before he to up practicing Islam again so he did many many extra Salats to make up for the times he stopped praying. I went to his Studio before that trip he showed me his art. His art was paintings of Arabic letters in calligraphy style. I am sure like me his are was very different in Art school before Islam. Be he was the one to tell me I should become a teacher, hate that pig near the river bed, and all the horror stories of not following orders of elders. The major one was if I really wanted to learn Islam go to Pakistan next the the months remaining.
---
\
So yup painting is something I could just give up doing even though it is not clear enough in me why I am giving it up. I do not have the means to paint often anyway art supplies are very expensive so its not something that comes easy and I have been going blind slowly for years now due to my illness. SO WHY NOT JUST GIVE IT UP? It is more about what is in my heart, the same heart that took me from Christianity to find the Beauty of Islam... The Struggle Muslims face being hated in these times, these challenges and my intention to do the right thing and being pushed far enough until it just broke me. I just stopped going to the Masjid because I was being considered someone who went to Jamaat so the teachings I learned I was responsible to teach and travel, so then I found I could not even pray out of heavy guilt that I failed these brothers.
I learned that am not a very submissive person. I like to think for myself, I like to be in control of myself or I feel lost. I cannot control the pain of Sickle Cell so my body is not an ally to me. So having my mind blown into a breaking point is not easy to overcome.
So with my luck akhi, you would just give me the same contact info of the same people I have failed to obey.
I cannot Obey. Because of my history with Christian cults who wanted to live as disciples or Christ. I must not follow down that same path because I learned during Jamaat I was learning to live a mirror image of what I left behind and it freaked me out. I was visiting brothers and sitting with them and telling them why they should go in pray at the Masjid. I felt like a Jehovah Witness at times. Dawah is good but not when I became so reward focused that my deeds seem lacking of really caring for others.
So in learning the Traditions and steps of the Sahabah none of it would have been difficult if I did not feel pushed by others just for the sake of rewards and deeds that bring back many memories of those who just wanted me to stop my questioning, stop my thinking just follow Jesus. I was told reading the Qu'ran so much as I was doing and doing Dhikr using beads so much would cause me to go crazy. That people can go insane from doing these. So here I am being discouraged from doing Dhikr and memorizing Surahs.
What caused the most damage was being hammered about how to love the Prophet (PBUH). This caused damage because I do not think my elders knew what made me fall in love with Islam in the first place. So when I was told stories about Adam seeing a dream or vision of some Arch/Gateway with the Prophet's Name in Paradise and/or how exalted he was I began to freak out by the awe I saw in the faces being told this story. I got angry and had to go for a walk. I did not need another Lord Jesus!
Please do not teach me how to love the Prophet(PBUH) so much that he becomes the gateway for me, it freaked me out. I can love
The Last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) But please don't try package him and sell me him when I came from a background who has no belief in Tawheed = Monotheism.
I fell in love with Islam because of the ONEness.
In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
There is no God except ALLAH; Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH.
The first part of the Kalima was so clear to me.
They ask you - WHO IS ALLAH?
Say: He is Allah, He is One; The Self-Sufficient,
The Eternal God; He begets not,
nor was He begotten;
There is none equal to Him.
[The Holy Qur'an, Surah 112:1-4]
but I did not know the second part was not as simple and it involved a lot of complex themes.
Ilm, Yaqeen, Ikhlaas, Sidq, Mahabbah, Inqiad, Qubool <-- these were my tests during my travel. I learned the meanings of each and more but it still became hard to find my balance the more I learned.
To believe and understand, Islam is submission to the Will of Allah. It is the only religion preached by all the prophets and messengers; worship Allah alone and submit to Him alone. That was what I fell in love with then the traditions and the how to do this was not as simple. Those little dudes that live in my bathroom came along for the ride.
I have a major problem but it is not with Islam as a Faith or Deen. It is with cultural beliefs and traditions that are so deep that we lose sight of our Truth and Good Intentions. If I cannot have Ikhlaas (Sincerity) Yahqeen (Certainty) without having to question or doubt those who are teaching me I have to admit I have failed badly.
Inqiad: Submission to its rightful requirements, which are the duties that must be performed with sincerity to Allah (alone) seeking only Allah's pleasure.
I learned a lot about myself. In everything I do I try very hard even when my body is challenged I still try with sincerity to do as much as I can. So my paintings are the same way to give it up I need a reason as sincere and true as I have for having done it. Not just on someone's whim of what is acceptable without knowing the intentions of my heart. Is my deen about not offending the sensibilities of others?
My Deen is without Fear.
My Deen without the ambitions and desire for Rewards.
My Deen is seeking only Allah's pleasure.
I ask you, how am I seeking Allah's pleasure if I am focused only on what rewards he has for me and the fear of punishment?
I knew I would fail and I was warned many times I would be gone if I pushed so hard as a new convert, knowing that what do you think I asked for in my first prayer upon seeing the Qibla for the first time?
What would you ask for?
The Answer to that prayer is yet to come. Until then...
I ask Allah(SWT) for Respite.