Kuchora ni kuchora picha ya kitu fulani, na pia kutokana na kuchora ni kutengeneza sanamu, ambako kunajumuisha kuchonga. Mchoro wenyewe au sanamu ni picha, na "suwar" ni wingi wake. Pia huitwa kuchora (tasaweer) katika lugha, na linajumuisha kuchonga, na inasemwa kwa lugha kwamba kuchora ni kuchonga. Shariah imekataza kuchora chochote chenye roho miongoni mwa binadamu, wanyama na ndege, iwe kimechorwa juu ya karatasi, ngozi, nguo, vyombo, vito, pesa n.k. Kwa hiyo yote haya ni haramu, kwa kuwa kuchora tu kitu chenye roho ni haramu, bila kujali kitu kinachochorwa ni nini. Kuchora kitu kisicho na roho kunaruhusiwa bila dhambi yoyote. Shariah imeruhusu kuchora miti, milima, maua n.k. ambavyo havina roho. Kuhusu kukataza kile chenye roho, hili limethibitishwa na maandiko ya Shariah. Al-Bukhari ameandika kutoka katika hadith ya Ibn Abbas (ra), aliyesema:

Drawing is to draw the picture of something, and also from drawing is the making of statues and it includes sculpting. The drawing itself or the sculpture is the picture and pictures (suwar) is its plural. It is also called drawing (tasaweer) in the language and it includes sculpting, and it is said linguistically that drawing is sculpting. The Shar’a forbade the drawing of anything with a soul in it among humans, animals and birds whether it is drawn upon paper, skin, clothes, vessels, jewellery, cash etc so all of this is forbidden since the mere drawing of something in which there is a soul is forbidden whatever the thing being drawn. Drawing that which has no soul in it is permitted without any sin therein. The Shar’a allowed the drawing of trees, mountains, and flowers etc which do not have a soul. As for forbidding that which has a soul, this is established by the Shari’ah texts. Al-Bukhari extracted from the hadith of ibn Abbas (ra) who said:

Imeripotiwa

It has been narrated

Na kwa maneno ya Ahmad

And in the words of Ahmad

Na Muslim na Al-Bukhari wameandika kutoka kwenye hadithi ya Aisha kwamba alisema:

And Muslim and Al-Bukhari extracted from the hadith of Aisha that she said:

Qiram ni pazia jembamba ambalo lina rangi, au pazia ambalo lina michoro na chonjo. Katika hadithi ya Muslim

The qiram is a thin curtain in which there are colours or a curtain in which there are drawings and engravings. In the hadith of Muslim

Durnuka ni aina ya nguo. Al-Bukhari ametoa hadithi kutoka kwa Ibn Abbas (ra): Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema:

The (durnuka) is a type of clothing. Al-Bukhari extracted from the hadith of ibn Abbas (ra): The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

Na yeye alitoa hadithi kupitia njia ya Ibn Uma

And he extracted via the way of ibn Uma

Imepokewa kutoka kwa Ibn Abbas (ra) kwamba alimjia mtu mmoja akasema: "Mimi huchora michoro hii na kutengeneza sanamu hizi, basi nipe fatwa kuhusu hizo." Yeye akasema: "Nisogelee." Basi akamsogelea hadi akaweka mkono wake juu ya kichwa chake, kisha akasema: "Nakujulisha kutoka kwa Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ kile nilichomsikia Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ akisema."

It has been narrated from ibn Abbas (ra) to whom came a man and said: I draw these drawings and make these statues so give me a fatwa about them. He said: Come close to me. So he came closer until he placed his hand upon his head and said: I inform you from the Messenger of Allah (saw) what I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying:

Ahmad alisimulia kutoka kwa Abu Hurairah (ra) ambaye alisema:

Ahmad narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) who said:

Qiram ni pazia nyembamba ya sufu yenye rangi. Na Al-Bukhari amesimulia kwa njia ya Abu Juhayfah kwamba alimnunua kijana aliyekuwa mtaalamu wa kutoa damu kwa kikombe (cupper), kisha akasema:

The (qiram) is the thin curtain of wool with colours. And Al-Bukhari narrated via the way of Abu Juhayfah that he bought a youth who was a cupper so he said:

Hadithi hizi kwa ujumla wake zinaamrisha kuacha kuchora kwa uwazi kabisa, na hii ndiyo dalili kwamba kuchora ni haramu. Ni ya jumla inayojumuisha kila picha, iwe ina kivuli au haina, iwe ni kamili au haijakamilika. Kwa hiyo hakuna tofauti katika kukataza michoro kati ya yenye kivuli na isiyo na kivuli, na kati ya picha kamili inayoweza kuishi na picha isiyokamilika isiyoweza kuishi. Zote ni haramu kutokana na ujumla wa hadithi hizo. Pia kuna hadithi ya Ibn Abbas (ra) kuhusu Nyumba (Al-Kaaba) kwamba picha zilizokuwamo ndani ya Kaaba zilichorwa kwa mistari bila kivuli, lakini Mtume ﷺ hakuingia mpaka zikafutwa. Na hadithi ya Aisha (ra) inaonyesha kwamba pazia lilikuwa na michoro iliyochorwa juu yake bila kivuli. Imepokewa kwamba Mtume ﷺ alimtuma Ali katika msafara na kumwambia:

These ahadith in their generality request the leaving of drawing decisively, and this is the evidence that drawing is forbidden. It is general including every picture whether it has a shadow or not, whether it is complete or incomplete. So there is no difference in forbidding drawings between what does or does not have a shadow, and between the complete picture which is able to live and the incomplete picture which is not able to live. All are forbidden due to the generality of the ahadith. And due to the hadith of ibn Abbas (ra) about the House (Ka’aba) that the pictures that were in the Ka’aba were drawn in traces without any shadow but the Messenger did not enter until they were effaced. And the hadith of Aisha (ra) indicated that the curtain had drawings traced upon it without any shadow. It is narrated that the Prophet (saw) sent Ali in an expedition and said to him:

Alitaja aina zote mbili: ile yenye kivuli, ambayo ni sanamu, na ile isiyo na kivuli, ambayo ni picha iliyofutwa. Tofauti kati ya kitu chenye kivuli na kisicho na kivuli si sahihi wala haina msingi, na kuwa na uhai au kutokuwa na uhai si sababu ya kukatazwa, wala hakuna dalili inayoitoa kutoka katika katazo hilo. Kuhusu kuruhusu kuchora kitu kisicho na roho, kama miti, milima n.k., hii ni kwa sababu hadithi zilizokuja kukataza kuchora zilizuia katazo hilo kwenye picha yenye roho. Kizuizi hiki kinatambulika na kina ufahamu unaofanyiwa kazi. Ufahamu wake ni kwamba picha isiyo na roho ndani yake haikatazwi. Kwa hakika, baadhi ya hadithi zilikuja bila kizuizi, na baadhi yake zilikuja na kizuizi, na kanuni ya usuli ni kuipeleka ile isiyo na kizuizi kwenye ile yenye kizuizi. Katazo linahusu tu picha yenye roho ndani yake, ambayo ni binadamu, mnyama na ndege. Kwa wengine isipokuwa hawa, si haramu kuwachora; bali inaruhusiwa. Pia, kuruhusiwa kuchora kitu kisicho na roho cha miti n.k. kumekuja waziwazi katika hadithi. Katika hadithi ya Abu Hurairah (ra):

He mentioned both types, the one which has a shadow which is the statue and the one without a shadow which is the drawing that is effaced. The distinction between that which has a shadow and that which has no shadow is not correct nor does it have a basis, and its being living or non living is not a reason in its forbiddance nor does there exist an evidence excluding it from the forbiddance. As for permitting the drawing of that which has no soul among trees, mountains etc this is because the ahadith which came forbidding drawing restricted the forbidding in the picture which has a soul. This restriction is recognised and has an understanding that is acted upon. Its understanding is that the picture which has no soul inside is not forbidden. Indeed, some ahadith came unrestricted but some of them came restricted, and the usuli principle is carrying the unrestricted upon the restricted. The forbidding is only upon the picture which has a soul in it, which is the human being, animal and bird. As for other than these, it is not forbidden to draw them; rather it is permitted. Also the allowance of drawing that which has no soul of trees etc, this came explicitly in the ahadith. In the hadith of Abu Hurairah (ra):

Hii inamaanisha kwamba hakuna ubaya wowote kwa sanamu ya mti. Na katika hadithi ya Ibn Abbas (ra):

This means that there is nothing wrong with the statue of a tree. And in the hadith of ibn Abbas (ra):

Hadithi zilizokataza kuchora hazina sababu zilizotajwa, wala hakuna sababu yoyote ya kuchora iliyotajwa, kwa hiyo hakuna sababu inayotafutwa. Kuhusu kile alichosimulia Ibn Umar kutoka kwa kauli ya Mtume ﷺ:

The ahadith which came forbidding drawing are not reasoned and there did not come the reasoning of drawing by any reason, hence no reason is sought. As for what ibn Umar narrated of the statement of the Messenger (saw):

Na kilichokuja katika hadithi ya Aisha(ra) kuhusu kuchora:

And what came in the hadith of Aisha(ra) about drawing:

Haya yote hayakuja kwa njia ya hoja. Hakuna sababu inayoeleweka kutoka kwa maneno na sentensi za hadithi hizi. Jambo lililopo ni kwamba Mtume ﷺ amelinganisha kuchora na uumbaji, na wachoraji na wachongaji na Muumba. Kufanana huku hakumaanishi hoja, wala hakufanyi kuwa sababu, kwa sababu kufanana kwa kitu na kitu kingine hakufanyi kile kinachofananishwa kuwa sababu ya kile kinachofanana nacho; bali inawezekana kuwa maelezo yake, na maelezo ya kitu si sababu yake. Kwa hiyo haisemwi kwamba kuchora kumekatazwa kwa sababu kuna kuiga uumbaji wa Allah humo. Allah (SWT) amemuumba binadamu, wanyama na ndege, na amewaumba miti, milima na maua. Basi, ikiwa kuchora binadamu, wanyama na ndege kumekatazwa kwa sababu ya kuiga uumbaji wa Allah (SWT), basi sababu hii ipo pia katika miti, milima, maua n.k. kwa kuwa nayo pia imeumbwa na Allah (SWT); hivyo, wakati huo, kuichora kungekatazwa kwa sababu ya kuwepo kwa sababu hiyo katika kuichora. Hoja hufuata kitu kilichopo na kisichopo, ilhali matini zimekuja zikiruhusu kuchora miti na kila kisicho na roho. Kwa hiyo kuchora binadamu, wanyama na ndege kumekatazwa kwa sababu ya matini iliyokataza, wala si kwa sababu nyingine yoyote. Kuchora miti, milima na kila kisicho na roho kumeruhusiwa bila dhambi yoyote humo, kwa sababu ya matini zilizokuja kuruhusu.

All this did not come in the form of reasoning. No reason is understood from the words and sentences in these ahadith. All that is in the matter is that the Messenger equates drawing with creation and the sculptors & painter with the Creator. The resemblance does not mean reasoning nor does it become a reason since resemblance of something with something does not make that which is likened to the reason for that which resembles; rather it is possible to be a description for it, and the description of the thing is not a reason for it. Accordingly it is not said that drawing is forbidden because there is an imitation of the creation of Allah therein. Allah (swt) created mankind, animals and birds and He created trees, mountains and flowers. So if drawing human beings, animals and birds is forbidden for the reason of imitating the creation of Allah (swt) then this reason exists in trees, mountains, flowers etc since they are also created by Allah (swt) so, at that point, drawing them is forbidden due to the existence of the reason in their drawing. The reason revolves around that which is reasoned in presence and absence even though the texts came permitting the drawing of trees and everything that has no soul. Accordingly drawing human beings, animals and birds is forbidden due to the text which came forbidding them and not for any reason. Drawing trees, mountains and everything without a soul is permitted without any sin therein due to the texts which came to allow it.

Mchoro ambao Allah (SWT) ameukataza ni mchoro tu, au uchongaji n.k., ambao binadamu hufanya mwenyewe moja kwa moja. Kuhusu mchoro unaofanywa kwa njia ya vifaa vya upigaji picha, haujumuishwi katika hilo wala si miongoni mwa michoro iliyokatazwa, bali unaruhusiwa. Hii ni kwa sababu uhalisia wake ni kwamba si mchoro, bali ni kuhamisha kivuli kutoka kwenye kitu halisi kwenda kwenye filamu, wala si kwamba mchoraji anamchora mtu. Mpiga picha kwa kutumia vifaa vya upigaji picha hamchori mtu, bali huchapisha kivuli cha mtu kwenye filamu kwa njia ya vifaa, hivyo ni kuhamisha kivuli, si kuchora, na kwa kutumia vifaa, si kwa mkono wa mchoraji. Kwa hiyo haliingii katika katazo lililokuja katika Hadiyth. Hadiyth zinasema:

Mtu anayepiga picha ya mtu au mnyama kwa vifaa vya kupigia picha hafanyi picha hizi, wala hachori mchoro huu, wala si mchoraji. Bali ni vifaa vya kupigia picha vinavyohamisha kivuli hadi kwenye filamu, naye hafanyi jambo lolote zaidi ya kuvisogeza vifaa hivyo. Kwa hiyo yeye si mchoraji, wala haiwezekani kwake kuwa mchoraji kwa namna yoyote ile; hivyo katazo halimhusu hata kidogo. Pia, mchoro ambao katazo lake limekuja katika Hadith umeelezwa na aina yake imewekewa mipaka, nao ni ule unaoiga uumbaji wa Allah (SWT), yaani ule ambao mchoraji anafanana na Muumba kwa jinsi anavyoumba kitu. Hivyo anaunda picha ama kwa kuichora kutoka akilini mwake, au kuichora kutoka kwenye asili yake iliyopo mbele yake; katika hali zote mbili ameunda picha kwa sababu yeye ndiye mwenye ubunifu. Ama picha ya kupiga kwa kamera, si ya aina hii kwa sababu haiundi picha, wala ubunifu haupo ndani yake; ni kuchapisha tu kivuli cha kitu kilichopo kwenye filamu. Hivyo haizingatiwi miongoni mwa aina za uchoraji ambazo katazo lake limekuja katika Hadith, wala Hadith hizo hazimhusu, wala haimo chini ya katazo hilo. Uhalisia wa kitaalamu wa picha ya mkono na picha ya kamera unathibitisha hayo kikamilifu; ni aina mbili zinazotofautiana kabisa. Picha ya kitaalamu iliyochorwa kwa mkono si picha ya kamera, iwe kitaalamu au kwa ubunifu. Kutokana na hapa, zaidi ya hayo, picha ya kamera inaruhusiwa bila lawama ndani yake.

The one who takes the picture of the person or an animal with photographic equipment does not make these pictures nor does he perform this drawing nor is he a drawer. Rather it is the photographic equipment which transports the shadow to the film and he does not do anything other than moving the equipment. Therefore he is not a drawer nor is it possible for him to be a drawer by any means whatsoever; thus the prohibition does not include him at all. Also the drawing whose forbidding came in the ahadith has been described and its type limited, and this is the one which imitates the creation of Allah (swt) and the one in which the drawer resembles the Creator in relation to how he creates a thing. So he creates a picture either by drawing it from his mind or drawing it from its origin present in front of him; in both these cases he created the picture because he is the one in whom there is creativity. As for the photographic picture, it is not of this type since it is not creating the picture nor does creativity exist therein; it is merely printing the shadow of something existing upon film. Hence it is not considered from the types of drawing whose forbiddance came in the ahadith, and the ahadith do not apply upon it nor is it included under it in forbidding. The technical reality of the picture by hand and the photographic picture completely strengthens that; they are two types which differ completely. The technical picture drawn by hand and it is not the photographic picture (whether) technically or in creativity. From here, additionally, the photographic picture is allowed without blame in it.

Hii inaonyesha kwamba katazo linatokana na kuweka picha mahali pa heshima kwa ajili yake, wala halitokani na kuimiliki. Kuhusu kuweka picha mahali ambapo inatendewa heshima kuwa jambo lenye chuki lakini si haramu, sababu yake ni kwamba katazo lililokuja katika hadithi halikuunganishwa na dalili yoyote inayoonyesha msisitizo wa uamuzi, kama vile onyo dhidi ya mmiliki wa picha au kumlaumu au mfano wa hayo, kama ilivyokuja kuhusu kuchora. Badala yake, lilikuja kwa ombi tu la kuiondoa. Pia kuna hadithi nyingine zinazokataza kumiliki sanamu na zinazoruhusu kumiliki picha iliyopambwa, yaani iliyochorwa kwa mistari, jambo linalochukuliwa kuwa dalili kwamba katazo hilo si la msisitizo wa uamuzi. Katika hadithi ya Abu Talha iliyo katika Muslim, kwa maneno yasemayo:

This indicates that the prohibition is based upon placing the picture in a place of respect for it and it is not based upon possessing it. As for placing the picture in a place wherein it is treated with respect being disliked not forbidden, this is because the prohibition which came in the ahadith was not linked to any connotation indicating decisiveness like a threat against the possessor of the picture or censuring him or the like as came in drawing; rather it came merely requesting to leave (it). There came other hadith prohibiting possessing statues and permitting possessing the embroidered picture i.e. traced, which is considered a connotation that the prohibition is not decisive. In the hadith of Abu Talha in Muslim with the words:

Na ilikuja katika riwaya iliyosimuliwa na Muslim kwamba yeye ﷺ alisema:

And it came in the narration narrated by Muslim that he (saw) said:

Hii inaonyesha kutengwa kwa picha iliyopambwa kwenye nguo, na maana yake ni kwamba malaika huingia nyumbani ambamo kuna mchoro uliopambwa juu ya nguo, yaani picha iliyochorwa au kuchorwa kwa kalamu. Hadithi hii ikiunganishwa na hadithi nyingine zinazokataza, inadokeza kwamba amri ya kuondoka si ya lazima, kwa hiyo kuwa na picha mahali inapotendewa kwa heshima ni jambo lisilopendeza, si jambo lililokatazwa.

This indicates the exclusion of the embroidered picture in the garment and its understanding is that the angels enter the house in which there is a carving embroidered upon a garment i.e. a picture traced/drawn in sketching. If this hadith is joined to the other prohibiting ahadith, it is a connotation that the request to leave is not decisive so possessing the picture in a place where it is treated with respect is disliked not forbidden.