Is it haraam to draw in Islam? Part 1

Question:

Is it haram to draw portraits or beings? What is the Islamic view on drawing?

Answer:

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, thank you very much for having confidence in us, and we hope our efforts, which are purely for Allah's Sake, meet your expectations. 
 
We’d like first to state that there is nothing wrong in drawing as long as the images do not depict nudity or other indecent representations. Also, the picture or image should not be revered or glorified. The detested pictures and images are only those, which are worshiped and revered.

Within these restrictions drawing humans, animals, natural scenes, etc. is permitted. What is prohibited is making a statue or a sculpture of a living being that has shade (depth or three dimensional).

Here, we’d like to cite for you the following Fatwa:

"One may draw pictures of people, animals, etc. as long as they don’t depict anything against Islamic guidelines. It is important to understand that Muslims don't replicate 'images' because they believe that on the Day of Judgment, they will be asked to put a soul in the 'images' they made, challenging Allah’s creation. Also, they don't replicate 'images' believing that the Angels will not enter their houses. This is based on several authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

 

However, in the Arabic Language, what we call Sourah or commonly translated as 'image' can mean several things, and in the context of the prohibition, it means a statute or a sculpture of a living being that has shade (depth or three dimensional) and not a photographic picture.

Therefore, while statutes are prohibited, pictures in magazines, televisions, newspapers, books, computers, drawings, etc. are allowed. Such pictures can however be prohibited if they depict nudity or other indecent representations. But even being allowed, they should be done when necessary and not to pass time."

 

Allah Almighty knows best.

http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-the-scholar/arts-and-entertainment/drawing-and-photography/175773-drawing-from-an-islamic-perspective.html?Photography=