Is Selling Shirts with Anime-Inspired Designs Permissible?

Answered by Shaykh Muhammad Carr

Question

I am thinking about starting my own clothing brand that sells shirts with anime-inspired designs. However, I have heard that drawing or creating images may be impermissible (haram).

Some of the designs would feature anime characters, such as Gojo Satoru, but in a more artistic or stylized way.

Would it make any difference if the artwork were AI-generated, hand-drawn, or created digitally? I assume it wouldn’t, because I would still be the owner of the design and responsible for using it. Is that correct?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Thank you for reaching out and seeking clarification on this important matter. It’s commendable that you seek to ensure that your mode of income aligns with Islamic principles.

The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The most severely punished people on the Day of Resurrection are those who try to rival Allah in His creation’. [Bukhari and Muslim]

Printing shirts with anime-inspired designs is impermissible. By extension, selling such shirts is likewise impermissible. Irrespective of how the artwork is generated, you are responsible for it in the case at hand.

Ibn Hajar states, “…and [it is impermissible to have] the image of an animate being on a garment intended to be worn – that is, by virtue of its being made for wearing, even if it is not actually being worn. Thus, this also includes a garment that is hung up, as stated by al-Adhra’i.” [Ibn Hajar, Tuhfat al-Muhtaj]

This ruling applies even if the depicted animate being has no real-world counterpart, such as a winged horse. [Ibid.]

Some scholars liken digital images to reflections in a mirror. To the best of my understanding, this argument falls away when the image is printed. It is an augmented form of a hand drawing and thus the ruling of impermissibility applies.

Allah is the best provider for those who seek it through permissible avenues.  Explore the expansive permissible realm of entrepreneurship in which you will find great blessings. If you really have to, then limit yourself to inanimate objects.

I pray this is of benefit and that Allah guides us all.

[Shaykh] Muhammad Carr
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Shaykh Muhammad Carr has dedicated his life to studying and transmitting our beautiful deen. His studies have taken him around the globe, where he has benefitted from many luminaries. Under the guidance of his teachers – Shaykh Taha Karan, Shaykh Yaseen Abbas, Shaykh Muadh Ali and many others – Shaykh Muhammad has grown to appreciate the beauty and benefits of diverse scholarship. He completed his memorization of the Qur’an at Dar al-Ulum Zakariyyah in September 1997 and received an Alimiyya Degree in 2006 from DUAI (Darul Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah). He is also affiliated with Masjid Auwal in Bo Kaap, Cape Town (the oldest mosque in South Africa), where he serves as a co-imam, and Dar Al-Safa, where he has taught since 2018. As a teacher, he imparts the wisdom of our heritage and tradition by opening the door for students. As an imam, he has the unique opportunity to serve his community in daily life. 

In addition to his roles as a teacher and imam, Shaykh Muhammad Carr has contributed significantly to the administrative and advisory aspects of Islamic institutions. Since 2023, he has served as the Administrative Director at The Imam Kurani Institute, contributing to the institution’s growth and development. He continues to pursue traditional Islamic Sciences, possessing a keen interest in Islamic Contract Law and Finance. Shaykh Muhammad has been a Shari’ah Board Member for Islamic Asset Management & Insurance Companies since 2001, aligning financial practices with Islamic principles.