Islamic ruling on animation

Walekumussalam,

The summary of this issue is that it is not correct to declare every type of animation absolutely haram; rather, there are different forms of animation. Animation of inanimate objects, such as buildings, vehicles, landscapes, objects, and scenes from nature, is basically permissible.

However, regarding animation that depicts the complete form of a human or animal, a strong and cautious position among Hanafi scholars is that drawing animate beings is not permissible, and this may also include cartoons and 2D animation. According to this position, the mere fact that the image is unrealistic or cartoonish does not automatically make it permissible.

The hadith regarding Aisha (RA) playing with dolls is an important evidence in this issue, but scholars have derived different legal conclusions from it. Some scholars consider it a specific concession for children's toys, while some contemporary scholars use it as evidence for the permissibility of certain non-realistic representations of animate beings. Therefore, it would not be correct to use this hadith as a basis for declaring every type of animation unconditionally permissible.

There is certainly a technical difference between 2D and 3D animation, but whether something is 2D or 3D is not, by itself, the main criterion for determining its Islamic ruling. Rather, what matters is the nature of the animate representation, how complete it is, what its purpose is, and whether it contains any other impermissible elements.

On the other hand, some contemporary scholars have allowed certain forms of digital images and animation, particularly when they are non-permanent digital representations and are used for educational or other beneficial purposes. Therefore, there is genuinely a difference of opinion among qualified scholars on this issue.

Since you want to use animation for education and permissible entertainment, if you wish to follow the more cautious approach, it would be better to focus on animation of inanimate objects or use characters that do not have a complete and clearly defined representation of an animate being. And if your goal is to become a professional animator and you want to create fully animated human or animal characters, the most reassuring approach would be to show examples of your intended work to a reliable local Hanafi Mufti/Authority  and obtain a specific ruling regarding your particular type of animation.

And Allah knows best.