A father working as a painter asking his son to help him in work

Q: My father is a painter. He makes good money during Hajj season by drawing pictures of the pilgrims and other scenes of Makkah, Al-Madinah, etc. My father is now 78 years old and I am his only son. Painting is his only source of income from which he supports us financially. I study at the Faculty of Dar Al-`Ulum, Cairo University. We live somewhere in Upper Egypt. In addition to drawing pictures, my father does some other small house painting to earn his living. Being an old man, he earnestly asks me to help him in his work. He gave me a choice not to draw animate beings and always reminds me of his miserable state so that I may yield to his wish. I feel pity when (Part No. 25; Page No. 192) I see a person earnestly requesting another to do something, especially when the requester is so old. Sometimes, my father asks me to do nothing more than carry his tools to his workplace. What should I do? Will I incur sin if I help him in drawing inanimate objects? Should I leave this weak father suffer in his old age; I doubt I can. Please, advise. May Allah reward you with the best!

A: It is not permissible for you to help your father commit a prohibited action even by facilitating the means leading to it. In fact, this constitutes cooperation in sin and transgression that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) forbade saying, Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwâ (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.