Making clay samples of Masjids and relics

Fatwa no. 19557 All praise be to Allah Alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there will be no other Prophet.The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ examined the request for a Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar) that was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufty by His Eminence the Director General of (Part No. 1; Page No. 317) the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call, and Guidance in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, in the letter no. 2123/1034, dated 27/2/1418 A.H., which was forwarded to the committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars under no. 1195, dated 20/2/1418 A.H. The person requesting the Fatwa asked the following question:What is the ruling on building ceramic scale models of Masjids (mosques) and Islamic monuments to be used as promotional materials?

After examining the Fatwa request, the committee answered as follows:It is not permissible for this institution or any other institutions to make models of Islamic monuments or Masjids to be used as promotional materials; because this involves Fitnah (temptation away from the true path), and spreading of Bid‘ah (innovation in religion), and opens the means to Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and idolatry. Therefore, it is not permissible to give permission for this institution or any other institutions to make patterns of any of these for promotional scale models or anything similar.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.