Question:
Is sculpting animals or any animate object haram even if it’s meant to be eaten? For cake decorating purposes.
Answer:
As Salaamu Alaikum,
The Ahadith that prohibit drawings of animate objects are general, and they include sculpting, photography and ‘picture making’. Hence, although the thing itself would be eaten, yet, in keeping with the teachings of the Prophet (SAS) one must not draw or sculpt animals or animate objects on cakes etc. Sculpting in fact, is just like carving which is prohibited for animate objects.