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The symbolism of unicorns & rainbows & its links to the LGBTQ community

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

As Salaamu Alaikum

 

Most Respected Mufti Saheb

 

My question is about the symbolism of unicorns and rainbows. This has become very common especially in children’s toys and clothes. I believe it has satanic connections and is a symbol of homosexuality. 

 

Please advise regarding whether it is impermissible to use such clothes and toys even with just rainbows. 

 

 

Jazakumullahu Khairan

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Unicorns have been part of pride flags and symbols of LGBT culture in the last century, becoming prominent during the gay rights protests of the 1970s and 1980s.[1]

The rainbow flag was popularized as a symbol of the gay community by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. The flag was originally created with eight colours, but pink and turquoise were removed for production purposes, and since 1979 it has consisted of six coloured stripes.[2]

In 1979 the flag was modified again. The organisers of the 1979 San Francisco parade decided to split the flag into two in order to decorate the two sides of the parade route. To achieve this, they needed an even number of stripes, so the turquoise stripe was dropped, which resulted in a six stripe version of the flag — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.[3]

 

Furthermore, it must be noted that the colours in the rainbow flag which is a symbol of the gay community is slightly different to the normal rainbow colours. The colour indigo is missing in the rainbow flag (6 colours), which is found in the normal rainbow (7 colours).[4]

In the enquired scenario, children’s clothing and toys with images of unicorns will not be permissible due to two reasons. Firstly, it falls under the ambit of being a Tasweer which is not permissible.[5] Secondly, it has become a salient feature of the gay community. Hence this will be termed as imitating the gay community.

Children’s clothing and toys with just the normal rainbow will be permissible. However, we advise purchasing alternative clothing and toys, due to the similar resemblance with the gay community.

As for children’s clothing and toys with the specific rainbow flag (6 colours) which is a salient feature of the gay community, it will not be permissible.[6]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

 


[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_symbols#Unicorns

 

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag#LGBT_(Lesbian,_Gay,_Bisexual,_Transgender)_Pride_(1978)                                                                                                                

 

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT_movement)#1978_to_1979

 

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROYGBIV

 

[5]

 فتاوى حقانية جلد ٢ صفحہ ٤٣٢

 

أحسن الفتاوى جلد ٣ صفحہ ٢٨٨

 

جوا ہر الفقہ جلد ٣ صفحہ٢٢٣

 

کتاب النوازل جلد ١٧ صفحہ ٩٨

 

[6] سنن أبي داود ت الأرنؤوط- دار الرسالة العالمية (6/ 144)

حدَّثنا عثمانُ بنُ أبي شيبةَ، حدَّثنا أبو النضرِ، حدَّثنا عبدُ الرحمن ابنُ ثابتٍ، حدَّثنا حسانُ بنُ عطيَّهَ، عن أبي مُنيب الجُرَشيٍّعن ابنِ عُمَرَ، قال: قال رسولُ الله – صلَّى الله عليه

وسلم – مَن تَشَبَّه بقومٍ فهو منهم

 

 

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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