Ruling on making images of animate beings out of snow
Question

                I know that Islam forbids making images of any animate beings, but I want to know the ruling on making a snowman. There are a lot of parents who want to have fun with their children, so they make these images. As far as I know there is no creature that looks like a snowman, so does this mean that it is permissible to make it with a proper shape (by making eyes, a nose and a mouth)?
Praise be to Allah.
      Firstly: 

    Images of animate beings that are drawn by hand or engraved 
    on wood or copper, or made out of plaster, are undoubtedly prohibited and 
    are included in the texts that warn the image makers. 

    For more information, please see the answers to questions no.
    34839, 10668 and
    39806.

    Secondly: 

    What is mentioned above about images that are made to last 
    and will remain for a long time is a matter concerning which there is 
    unanimous agreement among the scholars. As for making images with materials 
    that do not last for long, such as images made out of dough, melon rinds or 
    sweets, we do not find any discussion of them in the books of fiqh, except 
    among the Maalikis and Shaafa‘is. We find that there is a slight difference 
    of opinion concerning that among the Maalikis, but the majority are of the 
    view that such images are prohibited. As for the Shaafa‘is, they regard it 
    as prohibited to make them, but some of them regard it as permissible to 
    sell them! Ar-Ramli – who was one of their senior fuqaha’– refuted the view 
    of those who said that that was permissible. 

    A similar argument may be applied to images made out of snow, 
    as mentioned in the question. 

    ‘Ulaysh al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    It is prohibited to make images that meet the conditions 
    mentioned above, if they are made to last, such as those made out of wood, 
    clay, sugar and dough, according to consensus. That also applies if they are 
    not made to last, such as those made out of melon rinds. 

    Minah al-Jaleel Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel 
    (3/529) 

    Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ahmad as-Saawi (may Allah 
    have mercy on him) said: 

    There is a difference of opinion concerning that which is not 
    made to last, but the correct view is that it is prohibited. 

    Haashiyat as-Saawi ‘ala ash-Sharh as-Sagheer 
    (2/501) 

    Ahmad an-Nafraawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    If the image is made in a complete form and has a shadow, 
    such as if it is made in the image of a wild animal or dog or human, and it 
    is placed on a wall or on the ground, then that is prohibited, because it is 
    a complete image, whether it is made of something that lasts, such as stone 
    or wood, or of something that does not last, such as if the image of a wild 
    animal or horse is made out of dough or sweets that do not last for long.

    Al-Fawaakih ad-Dawaani 
    (2/315) 

    In Haashiyat Qalyoobi (3/298) – which is a Shaafa‘i 
    book – it says: 

    It is prohibited to make an image of an animal, even if it is 
    in a form in which a living being could not survive and there is nothing 
    equal to that in real life – as we have seen above – or it is made of clay 
    or of sweets. But it is valid to sell it, and it is not prohibited to look 
    at it or leave it alone (and not destroy it). This was stated by our Shaykh 
    ar-Ramli, but our Shaykh ar-Ziyaadi disagreed with him on the last two 
    points and regarded those actions as haraam.

    End quote. 

    What seems most likely to be correct is that with regard to 
    the prohibition on making images there is no difference between that which 
    is made to last for a long time and that which is not. It was narrated that 
    the mushrikeen during the Jaahiliyyah used to make images that they 
    worshipped instead of Allah out of dates, then if they got hungry they would 
    eat them! This confirms that there is no difference in terms of the name or 
    ruling between images that are made out of material that lasts and those 
    that are made out of material that does not last. 

    Our contemporary scholars gave rulings that are similar to 
    the view that is most likely to be correct according to the Maalikis and 
    Shaafa‘is. 

    Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen 
    (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

     The images that are prohibited are images such as the 
    following: where a person makes out of dough or plaster or any other 
    material something in the image of a human being or an animal. This is 
    haraam. 

    With regard to trees and the like, there is nothing wrong 
    with (making images of) them, according to the more correct view, which is 
    that of the majority of scholars. 

    Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen 
    (6/207) 

    Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah 
    preserve him) said: 

    It is confirmed in linguistic terms that the idol is graven 
    image, i.e., something that is carved or shaped in the form of an image. As 
    that is the case, then an idol may be made out of either stone or wood or 
    dough or dates, and so on. 

    Sharh Kashf ash-Shubuhaat 
    (tape no. 8) 

    Thirdly: 

    With regard to the questioner saying: “As far as I know there 
    is no creature that looks like a snowman”, even though this is correct in 
    and of itself, it does not alter the Islamic ruling. There is no such thing 
    as a man made of copper or wood or plaster or dates. The point is that they 
    make the image of an animate being out of these substances, then they give 
    it a nose, two eyes and a head  – this is the reason for the prohibition. If 
    they were to make out of those substances something that has no soul (an 
    inanimate object), there would be no objection. Or they could make an 
    animate object without giving it a head. 

    In addition to this clarification of the ruling, the scholars 
    also stated that it is prohibited to make fantasy images of men and animals, 
    except in the case of toys for children. 

    In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (12/111) it says:

     The Shaafa‘is stated that fantasy images of humans or 
    animals are also included in the prohibition. They said: That is prohibited, 
    such as a man with wings, or a cow with a beak, things that do not exist in 
    real life. The words of the author of Rawd at-Taalib suggest that 
    there may be some views that permit that. 

    It is clear that this discussion has to do with things other 
    than toys for children. It is narrated in the hadith of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah 
    be pleased with her) that among her toys was a horse that had two wings, and 
    that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw it, he 
    smiled broadly.

    End quote. 

    In fact, if it were to be said that such things are more 
    emphatically prohibited than images of real creatures, as is the view of 
    some of the scholars, that would not be far-fetched. 

    Al-Maawirdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    There is no difference in the prohibition on images of 
    animate beings between images of humans and of animals, or between those 
    that are made to appear pleasing to the eye and those that are made to 
    appear ugly, or between those that are huge and those are very small, if 
    they are images of real animals. 

    As for images of animals that have never been seen (fantasy 
    creatures), they come under the same ruling, such as images of a bird with a 
    human face, or a man with the wings of a bird. There are two views 
    concerning the prohibition on such images. The first view is that they are 
    prohibited and, in fact, are more emphatically prohibited because it is 
    introducing innovation into the creation of Allah, may He be exalted, and 
    because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He 
    [the image-maker] will be instructed to breathe life into it, and he will 
    never be able to do so.” 

    The second view – which is the view of Abu Haamid al-Mirwazi 
    – is that they are not prohibited, because they are more like artistic 
    decoration than images of living beings. 

    According to the first view, it is prohibited to make an 
    image of a human face without a body, but according to the second view, it 
    is not prohibited to do so. 

    Al-Haawi al-Kabeer 
    (9/565) 

    To sum up: 

    It is not permissible to make images out of snow, even for 
    fun. Allah has given people plenty of leeway to make whatever they want of 
    images of things that are inanimate, such as trees, ships, fruits, buildings 
    and the like. 

    And Allah knows best.