Is it permissible to use emoticons?

Question:

I would like to know about the permissabilty of using emoticons on bbm etc. Is this the same as picture making?

Answer:

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

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

An emoticon is defined as “A pictorial representation of a facial expression using punctuation marks and letters, usually written to express a person’s mood. Emoticons are often used to alert a responder to the tenor or temper of a statement, and can change and improve interpretation of plain text; emoticons for a smiley face :-) and sad face :-( appears in the first documented use in digital form.”[1]

Emoticons do not fall under the definition of animate picture making; therefore, it will be permissible to use emoticons.[2] (Qamoos al- Fiqh, Vol.2, Pg.465- 470)

However, emoticons should not be confused with smileys. A smiley is defined as “A smiley, smiley face, or happy face, :) or: D is a stylized representation of a smiling humanoid face, commonly occurring in popular culture. It is commonly represented as a yellow (many other colors are also used) circle (or sphere) with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth. “Smiley” is also sometimes used as a generic term for any emoticon.”[3]

It is clear from the above definition that a “smiley” falls under the purview of impermissible animate picture making.

We advise one to express one’s emotions and feelings with a simple emoticon and refrain from using smileys.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.