A Jurisprudential Study of Sculpturing and Humanoid Robot Making Based on Imam Khomeini’s Viewpoints

 Making humanoid robots and building human statues in medical centers is haram or religiously forbidden according to the prevailing religious decrees. The rule is based on documents developed from various well-known traditions. However, it seems that due to non-attributablility of restriction by common law, there is the possibility of its renunciation. In other words, the tradition-based rule is attributable to the previous human statues since there was no scientific logic behind making those statues in the past. Therefore, all traditions on previous human statues are subject to renunciation for lack of scientific intent and inability to make humanoid robots. But toys might have been made for amusement or for scientific use in some cases. In this case, the traditions might be either renounced fully or partially. So, considering them religiously forbidden objects might not be implausible. In the meantime, such jurists as Mousavi Bojnourdi and the author of Dirasat fi al-Makaseb al-Muharramah argue that “prohibition” in these traditions attests to the time people attached sanctity to the statues due to rites and rituals remaining from the age of idolatry. However, they claim, people attach no sanctity to the statues these days since theology and worshipping God have become mostly needed and commonly accepted facts. This paper is an attempt to study the probability or permissibility of making humanoid robot and statues in Islamic jurisprudence with emphasis on Imam Khomeini’s approach. The findings show that making statues lacks reverence and reason for sanctity in modern day society with such monotheistic approach.