Is liking an image haraam?

Question

My question is a hypothetical one. Consider this scenario: An artist draws an image of a cat, which looks very cute but does not look like any real cat exactly. Now that is haraam obviously. Now another person walks by the painting, looks at the painting and likes the cute cat. He wishes to have a similar cat as a pet, and just asks for that to Allah.

Now, it is obvious that the artist did a haraam act drawing the image of the cat (maybe he drew it for worshipping). But is it also wrong for the second person wanting a pet cat that would look like the cat in the image?

My opinion is that, the cuteness of the cat is just an imagination. And as far as I know, imaginations are not haraam. The artist misused the imagination, and the other person saw the misuse and then used the cuteness as a good imagination. So it should not be haraam for him, right?

Sorry if the question is too abstract. It's just something that came to my mind and is bugging me for a while.

Thanks.

Answer 1

We are not accountable on how we feel, only on how we act. Experiencing sinful feelings or thinking sinful thoughts does not make it a sin. That is something we have no control over, and thus are not accountable for. Acting out on these thoughts, however, we are accountable for.

So back to our hypothetical situation: liking a picture is not haram. It is a feeling that we have no control over. Now, how we act upon that feeling may or may not be haram. If it leads you to do something sinful (like stealing that picture) then that is haram. On the other hand if it leads you to find a stray cat and be kind to it, then that is definitely not haram and in fact something that Allah may reward you for.

Thoughts and feeling may lead to sin, but it is the act itself that is sinful (or not).