Fatwa Banning Snowmen

[xoxoxoBruce]

General Supervisor: Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid, at "Islam Question and Answer" website says...

Is it permissible to make snowmen?

Praise be to Allah.

If the snowman does not have clear facial features such as eyes, a nose and a mouth, and it is merely a three-dimensional figure with no features, like the scarecrows that farmers set up to scare away birds, and signs that are put on roads as a warning of roadworks or construction, then there is nothing wrong with any of that.

Similarly, there is nothing wrong with what children do for fun, because such figures are not usually treated with respect (unlike statues and idols) and it is well-known that children have a psychological need to play and have some fun and excitement, especially in places where snow only falls on rare occasions.

But if the snowman has clear facial features, then the majority of scholars are of the view that it is prohibited, because of the general meaning of the prohibition on making images, which has been explained in detail in question no. 146628. A similar ruling applies to figures that are made out of dough and other sweets, and so on.

More at the link.

While that the question even came up seems a pretty alien to me, it doesn't sound like the rantings of a rabid frothing lunatic. It sounds like a well thought out decision given the guidelines and precedents restricting their latitude in thinking. It shows how carefully people consider such matters when they don't want their head chopped off.