Question Summary:
Can we wear Puma clothing?

Question Detail:

Is it permissible to wear clothing made by Puma with a Puma logo on it? It’s basically a silhouette of a Puma, no eyes, mouth etc? 

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
 
The Fuqaha (jurists) state that the impermissible element of a picture of something animated is the head. So much so that if the whole body is drawn except the head; or the head is removed from the body; the picture will be permissible to draw, however if only the head is drawn without the body, it will be impermissible.[i]
 
Now the question arises, does ‘removing the head’ mean that there can be no trace of the head? Or is merely coloring over the face or removing all the facial features (such as in the Puma logo; the silhouette of a Puma) sufficient? The Fuqaha state that removing the head is sufficient as well as erasing all the facial features; coloring over them, sewing over them in the case of a doll, or even sanding over the face in such a manner that the doll is effaced in the case of a wooden doll. [ii]
 
وتفيسر قطع الرأس في هذا الباب أن يمحي رأس الصورة بخيط يخاط عليها، بحيث لا يبقي للأصل أثراً أصلاً، أو يطلي على رأسه شيئاً بحيث لا يبقي للرأس أثراً أصلاً
(المحيط البرهاني، ج5، ص309، دار الكتب العلمية)
 
ومثل القطع طليه بنحو مغرة أو نحته أو غسله ومحو الوجه كمحو الرأس بخلاف قطع اليدين والرجلين فإن الكراهة لا تزول بذلك لأن الإنسان قد تقطع أطرافه وهو حي كما في الفتح وأفاد بهذا التعليل أن قطع الرأس ليس بقيد بل المراد جعلها على حالة لا تعيش معها مطلقا
(حاشية على مراقي الفلاح، ج1، ص245، المطبعة الكبرى الأميرية ببولاق)
 
Based on the abovementioned, it will be permissible to wear clothing with a Puma logo on it as there are no facial features and because the logo is essentially effaced.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
 
Saanwal ibn Muhammad,
Student Darul Iftaa
UK   
 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb