The Ruling on taking pictures of Living beings. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Hizaam

بسم اللــــه الرحمـــــــــن الرحيم

📩 Question:

We want a detailed answer concerning picture making of animate beings. 

📝 Answer:

This issue has been discussed over and over again. There are numerous Hadeeth reports concerning this major sin which have clarify that this -without doubt- is among the major sins, such as:

(1) The Hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood -may Allaah be pleased with him- reported by Bukhaari & Muslim that the prophet ﷺ said:

((أشد الناس عذاباً يوم القيامة المصورون))

"The most severely punished people on the day of Judgment will be the picture makers." 

(2) The Hadeeth of Abu Juhayfah reported by Bukhaari that: "Allah cursed the picture maker." 

(3) The Hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar reported by Bukhaari and Muslim that the prophet ﷺ said:

((إن أصحاب هذه الصور يعذبون يوم القيامة يُقال لهم أحيوا ماخلقتم))

"Those who make these pictures will be punished on the day of Judgment. It will be said to them, give life to what you created!" 

(4) The Hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas -may Allaah be pleased with him and his father- reported by Bukhaari and Muslim that the prophet ﷺ said:

((من صور صورة كُلف أن يُنفخ فيها الروح يوم القيامة وليس بنافخ)) 

"Whoever makes a picture (in this world) will be commanded to blow a soul into it, but he will not be able to do so."

(5) The Hadeeth of Abu Talha -may Allaah be pleased with him- reported by Bukhaari and Muslim that the prophet ﷺ said:

((لا تدخل الملائكة بيتاً فيه كلبٌ ولا صورة))

"The angels (of mercy) do not enter a house which contains a dog or a picture."

(6) The Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah -may Allaah be pleased with him- reported by Bukhaari and Muslim that the prophet ﷺ said, Allaah -The Most High- said:

((ومن أظلم ممن ذهب يَخلُق كخلقي فليخلقوا حبة وليخلقوا ذرة وليخلقوا شعيرة))

"Who is more unjust than the one who tries to create the like of my creation? Let them create a grain, or an atom, or a grain of barley."

So Allaah -The Mighty and Majestic- challenged them! 

And His saying, 'Who is more unjust?' indicates that this is in fact a great oppression, among the greatest of oppressions. 

(7) Likewise, the Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah -may Allaah be pleased with him- recorded in the Sunan of Tirmithi, that the prophet ﷺ said:

((يَخْرُجُ عُنُقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَهُ عَيْنَانِ تُبْصِرَانِ وَأُذُنَانِ تَسْمَعَانِ وَلِسَانٌ يَنْطِقُ يَقُولُ إِنِّي وُكِّلْتُ بِثَلاَثَةٍ بِكُلِّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيدٍ وَبِكُلِّ مَنْ دَعَا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَبِالْمُصَوِّرِينَ))

"A neck will stretch out of the Fire on the Day of judgment. It will have two eyes which can see, two ears which can hear, and a tongue which can speak. It will say: 'I have been entrusted with three: Every obstinate oppressor, everyone who called upon a deity besides Allaah, and the picture maker."

The are many more evidences concerning this matter (which have not been cited here), but those evidences cited lead onto others, and all of these evidences prove that picture making is among the greatest sins.

What's more, all of these evidences are unrestricted, so they include:

(a) carved statues;

as is proven by the command of the prophet ﷺ to 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib -may Allaah be pleased with him- where he said:

((لا تدع تمثالاً إلا كسرته ولا قبراً مشرفاً إلا سويته))

"Do not leave any image without erasing it, nor any raised grave without leveling it." 

(b) pictures drawn by hand;

as proven by the hadeeth A'ishah -may Allaah be pleased with her- that she hang a curtain containing pictures, so the prophet ﷺ commanded for it to be torn. He became so angry that his face turned red, and said ﷺ:

((إن أصحاب هذه الصور يُعذبون يوم القيامة))

"Those who make these images will be punished on the day of Judgment."

It's clearly evident that the prophet ﷺ was angry because of this. 

(its mentioned in the Hadeeth that) A'ishah said: 'So we took the curtain, cut it up and made two cushions from it for people to sit on.'

This hadeeth proves that the prohibition (of pictures) includes (2D) images drawn by hand, so it's not restricted to (3D) sculptures as some innovators and people of misguidance claim. 

This fact is also proven by the instruction of prophet ﷺ to 'Umar during the conquest of Makkah to enter the Ka'bah and wipe off all the pictures found therein. 'Umar said: 'The prophet ﷺ did not enter (the Ka'bah) until all the pictures had been wiped away.' i.e. they were erased from the walls of the Ka'bah. 

So these are clear evidences proving that (2D) drawings come under the prohibition. 

(c) also included in the prohibition are pictures taken using cameras; this severe sin which many have taken lightly - to the extent where even (some of) those known to be upright have become lax in this regard to a point where they have pictures stored on their phones, perhaps even aquire pictures and maybe even taking pictures themselves.

So this (taking pictures using a camera) is also forbidden because it's a form of picture making. Pictures taken using a camera are deemed to be pictures linguistically, customarily and legislatively/Islamically. (Upon seeing a photo of someone) No one will say this is so and so, the son of so and so physically here in person. Instead, they will say this is the picture of so and so. So this form also falls under the prohibition contained in the aforementioned evidences. It is included in the previously cited evidences. No one sees a picture except that he says this is the picture of so and so.

Likewise, the underlying reasons behind the prohibition of picture making are also applicable to this form of picture making. For this reason some of those scholars who permit taking photographic pictures or taking pictures using a camera acknowledge that it's not permissible to acquire pictures for memorabilia. 

So if these people don't consider it to be a picture, why have they forbidden this? Why do they say it's not permissible to store pictures as mementos? 

In the same way, some of the scholars who permit photographic pictures have said that it's not permissible to hang them inside houses. 

So it should be said to them, why do you forbid this if you don't even consider them to be pictures in the first place? 

It's only fair to apply the same ruling to all forms of picture making without exceptions.

Therefore, these type of photographic pictures are also Haraam, and it's necessary for Muslims to fear Allaah -Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala- since these photographic images are included in the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:

((لا تدخل الملائكة بيتٌ فيها كلبٌ ولاصورة))

"The angels (of mercy) do not enter a house which contains a dog or a picture."

So bringing pictures into the house causes the angles (of mercy) to leave, and it's not necessary for pictures to be hang up in order for this to happen, rather the mere presence of pictures (in the house) is enough to make the angels (of mercy) depart - even if pictures aren't hang up; this is something obvious.

These photographic pictures are also included in the saying of Allaah:

((ومن أظلم ممن ذهب يخلق كخلقي))

"Who is more unjust than the one tries to create the like of my creation?"

Furthermore, picture making is a means to Shirk, because from the underlying reasons for the prohibition of pictures that scholars have mentioned, is that they are taken as deities besides Allaah. And pictures captured using a camera are a greater means to Shirk than carved statues and drawings - because they bear a greater resemblance to those captured. 

So what's correct is that pictures are totally Haraam, including those taken using a cameras.

As for pictures which people are obliged to have because the rulers have made them officially binding in all transactions, then the sin for this rests on these who enforced it upon them. So one takes these images according to his needs while still hating this, and in this way he frees himself from any wrongdoing/sin - insha Allah-.

...

"Allaah intends ease for you, not hardship" 

[Surat Al-Baqarah 185]

In this case, a person is not sinful, rather the sin is on those who enforce this upon the people. However, one must not keep pictures which he is not in need of. He must only keep those pictures which are necessary. 

And the same goes for with images which we find printed on paper notes. 

{لَا یُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ}

"Allaah does not burden any soul with more than it can bear." 

[Surat Al-Baqarah 286]

If he tries to erase the pictures (on these notes) then perhaps they are rendered useless and won't be accepted -  making things difficult upon himself.

Therefore, the sin goes back to those who enforce this upon the people. So a person carries money while he hates this. 

As for what relates to pictures on household items that a person buys and brings back home, if the item is going to remain in the house for some time, then it's necessary to blur/deface the image - according to the Hadeeth of 'Ali ibn Abi Taalib reported by Muslim, that the Prophet ﷺ said: 

((لا تدع صورة إلا طمستها ولاقبراً مشرفاً إلا سويته))

"Do not leave any image without erasing it, nor any raised grave without leveling it." 

But if the item is going to be (used and) thrown in the garbage straight away, like biscuit (wrappers) for example, or other such items which are used and disposed of right away, then it seems -and Allaah knows best- that it's not necessary to deface them, because they will end up being damaged & ruined in the garbage anyway, and it's also burdensome for one to deface them all. But if one is able to deface every picture, then this is fine. In fact, it's actually a good thing, and Allaah's aid is sought. 

Also, the so-called 'degraded images'; images found on carpets for example which are trampled. Some of the scholars permitted this form of images, on the basis that they are being degraded, and they use as evidence the hadeeth of 'Aa'ishah -may Allaah be pleased with her- that she said:

((فاتخذنا من الستر وسادتين توطآن))

"So we took it and cut it up, and made two cushions from it spread for people to tread on." 

So what's apparent -and this is the strongest opinion held by a number of scholars- is that this form is also impermissible i.e. It's not permissible to keep pictures in the house even if they are being degraded, as proven by the hadeeth of 'A'ishah in Bukhaari and Muslim that she said: 

"I bought a cushion with pictures for the Prophet ﷺ, so when the Prophet ﷺ came he said: 'What is this cushion?' she said: O Messenger of Allaah, I bought it for you to sit and recline on. The Prophet ﷺ became angry and said:

((إن أصحاب هذه الصور يُعذبون يوم القيامة))

"Those who make these pictures will be punished on the day of Judgment."

The point of evidence is that she explained that the reason why she bought it was for him to sit and recline on, and this in itself is an act of degradation, yet he ﷺ was still angry at her for this, which is why in the same Hadeeth she says: "So we tore it up and made it into two pillows."

The correct understanding as explained by some of the scholars is that the image became defaced when it was cut up. And it seems like they cut off the head, and disfigured the picture by doing so. Otherwise, how can she say that she bought it for the Prophet ﷺ to sit and recline on and then keep the picture on there when cutting out the new pillows, even though the Prophet ﷺ objected to this in the first place? This doesn't match up with the hadeeth, because in the hadeeth she says, 'I bought it for you to sit and recline on', but he rebuked her for this.

So the correct understanding of the hadeeth is that the image was cut such that the head was removed, then after that they made two pillows out of the cushion, and Allaah knows best.

________

Translated by:

Abu Ishaq Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ba-'Alawi

Click the link to subscribe:

t.me/ibnhezamen

Original Fatwa:

https://t.me/ibnhezam/233