Continuation for yesterdays answer about Photography: Praise be to Allaah Taking pictures with a camera involves human actions such as focusing, pressing the shutter, developing, printing, and so on. We cannot call it anything other than picture-making or tasweer, which is the expression used by all Arabic-speakers to describe this action. In the book Al-Ilaam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wal-haraam, the author says: Photography is even more of an imitation of the creation of Allaah than pictures which are engraved or drawn, so it is even more deserving of being prohibited… There is nothing that could exclude photography from the general meaning of the reports. (p. 42, see also Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/355). Among the scholars who have discussed the issue of photography is Shaykh Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani, who said: Some of them differentiate between hand-drawn pictures and photographic images by claiming that the latter are not products of human effort, and that no more is involved than the mere capturing of the image. This is what they claim. The tremendous energy invested the one who invented this machine that can do in few seconds what otherwise could not be done in hours does not count as human effort, according to these people! Pointing the camera, focusing it, and taking the picture, preceded by installation of the film and followed by developing and whatever else that I may not know about… none of this is the result of human effort, according to them! Some of them explain how this photography is done, and summarize that no less than eleven different actions are involved in the making of a picture. In spite of all this, they say that this picture is not the result of human action! Can it be permissible to hang up a picture of a man, for example, if it is produced by photography, but not if it is drawn by hand? Those who say that photography is permitted have frozen the meaning of the word tasweer, restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is tasweer or picture-making in every sense - linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that? (Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albaani, p. 38) It is also worth quoting the opinion of some contemporary scholars who allow the taking of photographs but say that the pictures should not be kept: The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures. (See al-Sharh al-Mumti, 2/198). There are many bad things involved in the making of pictures. Besides the element of imitating the creation of Allaah - which is an accusation denied by many of those who make pictures - reality bears witness to the great extent of immorality and provocation of desires caused by the prevalence of pictures and picture-making nowadays. We must remove or blot out every picture, except when it is too difficult to do so, like the pictures which are overwhelmingly prevalent in food packaging, or pictures used in encyclopaedias and reference books. We should remove what we can, and be careful about any provocative pictures that may be found. So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can… [al-Taghaabun 64:16 - interpretation of the meaning] Photographs which are essential are permitted - such as those required for identity documents, or for identifying or pursuing criminals [e.g. wanted posters and the like - translators note], or for educational purposes which cannot be achieved otherwise. The principle in shareeah is that we should not exaggerate about what is necessary. We ask Allaah to accept our repentance and have mercy on us, and to forgive our excesses, for He is the All-Hearing Who answers prayers. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:53:19 +0000
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