During
the time of the Prophet (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam) things had not been invented as in our times such as
photography. The question is, is photography also
included in this prohibition or not? If you scrutinize the text, you will find
out that it is not included (in the prohibitions). This is because the one who
take pictures with cameras does not draw it in the real sense. What only
happens is that the excess lights only comes in contact with the object before
him and takes its picture in a second. A painter must endure in the process of
the drawing: in drawing the head, eyes, nose, ears and the likes. He must
perform an action. As for this photography, it is taken within a second.
It is like transferring what Allaah
designed into cards. This is the preferable opinion.
Scholars
of this age differ concerning this. Is this included in the curse and
prohibition or not? The right position is that it is not included because one
is not a painter (by using a camera). Had he intended to draw the picture he
would have spent some time in the process. But this (picture with camera)
is completed within a second. A perfect similarity of this can be seen in the
case of someone who writes a letter to his brother upon receiving it; he put it
in a photocopier and makes a copy of it. Could this copy of the letter be
considered as a drawing of the words and characters of the letter? No, the
picture is printed due to the excessive light. And no one will say that these
letters that was copied on this paper is the letter that came out of the
device. Never! That is why such pictures can be taken in darkness and can also
be taken even by a blind person.
Therefore whoever closely examines the text of
the hadeeth and the wisdom behind it, he will comprehend that what is
intended is the one who tries to compete with Allaah in His creation by imitating His design and drawing as if
he is the Creator. This is the one that incorporates prohibition and curse. As
for this (photographic pictures), it is only printing of a picture. However,
what remains is to look at or examine the purpose for which the photographic
picture is made. That is, if we understood that the photographic picture is
permissible and that it is not considered as image making, what remains for us
is to examine the reason for taken it just as we look at or examine the reason
behind anything permitted. This is because the legal status of permissible
things changes according to the associated purpose.
That is why if someone
intends to embark on a journey in the month of Ramadan in order to escape from
fasting, we will say: This action is forbidden for him despite the fact that
travelling is allowed and lawful originally. Also if someone buys a gun with
the intention of killing his fellow Muslim and robs their property, we will
say, ‘This transaction is unlawful even though a transaction is lawful
originally’. Therefore the purpose of taking the pictures must be examined.
Indeed, a person may have bad intention with the picture. He may take the
picture of a woman in order to enjoy looking at her while she is not his wife.
Bringing it out all the time from what is called album to look at it in order
to derive pleasure by looking at it. This, without doubt is forbidden or to
take the picture of a young beardless, handsome man just to enjoy looking at it
is also forbidden.
Taking
the pictures of leaders or rulers or scholars of Islam in order to honour them
by hanging it in the house is also forbidden. Taking the picture of devoted
servants of Allaah, those who
humble themselves before Allaah
just to keep it in the house for blessing or for remembrance is also forbidden
because it is a waste of time. What
benefit do you derive by remembering the one in the picture time after time?
And the worst of that is that some people used to keep the pictures of their
dead ones. This is not allowed. The pictures of the deceased should be burnt so
that you will not bring sorrow to yourself whenever you remember him by looking
at the picture and you may have about it. Burn the picture of the deceased
except in the situation where one fears that he may need it in future to
provide some evidence for pension collection or the like. This is an exigency.
But in the absence of any reason, it must be burnt.
As
for when the purpose of taking a photographic picture is for identification of
a person or providing proof of events with good intention, there is nothing
wrong with it. Similarly, if a person wants to prove a scene and loves that
people should know about it to appeal and attract their wealth such as people
in hunger or naked or wounded by the enemies and the like to show them to the
public in order to solicit on their behalf is also a good intention and there
is nothing wrong in taking their pictures.
Source: Sharh Riyaad as-Saaliheen, vol. 4, pp. 266-268
