Ruling On Putting Pictures Of Men And
Women On Facebook And In Chat Rooms
Islamic Rulings -
Living Shariah Verdicts
Islamic Questions & Answers
I heard a fatwa forbidding pictures of women
and men, such as icons in chat rooms, and also
pictures of children. This is also includes pictures
of animals such as a picture of a cat or rabbit as an
icon? Is this fatwa correct? What pictures is it
haraam to put?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Making images or pictures of animate beings, including
humans, birds and animals, is not permissible because
of the evidence which indicates that making images is
forbidden and that the one who does that is cursed.
See the answer to questions no. 22660 and 8954
No exception is made from that apart from cases of
necessity or urgent need, such as identification
pictures and the like.
This prohibition applies to:
Fixed images, whether they are on paper, fabric, walls
and so on. As for images that are not fixed and cannot
be shown except by means of equipment, such as digital
pictures that are taken with the camera on a mobile
phone or computer, which appear on the screen and then
disappear, they are not included in this prohibition,
as was stated by several scholars.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: Images made by modern
means are of two types:
(i) Those that cannot be seen
independently, ss I have been told is the case with
images made on videotapes. There is no ruling on these
at all and they do not come under the prohibition at
all. Hence they were permitted by the scholars who
forbid making images with cameras that are printed on
paper, and they said: There is nothing wrong with this
(ii) Those that are printed on paper…
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Munti‘, 2/197
Shaykh Dr. Khaalid al-Mushayqih (may Allah preserve
him) was asked: I take pictures of my little children
with the camera on my mobile phone for memories, but I
read that pictures for memories are haraam according
to sharee‘ah. Does this come under this shar‘i
prohibition on image making, or is it okay to take
pictures with the camera on the mobile phone? What is
the evidence for this? I also read that pictures on
computers and mobile phones are not regarded as
"images", because they are stored in memory and are
not printed on paper, hence they do not prevent the
angels from entering. If I open the picture on the
mobile phone or computer, will that make the angels
leave or not? I hope that you can reply in detail
because this matter is very confusing. May Allah
reward you with good.
He replied: Pictures that are on mobile phones or in
computers, or that are videoed, do not come under the
ruling on photographs because they are not fixed and
do not last, unless they are extracted and printed.
Based on that, there is nothing wrong with keeping
them on the mobile phone so long as they do not
include anything haraam. And Allah knows best.
End quote from the Shaykh's website.
See also the answer to question no. 7585 and 102262
Based on that, if you took the pictures with a mobile
phone or digital camera, then you went on the computer
and put them in the chat room without printing them in
any fixed form, that does not come under the
prohibition on image making. But it is not allowed to
put pictures of women in chat rooms because that may
result in temptation and provocation of desires.
And Allah knows best.
Is it haraam to buy pictures of
male and female singers?
Is it haraam to buy pictures of male and female
singers in which the head, shoulders and hair only
appear? Please note that the female singer is
uncovering her hair and there are no pictures of her
in which her hair is covered, and this is only because
of love of the artist, or because she is one's
favourite artist.
Praise be to Allaah.
The basic principle with regard to pictures of animate
beings is that they are haraam, whether they are
three-dimensional (statues) or two-dimensional, such
as pictures in frames, on clothing, or otherwise.
This has been discussed in the answer to question
number no. 10668. In the answer to question no.
143709, there is a discussion of the ruling on buying
clothing on which there are pictures.
This prohibition has to do with the issue of making
images, regardless of whether there is anything in the
picture itself that is contrary to sharee‘ah in the
first place. Pictures of scholars, men, children or
animals all come under this ruling; it is the picture
itself which is contrary to sharee‘ah.
But if in addition to that the picture includes
something that is contrary to sharee‘ah, such as if it
is a picture of a naked woman or one who is showing
part of her body, even if it is the face and hands,
then it is more haraam and a greater sin, because it
includes another thing that goes against sharee‘ah in
addition to image-making.
So how about if the picture is of those who promote
evil and spread immorality, such as actors, singers
and the like, whose images are traded in shops that
promote evil and vice, to make sick hearts even more
attached to them? The one who knows the ruling on
image-making will have no doubt that they are haraam.
Moreover, it is known what effect these pictures have
of filling the heart with infatuation and corrupting
it. This is what the questioner is expressing when he
says "this is only because of love of the artist".
What more do you want after that, O slave of Allah?!
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "The angels do not enter a house in
which there is a dog or an image." Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(3075) and Muslim (3930).
See also the answer to question no. 13214.
Once it is understood that it is haraam to keep these
images, we know that whatever Allah has forbidden,
buying and selling it is also haraam, and spending
money on it is a waste of money and is a kind of
extravagance that is haraam. The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "May
Allah curse the Jews. Animal fat was forbidden to
them, so they sold it and consumed its price. When
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, forbids eating
something, He also forbids its price." Narrated by
Ahmad, 2546.
Add Comments