In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
From Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen to his honorable brother Shaikh…may Allah preserve him, make him from the pious, from his pious allies, and his successful party. Ameen
As for what follows:
“…And what you have indicated, may Allah preserve you, from repetition of my answer for the permissibility of pictures taken by a camera: then I will inform you, my brother, that I did not allow taking pictures (the intent of pictures being what has souls from the humans and the others) except in necessity or need, like: citizenship, licenses, establishing the rights and the likes.
As for taking pictures for veneration, memory, or pleasure from looking at them, then I did not allow that whether it be statues or pictures made by hand or machine due to the generality of the statement of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wa salam:
“لا تدخل الملائكة بيتاً فيه صورة”
The Angels will not enter a house which has a picture in it
And I have not ceased to pass verdict with that and order the one who has a picture for memory to destroy it. And I am often severe if it is a picture of a dead person.
As for pictures of things that have a soul like humans or other than it, then there is no doubt in its prohibition and it is from the major sins due to the affirmation of cursing the doer upon the tongue of the Messenger salllahu alayhi wa salam and this is apparent in what is a statue or made by the hand. As for the camera which produces a picture and there is no action from the picture taker of drawing a face or the details of the body, then if a picture is produced for memory and purposes like it which a picture is not allowed to be taken for, then producing it with a camera is prohibited by the prohibition of the means. If a picture is produced for necessity or need, then there is no harm.
This is the conclusion of my opinion in this issue. So if it is correct then it is from Allah and He is the One who is praised for the blessing. If it is incorrect, then it is from my shortcomings. I ask Allah to pardon me of it and guide me to what is correct. Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu”
[Majmoo’ al-Fatwa wa Rasaail (2/287)]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
