Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Hizaam was asked:

Question:

A picture which is in the form of a human without the details of its body being clear, such as its eyes and mouth and it is black, resembling a shadow, is this considered from the pictures which possess a soul which it is obligatory to obliterate?

Answer:

“Yes it is considered one. As long as the head is distinguishable. For example, if a person draws a picture or takes a picture from behind, then the head continues to be distinguishable.

الصورة الرأس ، فإذا قطع الرأس ، فلا صورة

The picture is the head, if the head is cut off it is not a picture

[Saheeh Jami no. 3864]

Jibreel ordered the Prophet (ﷺ) to sever the head of the image until it became like the form of a tree”

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Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan