Why keeping photos is not haram in Islam with 3 main proofs
C.J Ahmed-29.03.2023
Keeping photo of yourself or your loved ones in an album or otherwise has been a trend tht has been there for centuries. Keeping such photos is not haram because photography isn’t haram in Islam. Below are the 3 main proofs for this,
1. A'isha (Rali) narrated :
"We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a visitor came, he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upop him) said to me: Change them, for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said: We had with us a sheet which had silk badges upon it and we used to wear it. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna but with this addition: 'Allah's Messenger (Rali) did not command us to tear that."
(Sahih Muslim)
The above hadith poves that having imags of animate beings was not prohibited but the prophet (sal) disliked it due to it reminding him of the worldly pleasures. If having images of animate beings was such a strict matter, the prophet (sal) would have not acted so leniently.
2. Ubaydullah ibn `Abdullah who narrated that he went to Abu Talhah Al-Ansary to visit him during his illness and found Sahl ibn Hunayf with him. Abu Talhah asked someone to remove a rug on the floor. Sahl asked: "Why do you (want to) remove it? He replied: Because it includes suras and I know what the Messenger of Allah (Sal) said about them (suras – i.e. the ruling on them). He said: Did he not say: “Except a design in a cloth”. He said, “Yes, but this is more comfortable for me.”
(Narrated in Musnad Ahmed, Nasai ,Tirmidhi-Imam Tirmidhi graded it as Hasan Sahih)
Narrated on the authority of Busr ibn Sa`id from Zayd ibn Khalid from Abu Talhah that the Prophet (Sal) stated: Angels do not enter a house in which there is a sura. Busr said, “Zayd then fell ill and we went to visit him but there was a curtain with a sura hanging at his door. I said to `Ubaydullah Al-Khawlany: the stepson of Maymunah – the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him): Did not Zayd tell us about (the ruling on) suras the day before? `Ubaydullah said: Did you not hear when he said: Except a design in a cloth.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari and Muslim- another hadith narrated on the authority of `Amr ibn Al-Harith from Bukayr Al-Ashaj from Busr that he said, “I said to `UbaydullahAl-Khawlani: Did he not tell us about (the ruling on) suras? He said: He said, “Except a design in a cloth. Did you not hear him?” I said: No and he said: He said, “He indeed did say that.” -This hadith was also narrated in Bukhari and Muslim).
This was how the sahaba understood this hadith when an image was on a curtain.
3. Some muslims who are blind followers of scholars use the famous fatwa of Shaikh Naseeruddin Al Albani
(Raheemahullah) to prove that photography and video making are also a form of making pictures of living beings. Shaikh Albani as a human being is prone to mistakes and it is up to the individual to use his/her brain to understand and differenciate between right and wrong. When the question asked that photography is not similar to drawing , Sheikh Albani responded by stating
"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)
By looking at the above fatwa it might seem to many that Shaikh Albani has a point. M akin g idols is different to making pictures.The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images not reflections do not come under this. As we look closer it will be clear to everyone that this argumant by Shaikh Nasir is wrong. Let me explain. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in arabic when photography was invented French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(سَيَّارَةٌ). Now in modern day coloquial arabic the word "SayYaara"(سَيَّارَةٌ)
refers to a car. Allah says in th Quran:
"وَجَاءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُواْ وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَى دَلْوَهُ قَالَ"
"And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer"
(12:19)
In the abobe verse , "SayYara"(سَيَّارَةٌ) means a caravan but in modern coloquial arabic means "Qafila"(قافلة). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
(From the above image it could be understood that the image is captured through a lense and is bounced with the help of a mirror. This same mechanism of reflection is similar to that of a mirror and it also exists in digital cameras in mobile and other devices as well. A reflection cannot be compared to a hand drawn image).
Now coming back to Shaikh Albani's argument of an idol making machine with the push of a button, this has nothing to do with taking pictures bacause taking pictures is done using reflection mechanisms similar to a mirror which is not haram in Islam. The push button example is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making and image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the oppoite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a hand made drawing or a reflection? or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way?. A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons.
Keeping photo of yourself or your loved ones in an album or otherwise has been a trend tht has been there for centuries. Keeping such photos is not haram because photography isn’t haram in Islam. Below are the 3 main proofs for this,
1. A'isha (Rali) narrated :
"We had a curtain with us which had portraits of birds upon it. Whenever a visitor came, he found them in front of him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upop him) said to me: Change them, for whenever I enter the room) I see them and it brings to my mind (the pleasures) of worldly life. She said: We had with us a sheet which had silk badges upon it and we used to wear it. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn Muthanna but with this addition: 'Allah's Messenger (Rali) did not command us to tear that."
(Sahih Muslim)
The above hadith poves that having imags of animate beings was not prohibited but the prophet (sal) disliked it due to it reminding him of the worldly pleasures. If having images of animate beings was such a strict matter, the prophet (sal) would have not acted so leniently.
2. Ubaydullah ibn `Abdullah who narrated that he went to Abu Talhah Al-Ansary to visit him during his illness and found Sahl ibn Hunayf with him. Abu Talhah asked someone to remove a rug on the floor. Sahl asked: "Why do you (want to) remove it? He replied: Because it includes suras and I know what the Messenger of Allah (Sal) said about them (suras – i.e. the ruling on them). He said: Did he not say: “Except a design in a cloth”. He said, “Yes, but this is more comfortable for me.”
(Narrated in Musnad Ahmed, Nasai ,Tirmidhi-Imam Tirmidhi graded it as Hasan Sahih)
Narrated on the authority of Busr ibn Sa`id from Zayd ibn Khalid from Abu Talhah that the Prophet (Sal) stated: Angels do not enter a house in which there is a sura. Busr said, “Zayd then fell ill and we went to visit him but there was a curtain with a sura hanging at his door. I said to `Ubaydullah Al-Khawlany: the stepson of Maymunah – the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him): Did not Zayd tell us about (the ruling on) suras the day before? `Ubaydullah said: Did you not hear when he said: Except a design in a cloth.”
(Sahih Al Bukhari and Muslim- another hadith narrated on the authority of `Amr ibn Al-Harith from Bukayr Al-Ashaj from Busr that he said, “I said to `UbaydullahAl-Khawlani: Did he not tell us about (the ruling on) suras? He said: He said, “Except a design in a cloth. Did you not hear him?” I said: No and he said: He said, “He indeed did say that.” -This hadith was also narrated in Bukhari and Muslim).
This was how the sahaba understood this hadith when an image was on a curtain.
3. Some muslims who are blind followers of scholars use the famous fatwa of Shaikh Naseeruddin Al Albani
(Raheemahullah) to prove that photography and video making are also a form of making pictures of living beings. Shaikh Albani as a human being is prone to mistakes and it is up to the individual to use his/her brain to understand and differenciate between right and wrong. When the question asked that photography is not similar to drawing , Sheikh Albani responded by stating
"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)
By looking at the above fatwa it might seem to many that Shaikh Albani has a point. M akin g idols is different to making pictures.The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images not reflections do not come under this. As we look closer it will be clear to everyone that this argumant by Shaikh Nasir is wrong. Let me explain. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in arabic when photography was invented French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(سَيَّارَةٌ). Now in modern day coloquial arabic the word "SayYaara"(سَيَّارَةٌ)
refers to a car. Allah says in th Quran:
"وَجَاءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُواْ وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَى دَلْوَهُ قَالَ"
"And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer"
(12:19)
In the abobe verse , "SayYara"(سَيَّارَةٌ) means a caravan but in modern coloquial arabic means "Qafila"(قافلة). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
(From the above image it could be understood that the image is captured through a lense and is bounced with the help of a mirror. This same mechanism of reflection is similar to that of a mirror and it also exists in digital cameras in mobile and other devices as well. A reflection cannot be compared to a hand drawn image).
Now coming back to Shaikh Albani's argument of an idol making machine with the push of a button, this has nothing to do with taking pictures bacause taking pictures is done using reflection mechanisms similar to a mirror which is not haram in Islam. The push button example is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making and image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the oppoite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a hand made drawing or a reflection? or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way?. A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons.