The Ruling on Filming Children on Video for the Sake of Remembrance

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Question:
What is the ruling on filming children on video on the pretext that they are young, so that they may remember their situations after they grow up?

Answer:
Filming is forbidden for both the young and the old; it is forbidden to film those that possess souls. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Everyone who makes representations of things will go to hell, and for every representation he has made there will be produced a soul which will punish him in jahannam.

كل مصور في النار يجعل له بكل صورة صورها نفس يعذب بها في جهنم

Mishkat al-Masabih 4498

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And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

the most grievously tormented people on the Day of Resurrection would be the painters of pictures

أشد الناس عذابا يوم القيامة المصورون

Sahih Muslim 2109a

. Filming is forbidden for those that possess souls, whether young or old. The only exception is what is done out of necessity, such as necessary filming for an ID card or a passport; this has become a necessity. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:

while He has explained in detail to you what He has forbidden you, excepting that to which you are compelled

وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُم مَّا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ

[Al-An'am 6:119]

. This falls under the category of necessity. As for one who films for the sake of memories, or films out of a love for images and arts, that is forbidden. In this there is punishment, there is a curse, there is the anger of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and there are various types of warnings. Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-109-ولا تنازعوا فتفشلوا|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (43:28)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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