Photographing an orphan for the purpose of sponsorship
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Fatwa No. ( 19652 )
Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after that:
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from His Excellency the President of the al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah Charitable Society in Sudan, reference number (J\K\S\292) dated 29\4\1418 AH, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, reference number (916\A\D) dated 12\5\1418 AH. The inquirer asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah Charitable Society, as part of its charitable activities, sponsors orphans, acting as an intermediary between them and the benefactors. The Society receives only a negligible amount of money in return, but the aim of the work is to provide good to the children of Muslims who have lost their parents. The country is in a state of severe poverty, so they find no one to sponsor them except the righteous and generous people from outside the country, may Allah reward them with good, whether individuals or charitable organizations. Most of the organizations between which we act as intermediaries for the orphans have required us to receive a photograph of every orphan in order for the sponsorship to be completed. Some of the brothers have expressed reservations about this practice due to the prohibition of photography. Is it permissible for us, O Eminence of the Father, to order the orphans to bring photographs of themselves so that we can submit them to the entities that undertake the sponsorship? Please note that the sponsorship is not completed without this photograph, and these orphans are in need of these sums. Or is it not permissible? Please issue a ruling, and may you be rewarded.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee responded as follows: The established legal principle is that photographing beings with souls is not permissible based on the established evidence from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). An exception is made for what is necessitated by dire necessity, such as photographing criminals to identify and track them. From this, it becomes clear that it is not permissible for you to seek sponsorship for an orphan through a forbidden means. Allah the Exalted says:[At-Talaq 65:2-3], and He the Exalted says: [At-Talaq 65:3], and He, Mighty is He who says: [Al-Anfal 8:29] And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after that:
The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from His Excellency the President of the al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah Charitable Society in Sudan, reference number (J\K\S\292) dated 29\4\1418 AH, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, reference number (916\A\D) dated 12\5\1418 AH. The inquirer asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah Charitable Society, as part of its charitable activities, sponsors orphans, acting as an intermediary between them and the benefactors. The Society receives only a negligible amount of money in return, but the aim of the work is to provide good to the children of Muslims who have lost their parents. The country is in a state of severe poverty, so they find no one to sponsor them except the righteous and generous people from outside the country, may Allah reward them with good, whether individuals or charitable organizations. Most of the organizations between which we act as intermediaries for the orphans have required us to receive a photograph of every orphan in order for the sponsorship to be completed. Some of the brothers have expressed reservations about this practice due to the prohibition of photography. Is it permissible for us, O Eminence of the Father, to order the orphans to bring photographs of themselves so that we can submit them to the entities that undertake the sponsorship? Please note that the sponsorship is not completed without this photograph, and these orphans are in need of these sums. Or is it not permissible? Please issue a ruling, and may you be rewarded.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee responded as follows: The established legal principle is that photographing beings with souls is not permissible based on the established evidence from the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). An exception is made for what is necessitated by dire necessity, such as photographing criminals to identify and track them. From this, it becomes clear that it is not permissible for you to seek sponsorship for an orphan through a forbidden means. Allah the Exalted says:
And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect.
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا (2) وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَحْتَسِبُAnd whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him.
وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُO you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَتَّقُوا اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ فُرْقَانًا وَيُكَفِّرْ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.