The Ruling on Photographing Old Buildings and Mosques
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Is it permissible to photograph old houses or mosques, given that the house is seen by the young people who are in charge of the old houses and dwellings?
Answer:
The default ruling is that it is permissible to photograph things that have no life, such as trees, seas, buildings, cars, and the circumambulating people. Everything that has no life is permissible to photograph, because the forbidden photography is the photography of living creatures. However, if the intention behind this photography is to revive the monuments, as they say, and to revere the monuments, then it is not permissible, even if they are palaces, castles, or houses, because this leads to people revering these things and attaching themselves to them, even in the long run. Yes.
If the photography of these things is merely for the scenery, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is a matter of revering these monuments and these things, then it is not permissible.
Is it permissible to photograph old houses or mosques, given that the house is seen by the young people who are in charge of the old houses and dwellings?
Answer:
The default ruling is that it is permissible to photograph things that have no life, such as trees, seas, buildings, cars, and the circumambulating people. Everything that has no life is permissible to photograph, because the forbidden photography is the photography of living creatures. However, if the intention behind this photography is to revive the monuments, as they say, and to revere the monuments, then it is not permissible, even if they are palaces, castles, or houses, because this leads to people revering these things and attaching themselves to them, even in the long run. Yes.
If the photography of these things is merely for the scenery, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is a matter of revering these monuments and these things, then it is not permissible.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، كتاب البيوع : باب شروطه وما نهي عنه منه — islamhouse.com (58:34)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.
