Illustrative images in school textbooks, scientific books, and magazines
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 2677 ):
Q2: What is the Muslim’s position regarding the illustrative images in school textbooks, scientific books, and beneficial Islamic magazines , given that these images are necessary for clarification and making understanding easier?
A2: Depicting beings with souls is absolutely forbidden; due to the generality of the hadiths that have been reported on this matter. They are not necessary for clarification in study, but rather they are among the supplementary matters for increasing clarification. There are other means of clarification by which one can do without images in teaching students and readers. People have passed through centuries without needing them in education and clarification, and yet they became stronger in knowledge and more accomplished than us. The omission of images in their studies did not harm them, nor did it diminish their understanding of what they sought, nor their time and philosophy in grasping and acquiring knowledge. Accordingly, it is not permissible for us to commit what Allah has forbidden, namely image-making, on the assumption that it is a necessity, when it is not a necessity, as reality testifies to its dispensability for many long centuries. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q2: What is the Muslim’s position regarding the illustrative images in school textbooks, scientific books, and beneficial Islamic magazines , given that these images are necessary for clarification and making understanding easier?
A2: Depicting beings with souls is absolutely forbidden; due to the generality of the hadiths that have been reported on this matter. They are not necessary for clarification in study, but rather they are among the supplementary matters for increasing clarification. There are other means of clarification by which one can do without images in teaching students and readers. People have passed through centuries without needing them in education and clarification, and yet they became stronger in knowledge and more accomplished than us. The omission of images in their studies did not harm them, nor did it diminish their understanding of what they sought, nor their time and philosophy in grasping and acquiring knowledge. Accordingly, it is not permissible for us to commit what Allah has forbidden, namely image-making, on the assumption that it is a necessity, when it is not a necessity, as reality testifies to its dispensability for many long centuries. And success is from Allah. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.