The Ruling on Video Recording
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Now people have expanded the issue of video recording to the point where they have filmed women and girls who are close to puberty, and this is sold even in recordings. Girls over ten years old are singing anthems on the pretext that this filming is permissible,And now in Islamic recordings there are images of some of the scholars who have passed away, such as Shaykh Ibn Baz, in video recordings. And we have heard that Shaykh Ibn Baz forbade filming and said: I do not allow anyone to film me,So what is your opinion, O Shaykh? Because when we discuss this issue with some of the brothers, he says: Are you more knowledgeable than Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen? He has permitted video filming. May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true that I permit video filming, and I have no objection to it. I also permit bread to be eaten by one who wants to have lunch, and I have no objection to that. Did you hear me, my brother? But if someone eats bread to help himself commit a forbidden act, it is not permissible. And if we permit filming, does that mean we permit it in every case?The questioner: This is how people understand it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Answer them.Tell them: The one who permitted this says: It is like other permissible things; if it contains a forbidden element, it becomes forbidden. For this reason, we forbid and strictly prohibit filming wedding parties, because women go out with the camera, and this is forbidden. In fact, I forbid filming women absolutely in video; because we do not feel safe that this woman might be beautiful.And each one who displays it to people says: Look! What do you say about this woman? She is the beauty queen.He said: No, there is a beauty queen better than her. Where is she? Look at the video you have. And so they play with women. So this is prohibited.
The questioner: Filming the dead, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Leave the filming of the dead. If they are digging the grave and filming, that is not permissible.
The questioner: I mean before his death?The Shaykh: This was filmed during his lifetime.But say: Displaying his image after his death is not filming the dead. I do not know of any harm in it, unless fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) is feared, like the people of Noah. This is prohibited. If it is feared, for example, that if this worshipper or scholar is filmed, it will remain as a memento for people, and he claims that whenever he is lazy in worship, he goes to look at his picture, this is forbidden without doubt, and it must be destroyed immediately.
The Shaykh : But if a person does not care about it and it does not matter to him, then there is nothing wrong with it.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true that I permit video filming, and I have no objection to it. I also permit bread to be eaten by one who wants to have lunch, and I have no objection to that. Did you hear me, my brother? But if someone eats bread to help himself commit a forbidden act, it is not permissible. And if we permit filming, does that mean we permit it in every case?The questioner: This is how people understand it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Answer them.Tell them: The one who permitted this says: It is like other permissible things; if it contains a forbidden element, it becomes forbidden. For this reason, we forbid and strictly prohibit filming wedding parties, because women go out with the camera, and this is forbidden. In fact, I forbid filming women absolutely in video; because we do not feel safe that this woman might be beautiful.And each one who displays it to people says: Look! What do you say about this woman? She is the beauty queen.He said: No, there is a beauty queen better than her. Where is she? Look at the video you have. And so they play with women. So this is prohibited.
The questioner: Filming the dead, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Leave the filming of the dead. If they are digging the grave and filming, that is not permissible.
The questioner: I mean before his death?The Shaykh: This was filmed during his lifetime.But say: Displaying his image after his death is not filming the dead. I do not know of any harm in it, unless fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) is feared, like the people of Noah. This is prohibited. If it is feared, for example, that if this worshipper or scholar is filmed, it will remain as a memento for people, and he claims that whenever he is lazy in worship, he goes to look at his picture, this is forbidden without doubt, and it must be destroyed immediately.
The Shaykh : But if a person does not care about it and it does not matter to him, then there is nothing wrong with it.