If a person is convinced that image-making is not permissible, is it permissible for him to keep some pictures for the sake of memory, provided they are hidden from him?
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The Shaykh : A person is convinced that image-making is not permissible. Is it permissible for him to keep some old pictures for the sake of memory, given that he does not display them?
This question has become frequent, and it is a strange matter. If we are convinced that image-making is not permissible—neither acquiring it, nor making it, nor anything similar—why do we keep it in our homes, claiming it is for the sake of memory? This type of memory is not an Islamic memory; it is a disbeliever’s foreign memory. They deal with these models of memories by taking a trip, taking a picture of one person standing in front of a rock, and another in front of a tree. That is their memory. But the correct Islamic memory is mutual advice, mutual reminder in knowledge, and dealing with good, beautiful morals. This is the true memory, and this is what the Muslim benefits from. Therefore, I believe that every Muslim youth who has been afflicted in his time with this kind of disbeliever’s foreign memory and has kept pictures of his friends should hasten to tear them up and not keep them. Because keeping them is, at the very least, that he sees image-making as permissible. Even if he says, “I am convinced that image-making is forbidden,” this conviction, as it is said, “and every vessel overflows with what it contains”. If this conviction is true, he will hasten to tear up every picture he has, except for what is absolutely necessary. Some listeners do not understand; they tear up passports and IDs and the like, because you will be forced to add another necessity by having to take another picture... the first one. Necessities permit the prohibited, that is correct, but necessity is measured by its extent. And we know from the biography of the righteous predecessors, and upon them is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), despite the great difference between us and them. We lived in an Islamic atmosphere, and yet, unfortunately, we do not live in an Islamic atmosphere. As for them, they lived in a pre-Islamic age of ignorance, then Islam came to them and addressed many of the wrongs among them, including intoxicants. When the prohibition of intoxicants was revealed, what did he do with the intoxicants that were with them? They had bought them when they were in the category of permissibility and lawfulness. He poured them out until the roads in the city were flowing with intoxicants. No one among them said, “My brother, I did not know,” because he was excused, as there was no legal ruling at that time. As for image-making, one thousand and four hundred years ago, the rulings and hadiths from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) come to us in succession thatMishkat al-Masabih 4498 and then we live in a non-Islamic atmosphere, as I hinted at earlier, because Muslims do not know Islam; they do not know their religion. This was the case, then Allah guided whom He willed of the Muslim youth. They should improve their repentance, abandon all these pictures, and tear them up thoroughly, if they are truly convinced of their prohibition...
This question has become frequent, and it is a strange matter. If we are convinced that image-making is not permissible—neither acquiring it, nor making it, nor anything similar—why do we keep it in our homes, claiming it is for the sake of memory? This type of memory is not an Islamic memory; it is a disbeliever’s foreign memory. They deal with these models of memories by taking a trip, taking a picture of one person standing in front of a rock, and another in front of a tree. That is their memory. But the correct Islamic memory is mutual advice, mutual reminder in knowledge, and dealing with good, beautiful morals. This is the true memory, and this is what the Muslim benefits from. Therefore, I believe that every Muslim youth who has been afflicted in his time with this kind of disbeliever’s foreign memory and has kept pictures of his friends should hasten to tear them up and not keep them. Because keeping them is, at the very least, that he sees image-making as permissible. Even if he says, “I am convinced that image-making is forbidden,” this conviction, as it is said, “and every vessel overflows with what it contains”. If this conviction is true, he will hasten to tear up every picture he has, except for what is absolutely necessary. Some listeners do not understand; they tear up passports and IDs and the like, because you will be forced to add another necessity by having to take another picture... the first one. Necessities permit the prohibited, that is correct, but necessity is measured by its extent. And we know from the biography of the righteous predecessors, and upon them is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), despite the great difference between us and them. We lived in an Islamic atmosphere, and yet, unfortunately, we do not live in an Islamic atmosphere. As for them, they lived in a pre-Islamic age of ignorance, then Islam came to them and addressed many of the wrongs among them, including intoxicants. When the prohibition of intoxicants was revealed, what did he do with the intoxicants that were with them? They had bought them when they were in the category of permissibility and lawfulness. He poured them out until the roads in the city were flowing with intoxicants. No one among them said, “My brother, I did not know,” because he was excused, as there was no legal ruling at that time. As for image-making, one thousand and four hundred years ago, the rulings and hadiths from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) come to us in succession that