How is photography permissible in matters that are not necessary, such as job applications?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh. One of the young men is greatly troubled by the issue of photography.
The Shaykh : What is the issue?
The questioner : The issue of photography.
The Shaykh : Sculpting?
The questioner : Photography.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : He says that there are explicit hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibiting it, and that if it is permissible in cases of necessity, such as an ID card, how is it permissible in matters that may not be a necessity, such as job applications? He is confused and has many questions. We want you to elaborate on this topic, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no problem. In reality, there is no problem, because the photography in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) involved imitating the creation of Allah. They did not have devices that reflect and capture images. In the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they drew by hand, and the one who draws by hand is imitating the creation of Allah, because he is the one who, for example, determined the eye and depicted it, determined the nose, determined the lips, and so on. Thus, he is imitating the creation of Allah. Do you understand?
As for our present time, the photographer does not do this, nor does he draw with his hand. Rather, it is done by a device that reflects what is in front of it, whether it be men, animals, trees, or anything else, and the image is imprinted on it. But the human being has no role in designing it or shaping its eyes, lips, or nose. No, so it is not photography in any sense.
The questioner : It has become a problem for many people.
The Shaykh : There is absolutely no problem for you. Rely on Allah, but do not take it for the sake of play, mementos, or the like. However, if it is necessary for a person to enter school, for example, or to take a job that benefits the Muslims, or to travel for a need, then there is no problem with it.
Nowadays, people are not regulated except by the photograph. Otherwise, anyone could come to visit you and say, "I am so-and-so," when it is not him.
The questioner : But Shaykh, if the hadiths about photography were general and not restricted?
The Shaykh : It is not general. It is restricted to those who imitate the creation of Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Who made it?
The questioner : The jinn.
The Shaykh : A righteous people about whom we know nothing, because Allah said regarding the jinn: meaning: for Sulayman [Saba 34:13].
The Shaykh : What is the issue?
The questioner : The issue of photography.
The Shaykh : Sculpting?
The questioner : Photography.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : He says that there are explicit hadiths from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibiting it, and that if it is permissible in cases of necessity, such as an ID card, how is it permissible in matters that may not be a necessity, such as job applications? He is confused and has many questions. We want you to elaborate on this topic, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes, there is no problem. In reality, there is no problem, because the photography in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) involved imitating the creation of Allah. They did not have devices that reflect and capture images. In the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they drew by hand, and the one who draws by hand is imitating the creation of Allah, because he is the one who, for example, determined the eye and depicted it, determined the nose, determined the lips, and so on. Thus, he is imitating the creation of Allah. Do you understand?
As for our present time, the photographer does not do this, nor does he draw with his hand. Rather, it is done by a device that reflects what is in front of it, whether it be men, animals, trees, or anything else, and the image is imprinted on it. But the human being has no role in designing it or shaping its eyes, lips, or nose. No, so it is not photography in any sense.
The questioner : It has become a problem for many people.
The Shaykh : There is absolutely no problem for you. Rely on Allah, but do not take it for the sake of play, mementos, or the like. However, if it is necessary for a person to enter school, for example, or to take a job that benefits the Muslims, or to travel for a need, then there is no problem with it.
Nowadays, people are not regulated except by the photograph. Otherwise, anyone could come to visit you and say, "I am so-and-so," when it is not him.
The questioner : But Shaykh, if the hadiths about photography were general and not restricted?
The Shaykh : It is not general. It is restricted to those who imitate the creation of Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Another questioner: ...
The Shaykh : Who made it?
The questioner : The jinn.
The Shaykh : A righteous people about whom we know nothing, because Allah said regarding the jinn: