What is the ruling on selling and buying masks in the form of images used for play and frightening others?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, there are now masks in the form of images...
The Shaykh : In the form of what?
The questioner : In the form of images, scary masks that are sold in shops.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : People buy them and wear them; is there anything wrong with that?
The Shaykh : For what purpose?
The questioner : They wear them to frighten people, to scare them, and to terrify them.
The Shaykh : I see that these masks are forbidden, whether selling them, buying them, keeping them, or using them, because they are a waste of money with absolutely no benefit, and anything that has no benefit is forbidden to spend money on, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the waste of money.
Secondly, they are distorted and terrifying; they frighten children and leave this terrifying image in the child's imagination until he dies, unless Allah wills otherwise. Therefore, I do not see it as permissible; I see it as prohibited. It is not permissible for a person to buy them, sell them, keep them, or use them. Yes.
The Shaykh : In the form of what?
The questioner : In the form of images, scary masks that are sold in shops.
The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The questioner : People buy them and wear them; is there anything wrong with that?
The Shaykh : For what purpose?
The questioner : They wear them to frighten people, to scare them, and to terrify them.
The Shaykh : I see that these masks are forbidden, whether selling them, buying them, keeping them, or using them, because they are a waste of money with absolutely no benefit, and anything that has no benefit is forbidden to spend money on, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the waste of money.
Secondly, they are distorted and terrifying; they frighten children and leave this terrifying image in the child's imagination until he dies, unless Allah wills otherwise. Therefore, I do not see it as permissible; I see it as prohibited. It is not permissible for a person to buy them, sell them, keep them, or use them. Yes.