What is the ruling on filming girls who are approaching puberty in video?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah preserve you: Nowadays, people have expanded, may Allah reward you, O Shaykh, in the matter of video filming.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The questioner : And they have even filmed women and girls who are close to puberty, and this is permissible even in recordings, O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : Strange, by Allah!
The questioner : I mean, girls over ten years old are reciting nasheeds, and on the pretext that this filming is permissible. And now, may Allah reward you, O Shaykh, in Islamic recordings, there are images of some of the deceased Shaykhs, such as Shaykh Ibn Baz, in video filming. And we have heard that Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) prohibited 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, they say, "Are you more knowledgeable than Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen? He has permitted video filming."
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true, I permit video filming, and I have no problem with it. And I permit bread to be eaten by one who wants to have lunch, and I have no problem with that. Did you hear, my brother?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, what if someone eats bread to help himself commit a forbidden act?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Well, if we permit photographic filming, does that mean we permit it in everything?
The questioner : This is what people say, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : No, I will teach you how to respond to them. Respond to them by saying: The one who permitted this says that it is like other permissible things; if it contains something forbidden, it becomes forbidden. For this reason, we prohibit and are strict about filming wedding parties, because women go out with the camera, and this is forbidden. In fact, I prohibit filming women absolutely in video. Why? Because we do not feel safe that this woman is beautiful and everyone displays her to people on the tape, saying, "Look at this, and what do you say about this woman? This is the queen of beauty." Then another says, "No, there is another queen of beauty who is better than her. Where is she? Look at the video I have." And so they play with women. No, this is prohibited. Do you understand?
The questioner : Well, what about filming the dead, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Leave the filming of the dead. If he is digging his grave, filming it, this is not permissible.
The questioner : No, after his death.
The Shaykh : As for this, he was filmed in his lifetime, but you display his image after his death.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not filming the dead.
The questioner : Yes, displaying it after his death.
The Shaykh : I see no harm in it, unless fitnah is feared. If fitnah is feared, like the people of Noah, then it is prohibited. I mean, if it is feared, for example, that if this worshipper or scholar is filmed, it will remain as a reminder for people, and he will claim that whenever he is lazy in worship, he will look at his image. This is forbidden, there is no doubt in it, and it must be destroyed immediately. Yes. But if it is from the display of people who filmed it, and a person does not care about it or it does not matter to him, then there is nothing wrong with it.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
The questioner : And they have even filmed women and girls who are close to puberty, and this is permissible even in recordings, O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : Strange, by Allah!
The questioner : I mean, girls over ten years old are reciting nasheeds, and on the pretext that this filming is permissible. And now, may Allah reward you, O Shaykh, in Islamic recordings, there are images of some of the deceased Shaykhs, such as Shaykh Ibn Baz, in video filming. And we have heard that Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) prohibited 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, they say, "Are you more knowledgeable than Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen? He has permitted video filming."
The Shaykh : Yes, it is true, I permit video filming, and I have no problem with it. And I permit bread to be eaten by one who wants to have lunch, and I have no problem with that. Did you hear, my brother?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, what if someone eats bread to help himself commit a forbidden act?
The questioner : It is not permissible.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Well, if we permit photographic filming, does that mean we permit it in everything?
The questioner : This is what people say, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : No, I will teach you how to respond to them. Respond to them by saying: The one who permitted this says that it is like other permissible things; if it contains something forbidden, it becomes forbidden. For this reason, we prohibit and are strict about filming wedding parties, because women go out with the camera, and this is forbidden. In fact, I prohibit filming women absolutely in video. Why? Because we do not feel safe that this woman is beautiful and everyone displays her to people on the tape, saying, "Look at this, and what do you say about this woman? This is the queen of beauty." Then another says, "No, there is another queen of beauty who is better than her. Where is she? Look at the video I have." And so they play with women. No, this is prohibited. Do you understand?
The questioner : Well, what about filming the dead, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Leave the filming of the dead. If he is digging his grave, filming it, this is not permissible.
The questioner : No, after his death.
The Shaykh : As for this, he was filmed in his lifetime, but you display his image after his death.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not filming the dead.
The questioner : Yes, displaying it after his death.
The Shaykh : I see no harm in it, unless fitnah is feared. If fitnah is feared, like the people of Noah, then it is prohibited. I mean, if it is feared, for example, that if this worshipper or scholar is filmed, it will remain as a reminder for people, and he will claim that whenever he is lazy in worship, he will look at his image. This is forbidden, there is no doubt in it, and it must be destroyed immediately. Yes. But if it is from the display of people who filmed it, and a person does not care about it or it does not matter to him, then there is nothing wrong with it.