What is the ruling on filming living beings with video?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. What is the ruling on filming living beings with a video camera?
The Shaykh : If it is for a need, there is no harm; or if it is for a benefit. If it is for a need, such as a person showing us proof of an incident and filming it with video, or for a benefit, such as filming useful things for his children instead of television, because many people now use video to film things that entertain the young and prevent them from watching television and the harm in it. As for anything other than that, it is a waste of money and a waste of time. It is a waste of money because these tapes have value, and displaying them on the screen also has an electrical value, meaning it consumes electricity. Then it is also a waste of time. Do you understand now? Accordingly, if there is a religious benefit, it becomes a required matter, just as if we wanted to film a lecturer who is lecturing on a legal matter, guiding and directing the people; this would be good. Yes.
The Shaykh : If it is for a need, there is no harm; or if it is for a benefit. If it is for a need, such as a person showing us proof of an incident and filming it with video, or for a benefit, such as filming useful things for his children instead of television, because many people now use video to film things that entertain the young and prevent them from watching television and the harm in it. As for anything other than that, it is a waste of money and a waste of time. It is a waste of money because these tapes have value, and displaying them on the screen also has an electrical value, meaning it consumes electricity. Then it is also a waste of time. Do you understand now? Accordingly, if there is a religious benefit, it becomes a required matter, just as if we wanted to film a lecturer who is lecturing on a legal matter, guiding and directing the people; this would be good. Yes.