The Ruling on Images and Image-Making

Question:
One of the listening sisters sent a message containing a large number of questions, totaling seventeen. Our sister asks about several issues, and we will try to distribute these questions across a series of episodes. In one of her questions, she asks: Are images and image-making forbidden?

Answer:
Yes, making images of beings with souls, whether from the children of Adam, or from livestock, or from birds, is not permissible. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And what is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Abu Juhayfa (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: It was narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih.
This indicates that image-making is one of the major sins, just as consuming riba (usury or interest) is one of the major sins. Likewise, tattooing is one of the major sins. This is what some people do by piercing their hand or cheek with a needle or the like; when the blood comes out, they smear it with some indigo or kohl or the like, so that a mark or mole remains on them. Some people do this, and it is an error, an abomination, and one of the major sins.
The conclusion is that image-makers are cursed by this authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they are among the most severely punished people on the Day of Resurrection, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. There are many hadiths on this matter. Therefore, it is obligatory for the Muslim to beware of image-making, whether the image is of his wife, his child, or someone else, or of an animal such as camels or cows, or of birds such as pigeons, hawks, or chickens, or the like. All of it is prohibited, all of it is forbidden.
Furthermore, if the image has a shadow and a body, this is forbidden by the consensus of the Muslims, due to these authentic hadiths. As for if it has no shadow, such as photographic imaging on paper or the like, this is also forbidden according to the majority of scholars, due to the generality of the hadiths indicating this. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to engage in any of this. There is no valid argument for those who permit photographic imaging; rather, it is a false statement with no basis. Thus, all image-making is prohibited, whether on paper, on boards, on clothing, on walls, or elsewhere, whether made of iron, wood, or the like.
It is obligatory to obliterate images if they are found, by cutting off their heads or erasing them completely. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith to 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) : And because he (peace and blessings be upon him), when he entered the Ka'bah in the Year of the Conquest, erased all the images in the Ka'bah, broke the idols, and took water and a cloth and wiped the images on the walls of the Ka'bah with it.
However, if a person is forced to have an image to obtain a passport, for example, or for other reasons where he has no choice and he is in need of it, such as a passport, an academic certificate, or a driver's license, or the like of what is required of him and from which he has no escape, then there is no blame on him if he obtains it out of dire necessity. He does not like it and does not approve of it, but it is due to the pressing need and dire necessity for this thing. And success is from Allah. Yes.