The Shaykh's remarks on the reason for the prohibition of images
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The Shaykh: I hope that I do not miss the opportunity to remind you that the claim that this hadith indicates that the reason for the prohibition of image-making is imitation is a claim that is not accepted. We say: this hadith indicates that imitation is a reason, but it does not indicate that imitation is the reason. I hope you are with me in distinguishing between the two. Consequently, we cannot deny a reason that the scholars derived from studying the history of the nations that existed before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), some of which are mentioned in certain verses of the Qur'an, and that images and statues were among the causes of their misguidance and deviation from the oneness of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the oneness of worship. All of you remember with me the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat Nuh: [Nuh 71:23-24]. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, and as you know, he is the interpreter of the Qur'an, as in "Sahih al-Bukhari" and "Tafsir Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi" and others: These five were righteous worshippers of Allah. When they died, they buried them in the courtyards of their houses. A period of time passed, and then Satan came to them and inspired them that if these people remained like this = -- in the name of Allah -- = their memory might fade and their legacy be lost. And as you know, they were among the righteous worshippers of Allah; therefore, I advise you to make statues for them. They complied and placed them in a location. Instead of visiting their graves, they began to visit their statues. Then the third generation came, and he inspired them that it is incumbent upon you to place them in places befitting their righteousness and sanctity, and so on. And thus he led them from visiting graves to what? Worshipping these five. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent, as you know, Noah and called them to worship Allah alone, having no partner. Their response was that they covenanted with one another [Nuh 71:23] and so on.
So there is another reason derived from the reality of the nations and from this noble verse, which is that it is a cause for associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the shirk of worship, major shirk. And a third and final point: the scholars of knowledge and jurisprudence know that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) prohibits some things not because they are forbidden in themselves, but because they may lead to something forbidden. And as you know, this is called the chapter of blocking the means to harm. One of the clearest examples of this, after His saying (the Exalted):[An-Nur 24:30], and His saying: [An-Nur 24:31], is His saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . So what was mentioned in the hadith before the private parts was prohibited out of fear of reaching the greatest sin. This is from the chapter of blocking the means to harm. Otherwise, if a man looks at a woman, he does not harm her and does not harm himself immediately. But as that poet, Shawqi, said:
"A glance, then a smile, then a greeting *** Then speech, then an appointment, then a meeting"
So it is sufficient for us to prohibit these photographic images, and all this is after leniency, regardless of what was previously explained. But this is an image and this is an image, just as images previously were of various types and forms, images of animals, images of humans, and so on. So they were all prohibited out of fear that they would lead to associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Likewise, it should be said that these images, even if we assume there is no imitation in them, even if we assume there is no harm like the harm you excepted in your question, which no one can deny, even if we assume there is no harm, but from the chapter of blocking the means to harm, as the Wise Lawgiver did before, we say, applying this rule which no one can deny, that these images are forbidden except for what was previously excepted. This is what I have as an answer to this question. Perhaps you are satisfied, so we can make room, since the professor here says he might be traveling in two days.
The student : One last question.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student : One last question.
The Shaykh: Please go ahead. Especially since you are traveling at ten o'clock.
The student: Ten in the morning or ten in the evening?
The Shaykh: No, in the evening.
(23) And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr. (24) And already they have misled many.
وَقَالُوا لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَلَا تَذَرُنَّ وَدًّا وَلَا سُوَاعًا وَلَا يَغُوثَ وَيَعُوقَ وَنَسْرًا * وَقَدْ أَضَلُّوا كَثِيرًاNever leave your gods
لَا تَذَرُنَّ آلِهَتَكُمْSo there is another reason derived from the reality of the nations and from this noble verse, which is that it is a cause for associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the shirk of worship, major shirk. And a third and final point: the scholars of knowledge and jurisprudence know that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) prohibits some things not because they are forbidden in themselves, but because they may lead to something forbidden. And as you know, this is called the chapter of blocking the means to harm. One of the clearest examples of this, after His saying (the Exalted):
Tell the believing men to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts
قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْAnd tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts
وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّIt has been decreed for the son of Adam his share of adultery; it will overtake him inevitably. The eye commits adultery, and its adultery is looking. The ear commits adultery, and its adultery is listening. The hand commits adultery, and its adultery is touching. The foot commits adultery, and its adultery is walking. And the private parts confirm all of this or deny it.
كُتِبَ على ابن آدم حظُّه من الزنا ؛ فهو مدركه لا محالة ، فالعين تزني وزناها النظر ، والأذن وزناها السمع ، واليد تزني وزناها البطش ، والرجل تزني وزناها المشي ، والفرج يصدِّق ذلك كلَّه أو يكذِّبه"A glance, then a smile, then a greeting *** Then speech, then an appointment, then a meeting"
So it is sufficient for us to prohibit these photographic images, and all this is after leniency, regardless of what was previously explained. But this is an image and this is an image, just as images previously were of various types and forms, images of animals, images of humans, and so on. So they were all prohibited out of fear that they would lead to associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Likewise, it should be said that these images, even if we assume there is no imitation in them, even if we assume there is no harm like the harm you excepted in your question, which no one can deny, even if we assume there is no harm, but from the chapter of blocking the means to harm, as the Wise Lawgiver did before, we say, applying this rule which no one can deny, that these images are forbidden except for what was previously excepted. This is what I have as an answer to this question. Perhaps you are satisfied, so we can make room, since the professor here says he might be traveling in two days.
The student : One last question.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The student : One last question.
The Shaykh: Please go ahead. Especially since you are traveling at ten o'clock.
The student: Ten in the morning or ten in the evening?
The Shaykh: No, in the evening.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.