Why it is Not Haram to Take Pictures of Food
C.J Ahmed-16.05.2023
Taking pictures or selfies in a restaurant or at your favorite diner is a common thing among people nowadays. The basic principal in Islam is that photography is not haram hence taking pictures of food is not haram.
The wrong argument that the drawn image and photography is the same thing.
Some muslims who are blind followers of scholars use the famous fatwa of Shaikh Naseeruddin Al Albani
(Raheemahullah) to prove that photography and video making are also a form of making pictures of living beings. Shaikh Albani as a human being is prone to mistakes and it is up to the individual to use his/her brain to understand and differenciate between right and wrong. When the question asked that photography is not similar to drawing , Sheikh Albani responded by stating
"Those who say that photography is permitted have “frozen” the meaning of the word “tasweer,” restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is “tasweer” or “picture-making” in every sense – linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?”
(Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albaani, p. 38)
By looking at the above fatwa it might seem to many that Shaikh Albani has a point. M akin g idols is different to making pictures.The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images not reflections do not come under this. As we look closer it will be clear to everyone that this argumant by Shaikh Nasir is wrong. Let me explain. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in arabic when photography was invented French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(). Now in modern day coloquial arabic the word "SayYaara"()
refers to a car. Allah says in th Quran:
""
"And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer"
(12:19)
In the abobe verse , "SayYara"() means a caravan but in modern coloquial arabic means "Qafila"(). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
(From the above image it could be understood that the image is captured through a lense and is bounced with the help of a mirror. This same mechanism of reflection is similar to that of a mirror and it also exists in digital cameras in mobile and other devices as well. A reflection cannot be compared to a hand drawn image).
Now coming back to Shaikh Albani's argument of an idol making machine with the push of a button, this has nothing to do with taking pictures bacause taking pictures is done using reflection mechanisms similar to a mirror which is not haram in Islam. The push button example is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making and image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the oppoite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a handmade drawing or a reflection? or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way? A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons. The above explanation clearly proves beyond doubt that photography and making videos of animate beings is allowed in Islam.
There is nothing prohibited in taking pictures of food.
Taking pictures or selfies in a restaurant or at your favorite diner is a common thing among people nowadays. The basic principal in Islam is that photography is not haram hence taking pictures of food is not haram.
The wrong argument that the drawn image and photography is the same thing.
Some muslims who are blind followers of scholars use the famous fatwa of Shaikh Naseeruddin Al Albani
(Raheemahullah) to prove that photography and video making are also a form of making pictures of living beings. Shaikh Albani as a human being is prone to mistakes and it is up to the individual to use his/her brain to understand and differenciate between right and wrong. When the question asked that photography is not similar to drawing , Sheikh Albani responded by stating
"Those who say that photography is permitted have “frozen” the meaning of the word “tasweer,” restriciting it only to the meaning known at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and not adding the meaning of photography, which is “tasweer” or “picture-making” in every sense – linguistic, legal, and in its harmful effects, and as is clear from the definition mentioned above. Years ago, I said to one of them, By the same token, you could allow idols which have not been carved but have been made by pressing a button on some machine that turns out idols by the dozen. What do you say to that?”
(Aadaab al-Zafaaf by al-Albaani, p. 38)
By looking at the above fatwa it might seem to many that Shaikh Albani has a point. M akin g idols is different to making pictures.The word tasweer that was explained and forbidden in the hadiths are hand drawn images not reflections do not come under this. As we look closer it will be clear to everyone that this argumant by Shaikh Nasir is wrong. Let me explain. Linguistically speaking, there was no word in arabic when photography was invented French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in the 1920's so the same word used for a drawn image was given to the photograph as soora.
The word for the caravan in the Quran is "SayYaara"(). Now in modern day coloquial arabic the word "SayYaara"()
refers to a car. Allah says in th Quran:
""
"And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer"
(12:19)
In the abobe verse , "SayYara"() means a caravan but in modern coloquial arabic means "Qafila"(). Now, imagine if someone argues that the word "SayYara" in the Quran also refers to the modern day Mercedes Benz will that argument hold water:? No because that would be foolish and it will change the real meaning in the Quran.
(From the above image it could be understood that the image is captured through a lense and is bounced with the help of a mirror. This same mechanism of reflection is similar to that of a mirror and it also exists in digital cameras in mobile and other devices as well. A reflection cannot be compared to a hand drawn image).
Now coming back to Shaikh Albani's argument of an idol making machine with the push of a button, this has nothing to do with taking pictures bacause taking pictures is done using reflection mechanisms similar to a mirror which is not haram in Islam. The push button example is similar to allowing a robot or a group of people drawing an image under your supervision which is haram. The push button example has to do with making and image and has nothing to do with a reflection. I therefore counter argue by saying if you push a button in a machine that only does reflect images similar to a mirror and produce an image then how can it be haram even if you had or not had physically got involved? Then someone could again counter argue by saying that the image in the mirror is not static It moves. My answer to that is, if you keep a mirror on the oppoite side of a dead corpse, then what will you call it a handmade drawing or a reflection? or if there is a mirror opposite a patient who is in coma and is not moving and the mirror is reflecting his entire body and if you seem to be near this patient how are you going to view this image in the mirror? are you going to throw away the mirror because it is reflecting the patient's body in a static way? A camera in other ways is an advanced form of a mirror which has many features with buttons. The above explanation clearly proves beyond doubt that photography and making videos of animate beings is allowed in Islam.
There is nothing prohibited in taking pictures of food.