Why Taking Pictures of Your Face is Halal with Brilliant Proofs
C.J Ahmed-04.04.2023
Taking pictures of your face is photography and there is nothing haram in taing photographs.
Analyzing the arguments of those who oppose photography
The argument of making photography is based on the hadiths prohibiting of making images of living souls. The prophet(sal) said:
"Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The prophet (sal) said :
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet (sal) said:
"The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
These are some of the many narrations mentioning the prohibition of making the pictures of living souls. From these hadiths it is clear that drawing the images of animate objects such as humans or animals. Now this same argument is used to view photography and video making as also the same as making animate objects hence it's thought to haram. Before answering this argument let me make it clear that the animate objects that do not have a head or face or is diformed is not an animate object. This is based on the following hadiths.
Al-Ismaa’eeli narrated in his Mu’jam from Ibn ‘Abbaas (Rali) that the Prophet (Sal) said: “The image is the head; if the head is cut off then there is no image.”
(Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami)
Abu Hurayrah (Rali) said: Jibreel (peace be upon him) asked permission to enter upon the Prophet (Sal) and he said, “Come in.” He said: How can I come in when in your house there is a curtain on which there are images? Either cut off their heads or make it a rug that is stepped on, for we angels do not enter a house in which there are images.
(An Nasai-authenticated by Albani in Sahih An Nasai)
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 hand made 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.
Taking pictures of your face is photography and there is nothing haram in taing photographs.
Analyzing the arguments of those who oppose photography
The argument of making photography is based on the hadiths prohibiting of making images of living souls. The prophet(sal) said:
"Those who will be most severely punished by Allaah on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
The prophet (sal) said :
'Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'"
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
Ali (Rali) said:
"Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it."
(Sahih Muslim and Nasai)
Ibn Abbas(Rali) Narrated that the prophet (sal) said:
"Every image-maker will be in the Fire, and for every image that he made a soul will be created for him, which will be punished in the Fire." Ibn 'Abbaas said: "If you must do that, make pictures of trees and other inanimate objects."
(Sahih Muslim)
The Prophet (sal) said:
"The angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or pictures."
(Sahih Al Bukhari)
These are some of the many narrations mentioning the prohibition of making the pictures of living souls. From these hadiths it is clear that drawing the images of animate objects such as humans or animals. Now this same argument is used to view photography and video making as also the same as making animate objects hence it's thought to haram. Before answering this argument let me make it clear that the animate objects that do not have a head or face or is diformed is not an animate object. This is based on the following hadiths.
Al-Ismaa’eeli narrated in his Mu’jam from Ibn ‘Abbaas (Rali) that the Prophet (Sal) said: “The image is the head; if the head is cut off then there is no image.”
(Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami)
Abu Hurayrah (Rali) said: Jibreel (peace be upon him) asked permission to enter upon the Prophet (Sal) and he said, “Come in.” He said: How can I come in when in your house there is a curtain on which there are images? Either cut off their heads or make it a rug that is stepped on, for we angels do not enter a house in which there are images.
(An Nasai-authenticated by Albani in Sahih An Nasai)
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 hand made 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.