Answered by our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him –
Question:
What is the ruling in taking pictures by video in the masjid, and putting up an Islamic film in the masjid or (videoing) muhaadhraat (Islamic lectures)?
Answer:
Taking pictures of that which possess a soul is from the trials that the Muslims have been tested by, the one giving the lecture is taken a picture of, the one teaching is taken a picture of, and perhaps they come with devices of picture taking while the people are praying taraweeh, then they take their picture in this state, and then they spread this around, for what reason⁉️ They say: ” so that the people can see…” How strange this is⁉️
This is from shaytaan beautifying these evil deeds which it’s perpetrator has been promised with the curse (from Allah) in the hadeeth of Abu Juhayfah :
《”ولعن المصور”》
And may the curse be upon the picture taker.
And if the picture maker is cursed then it is not permissible for you to aid him in this major sin, Allah ﷻ says:
“وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ”
Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.
[Surat Al-Maaidah 2]
And the prophet ﷺ said:
«المؤمن للمؤمن كالبنيان يشد بعضه بعضًا»
“The believer to another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.”
[The hadeeth of Abu Musa reported by Al-Bukhari and muslim]
And he ﷺ said:
«المسلم أخو المسلم لا يظلمه ولا يسلمه ولا يخذله»
The Muslim is the brother of another muslim, so he should not oppress him, or hand him over (to shaytaan, or his own self which is inclined towards evil) or abandon him.
And from abandoning him is approving or encouraging him upon a mistake. And he ﷺ also said:
«لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه»
None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
This indulgement (in ones desires) in taking pictures by video or on a t.v or whatever is close to this, all of it is from the modern day approvals in which it is waajib (for someone) to be far away from, and audio tapes suffice (us) from it, (these) audio tapes the people listen to the speech which is in them and they benefit from them if the speech is beneficial, and (likewise) a book suffices (us) from it, the people will read and benefit, and the legislative means suffices from it.
So a person shouldn’t be exposed to sins under the name of d’awah to Allah ﷻ, for verily the ikwaan Al-muslimoon (the muslim brotherhood) and the likes of them from those who do not pursue the truth in regards to their religion, they encourage people to sins, and they claim that this is from the means of d’awah…and in reality sins harm the d’awah and they do no aid the d’awah ever, because Allah ﷻ is good and He does not accept that except which is good, and He ﷻ is the one that said:
“..وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ اللهُ مَنْ يَنصُرُهُ”
Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause).
[Surat Al-Hajj 40]
And the one that said:
“وَالَّذِينَ كَسَبُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ جَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ بِمِثْلِهَا وَتَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ”
And those who have earned evil deeds, the recompense of an evil deed is the like thereof, and humiliating disgrace will cover them…
[Surat Yunus 27]
وَاسْأَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لَا يَسْبِتُونَ ۙ لَا تَأْتِيهِمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبْلُوهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ
And ask them (O Muhammad ) about the town that was by the sea, when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them for they used to rebel. [Surat Al-A’raf 163]
(وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ)
And when a community among them said: “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?” (The preachers) said: “In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah.” [Surat Al-A’raf 164]
(فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ)
So when they forgot the reminding’s that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel (disobey Allah).
[Surat Al-A’raf 165]
Allah ﷻ did not save except those who forbidden evil amongst them. And Allah ﷻ said:
وَلَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمُ اللهُ وَعْدَهُ إِذْ تَحُسُّونَهُمْ بِإِذْنِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا فَشِلْتُمْ وَتَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ وَعَصَيْتُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا أَرَاكُمْ مَا تُحِبُّونَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الدُّنْيَا وَمِنْكُمْ مَنْ يُرِيدُ الآخِرَةَ
And Allah did indeed fulfil His Promise to you when you were killing them (your enemy) with His Permission; until (the moment) you lost your courage and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed after He showed you (of the booty) which you love. Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter.
[Surat Aal ‘Imraan 152]
Due to one sin (you see) what happened to them which Allah ﷻ has mentioned in this great Aayah, they were captured from whoever was captured from them, and killed whoever was killed amongst them as a shaheed and Allah ﷻ says:
“وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَتُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنْكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُمْ مُدْبِرِينَ”
…and on the Day of Hunain (battle) when you rejoiced at your great number but it availed you naught and the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for you, then you turned back in flight.
[Surat At-Tawbah 25]
And Allah ﷻ says:
“وَتِلْكَ الْقُرَى أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُوا وَجَعَلْنَا لِمَهْلِكِهِمْ مَوْعِدًا”
And these towns (population, ‘Ad, Thamud, etc.) We destroyed when they did wrong. And We appointed a fixed time for their destruction.
[Surat Al-Kahf 59]
And he ﷻ says:
“فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا”
But Fir’aun (Pharaoh) disobeyed the Messenger [Musa (Moses)], so We seized him with a severe punishment.
[Surat Al-Muzzammil 16]
…so take caution…take caution from sins Allahumusta’an.
Translated by Abu Huthayfah Saamy Al-hindy