Pictures are Forbidden In Islam

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu

The prohibition of image-making (tasweer) of everything which has a soul - without consideration as to whether it iis human or otherwise.
Photographs which are essential are permitted - such as those required for identity documents, or for identifying or pursuing criminals [e.g. "wanted" posters and the like - translator's note], or for educational purposes which cannot be achieved otherwise. The principle in sharee'ah is that we should not exaggerate about what is necessary.

The basic principle concerning making pictures of any animate being, whether it is a human or any animal, is that it is haraam, whether the pictures are three-dimensional or are drawn on paper, cloth or walls, etc., or are photographs (taken with a camera), because of the reports in the saheeh ahaadeeth which state that that is not allowed, and threaten the one who does that with a painful torment, and because they may lead to shirk in the form of standing respectfully before them, humbling oneself before them, drawing close to them and venerating them in a manner that is only befitting for Allaah. They are also forbidden because this is a kind of trying to match the creation of Allaah, and because of the temptation inherent in some of them, such as pictures of actresses and women etc

Punishment For Making Pictures
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.110 Narrated byAisha
(the wife of the Prophet) I bought a cushion having on it pictures (of animals). When Allah's Apostle saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter. I noticed the sign of disapproval on his face and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I repent to Allah and His Apostle. What sin have I committed?' Allah's Apostle said. "What is this cushion?" I said, "I have bought it for you so that you may sit on it and recline on it." Allah's Apostle said, "The makers of these pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them, 'Give life to what you have created (i.e., these pictures).' " The Prophet added, "The Angels of (Mercy) do not enter a house in which there are pictures (of animals)."

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 8.130 Narrated byAisha
The Prophet entered upon me while there was a curtain having pictures (of animals) in the house. His face got red with anger, and then he got hold of the curtain and tore it into pieces. The Prophet said, "Such people as paint these pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection ."


'Bring To life What You Have Created'
Al-Muwatta Hadith 54.8
Pictures and Images
Malik related to me from Nafi from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that she bought a cushion which had pictures on it. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw it, he stopped at the door and did not enter. She recognised disapproval on his face and said, "Messenger of Allah, I turn in repentance to Allah and His Messenger. What have I done wrong?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What is the meaning of this cushion?" She said, "I bought it for you to sit and recline on." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Those who make such pictures will be punished on the Day of Rising. It will be said to them, 'Bring to life what you have created'. Then he said, 'The angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures.' "


Make Pictures Of Trees And Any Other Unanimated Objects Is Permissible
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 3.428 Narrated bySaid bin Abu Al Hasan
While I was with Ibn 'Abbas a man came and said, "O father of 'Abbas! My sustenance is from my manual profession and I make these pictures." Ibn 'Abbas said, "I will tell you only what I heard from Allah's Apostle. I heard him saying, 'Whoever makes a picture will be punished by Allah till he puts life in it, and he will never be able to put life in it.' " Hearing this, that man heaved a sigh and his face turned pale. Ibn 'Abbas said to him, "What a pity! If you insist on making pictures I advise you to make pictures of trees and any other unanimated objects."
*Note:Picture making profession is haraam,Photographs are haraam


Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.419 Narrated byAisha
Um Habiba and Um Salama mentioned about a church they had seen in Ethiopia in which there were pictures. They told the Prophet about it, on which he said, "If any religious man dies amongst those people they would build a place of worship at his grave and make these pictures in it. They will be the worst creature in the sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection."


The Picture Of Abraham
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 4.570 Narrated byIbn Abbas
The Prophet entered the Ka'ba and found in it the pictures of (Prophet) Abraham and Mary. On that he said' "What is the matter with them ( i.e. Quraish)? They have already heard that angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures; yet this is the picture of Abraham. And why is he depicted as practicing divination by arrows?"

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 4.571 Narrated byIbn Abbas
When the Prophet saw pictures in the Ka'ba, he did not enter it till he ordered them to be erased. When he saw (the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael carrying the arrows of divination, he said, "May Allah curse them (i.e. the Quraish)! By Allah, neither Abraham nor Ishmael practiced divination by arrows."


Pictures On Curtain,Terrace
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.842 Narrated byAnas
Aisha had a thick curtain (having pictures on it) and she screened the side of her house with it. The Prophet said to her, "Remove it from my sight, for its pictures are still coming to my mind in my prayers."

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.371 Narrated byAnas
'Aisha had a Qiram (a thin marked woolen curtain) with which he had screened one side of her home. The Prophet said, "Take away this Qiram of yours, as its pictures are still displayed in front of me during my prayer (i.e. they divert my attention from the prayer)."

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.838 Narrated byAisha
Allah's Apostle returned from a journey when I had placed a curtain of mine having pictures over (the door of) a chamber of mine. When Allah's Apostle saw it, he tore it and said, "The people who will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection will be those who try to make the like of Allah's creations." So we turned it (i.e., the curtain) into one or two cushions.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 3.659 Narrated byAl Qasim
'Aisha said that she hung a curtain decorated with pictures (of animals) on a cupboard. The Prophet tore that curtain and she turned it into two cushions which remained in the house for the Prophet to sit on.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.834 Narrated byMuslim
We were with Masruq at the house of Yasar bin Numair. Masruq saw pictures on his terrace and said, "I heard 'Abdullah saying that he heard the Prophet saying, "The people who will receive the severest punishment from Allah will be the picture makers.' "

Angels Do Not Enter A House
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.833 Narrated byAbu Talha
The Prophet said, "Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or there are pictures."

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 5276 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Angels do not enter the house in which there are portrayals or pictures.


Cursed The Makers Of Pictures
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.259 Narrated byAbu Juhaifa
The Prophet cursed the lady who practices tattooing and the one who gets herself tattooed, and one who eats (takes) Riba' (usury) and the one who gives it. And he prohibited taking the price of a dog, and the money earned by prostitution, and cursed the makers of pictures.

Making Cushions From That

Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 5262 Narrated byAisha
Aisha had a cloth having pictures upon it and it was hanging upon the shelf and Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Take it (away) from me (from my sight), so I removed it and made cushions from that.

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4146 Narrated byAbuHurayrah
The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to me and said: I came to you last night and was prevented from entering simply because there were images at the door, for there was a decorated curtain with images on it in the house, and there was a dog in the house. So order the head of the image which is in the house to be cut off so that it resembles the form of a tree; order the curtain to be cut up and made into two cushions spread out on which people may tread; and order the dog to be turned out. The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) then did so. The dog belonged to al-Hasan or al-Husayn and was under their couch. So he ordered it to be turned out.

Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 4.449 Narrated byBusr bin Said
That Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani narrated to him something in the presence of Said bin 'Ubaidullah Al-Khaulani who was brought up in the house of Maimuna the wife of the Prophet. Zaid narrated to them that Abu Talha said that the Prophet said, "The Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a picture." Busr said, "Later on Zaid bin Khalid fell ill and we called on him. To our surprise we saw a curtain decorated with pictures in his house. I said to Ubaidullah Al-Khaulani, "Didn't he (i.e. Zaid) tell us about the (prohibition of) pictures?" He said, "But he excepted the embroidery on garments. Didn't you hear him?" I said, "No." He said, "Yes, he did."

*Note:Here the intended meaning (of this exception) is if the designs (ar-raqm) are in a cloth or something similar, which is laid out on the floor and in a degraded position. This is like the pillow which is in a degraded/lowly position [sat upon or leaned on] as has been pointed out in the Hadeeth of 'Aa'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) previously mentioned her cutting up the curtain and making one or two pillows from it.[ Also, the Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) and in it the saying of Jibreel (Gabriel) to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):" So, order that the head of the image /statue (timthaal) which is in the house be cut off, so that it may become like the form of a tree; and order that the curtain be cut up and made into two pillows laid out, on which people walk... The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then did so..." .] such as images in carpets and pillows which have semi pictures just like ummul mumineen ‘s made cushions which had pictures which which divided parts of animated creatures.

So, whenever it is possible to show agreement or reconciliation between various ahaadith, in a manner which is suitable, without stretching their meanings, it becomes obligatory to do so.


Al-Muwatta Hadith
Hadith 54.7
Pictures and Images
Malik related to me from Abu'n-Nasr that Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud went to visit Abu Talha al-Ansari when he was ill. He said, "I found Sahl ibn Hunayf with him. Abu Talha summoned a man and removed a rug which was under him. Sahl ibn Hunayf said to him, 'Why did you remove it?' He said, 'Because there were pictures on it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said what you know about them.' Sahl replied, 'Didn't the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "except for markings on a garment?"' (A rug was considered a garment). He said, 'Yes, but it is more pleasing to myself.' "


Do Not Leave A Picture Without Obliterating It.
Sahih Muslim HadithHadith 2115 Narrated byAli ibn AbuTalib
AbulHayyaj al-Asadi told that Ali ibn AbuTalib said to him: Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) sent me? Do not leave an image without obliterating it, or a high grave without levelling it. This hadith has been reported by Habib with the same chain of transmitters and he said: (do not leave) a picture without obliterating it.


So keep your duty to Allaah and fear Him as much as you can…" [al-Taghaabun 64:16
1- Those that are hung up to be venerated and respected, as in the case of pictures of kings, presidents, ministers, scholars etc. This is haraam because it involves exaggeration about a created being.
2- Those that are hung up for the sake of memory, such as hanging up pictures of one's friends.
3- Those that are hung up for the purpose of adornment
4- Those that are treated with disrespect, such as images in carpets and pillows which have semi pictures just like ummul mumineen ‘s made cushions which had pictures which which divided parts of animated creatures.[just a face is also not permitted unless and until in dire need] Hadeeth of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) indicates that an image is permissible to be kept in the house if and when its head is cut off. This is so because it would then be in the form or shape of a tree.head was cut off ,while the body appeared like tree.it was not done vice verse and head is not allowed.
5- Those that have unfortunately become widespread and are difficult to avoid, such as images engraved on coins etc which have become a problem for the Muslim ummah. It seems to me that there is no sin on the one who acquires these without wanting to acquire images.
6. There is nothing wrong if pictures taken at the scene of the accident include people who are not involved. But if the pictures are taken by someone using his own camera, in order to keep the pictures for himself, then this is not allowed. It is haraam not in and of itself, but because of the purpose, which is to keep the pictures for himself with no need to do so. The reason why you are taking the pictures, on the other hand, is for a legitimate and necessary purpose.
7.Pictures of patients to study diseases taken -If this is done with the knowledge of the patient and serves the interests of all, there is nothing wrong with it. But if it is done without the patent’s consent, then it is not allowed.
If the image is originally incomplete, such as a head-and-shoulders picture, etc., and there is removed from the picture that without which is could not live, then it may be understood from the comments of many of the fuqahaa’ that this is permissible, especially if there is a need for such partial pictures. Whatever the case, one has to fear Allaah as much as one can, and avoid that which Allaah and His Messenger have forbidden.
8) Drawings of inanimate objects and plants are halal except if they are used for shirk. That is, if you draw a picture of a tree with the intention of worshiping the picture of the tree, then that is haram. But otherwise it is halal.
9) Drawings of animate objects such as animals and humans are in general considered to be haram with the following exceptions:a) If the image is partial or incomplete and not a full-body image, then this is halalb) If the facial features of the image have been erased even if it is a full-body image, then this is halal
10) Photography and drawings both come under category of picture making.
Allah knows best.

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