All praise is to Allah - the one who says in the hadeeth qudsee: “And who is more unjust than the one that goes creating the like of my creation”, and may the peace and blessing be upon the one that says: “Every picture-maker is in the Fire”, and upon his relatives and companions. As for what proceeds: Verily the one strongly abiding to his religion in these times lives in strangeness; this is in accordance to the Prophet’s (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) saying: “Islam started strange and will return to being strange as it began so طوبى (Dhoobaa) (from its meanings: tree in paradise, paradise itself or happiness etc.) is for the strangers” narrated by Muslim through Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه). If Anas (رضي الله عنه) would say in the period of the Taabi’ees – “Verily you indeed are performing actions that are insignificant in your sight than a string of hair, we would count it at the time of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) to be from the Muubiqaat – meaning the destructions” narrated by Al-Bukhaaree; then how is it in these times of ours?! The believer is required to leave off the doubts as a safeguard for his religion and to free himself from liability due to the Prophet’s (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) saying: “So he who guards against the doubts has made his religion and honor blameless, and the one that falls into the doubts has fallen into Haraam” agreed upon. Then how about a sinful-act whose evidences for its prohibition are evermore apparent in clarification?! From the sins whose evil has worsened and the people have belittled its danger is the fitnah of picturing those possessing souls from the (likes of) humans, birds and animals, more so with the presence of picture-making gadgets at the access of hands in mobile-phone devices and other than it. So what is the legislation’s ruling regarding it? What is the reason for its prohibition? Is there a difference between what possesses a shade and what doesnt have a shade? And is photographic picturing included in this prohibition? This is what you’ll be taking in these lines: Firstly: From the evidences of forbidding picturing those possessing souls and that it is from the Major sins A Major sin is: “Every sin that Allah-The Most High-has concluded it with the fire, wrath, curse, punishment…or a prescribed punishment in this worldly life” {Explanation of Saheeh Muslim (2/85)}. From the evidences of that (is): 1. By Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) said: “Verily the most severely punished people on the day of Judgment are the picture-makers.” Agreed Upon 2. By Aboo Juhayfah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) “cursed the picture-makers”. Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree 3. By Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) that a man came to him, so he said: O Abaa ‘Abbaas, I am a person whose livelihood is but only from his handiwork, and I indeed make these pictures. So Ibn ‘Abbaas said: I will not narrate to you except what I heard the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) saying. I heard him say: “Whosoever draws a picture; then verily Allah will punish him until he casts a soul into it (the picture) and he will never blow into it.” So the man immensely puffed-up and his face turned yellow. So he said: Woe unto you! If you refuse but to draw, then upon you is this tree – everything that doesn’t have in it a soul. Agreed upon Secondly: The reason for prohibiting the picturing of those possessing souls: 1. It is an imitation of the disbelievers: From ‘Aaishah (رضي الله عنها) that she said: when the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) became ill, some of his wives mentioned a church they’ve seen in the land of Habashah that is called Maariyah. Umm Salamah and Umm Habeebah (رضي الله عنهما) went to the land of Habashah, so they narrated from its beauty and the pictures in it, so he raised his head and said: “They are (people) who if a pious man dies from amongst them , they build upon his grave a place of worship, then they make those pictures in it. Those are the worst of creatures in the sight of Allah”. Agreed upon 2. It is an imitation of Allah in creation. (المضاهاة) means (المُشابهة) which is resemblance (An-Nihaayah by Ibn Al-Atheer). ‘Aaishah (رضي الله عنها) said: The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) came upon me while I was partitioned with a veil that contained pictures so his face color changed (became angry) then he pulled the veil and ripped it, he then said: “Verily the most severely punished people on the day of judgment are those that make resemblance with the creation of Allah” Agreed upon. In another narration: “So we tore it into a pillow or two”. So take the prophetic house as an example. 3. That the Angels don’t enter the house that contains pictures: By Abu Dalhah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) said: “The Angels don’t enter a house that has in it a picture” agreed upon. The pictures in the television are included in the pictures of those possessing souls that prevent the entering of the Angels, and (likewise) the framed photos for remembrance. Thirdly: The prohibition is general for all pictures, even if it doesnt have a shade: 1. The Hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) “when he saw the pictures in the house, he didn’t enter until he commanded regarding it, so it was erased.” Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree. 2. By Abu Al-Hayyaaj Al-Asadee that he said: ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (رضي الله عنه) said to me: shall I not send you with what the Messenger of Allah (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) sent me with?!“That you do not leave a picture except that you erase it, and don’t leave a built-up grave except that you level it” narrated by Muslim. The sculptures (however) aren’t wiped out nor erased rather they are demolished.” Ibn Al-‘Arabee said: “The summation in regards to taking pictures is that if it is body-possessing, then it is prohibited by means of consensus.” (Al-Fath 5613). Imam Ash-Shawkaanee (رحمه الله) said: “And they have come into consensus in forbidding what possesses a shade and the obligation in altering it.” (Nayl Al-Awdaar 571). Imam An-Nawawi (رحمه الله) said: “Our companions and other than them from the scholars have said: drawing the pictures of animals is prohibited with severe prohibition and it is from the major sins; it is because it has been warned against with this severe warning that is mentioned in the ahaadeeth… so its crafting is forbidden in all cases. This is because it contains the imitation of Allah in his creation whether it is what is on a garmet, rug, dirham, deenaar, money, container and wall or other than it. As for drawing a picture of the tree or the camel’s saddle and other than that from what doesn’t contain a picture of an animal, then it isn’t prohibited. There isn’t any difference in regards to all of these between what possesses a shade and what doesn’t. This is a summary of our madhhab in this issue, and its meaning was stated by the majority of scholars from the Companions, the Tab’iees and those after them; it is (likewise) the madhhab of Ath-Thawree, Maalik, Abu Haneefah and other than them. Some of the Salaf said: What has been forbidden is only what possesses a shade, and there isnt any problem with pictures that don’t have a shade.This is a madhhab that is invalid as the veil whose pictures the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه و سلّم) renounced, no one doubts that it is dishonored; and its picture doesn’t possess a shade along with the remaining ahaadeeth that are unrestricted in all pictures. Az-Zuhree said: The prohibition in regards to pictures is (based) upon generality” {Sharh Muslim (14/81)}.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:33:04 +0000
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