BENEFIT 404: Digital pictures are more prohibited than hand-drawn images

A question was posed to the esteemed Sheikh Al-Albani (may Allāh have mercy on him) regarding the ruling on photography. He responded: "We have said before and continue to affirm that photography is more severely prohibited than hand-drawn images. This is because photography has undergone extensive development over the years, allowing humans—particularly non-believers—to perfect the process of capturing images. Tremendous efforts have been made over time to achieve such precision that, with the press of a button, an image is produced with remarkable clarity, closely resembling the creation of Allah." He continued: "I distinctly recall debating this matter with some members of the Muslim Brotherhood approximately thirty years ago. One of them argued that cameras did not exist during the Prophet’s ﷺ time, and thus, applying the relevant hadiths to them would be an unjustified extension of their meaning. This was his claim!" "I then reminded him that the one who said, ‘Every image-maker will be in the Fire’ and ‘May Allah curse the image-makers’ was not an ordinary man like us, whose words might be interpreted to apply only to traditional forms of drawing. Rather, he was the Messenger of Allah, whom Allah described in the Quran: {Nor does he speak from his own inclination. It is only a revelation revealed} [Surah An-Najm: 3-4]." "Thus, when he said, ‘Every image-maker will be in the Fire,’ this applies to anyone who creates images, whether by hand, with a chisel, or using a sculptor’s brush and hammer, or by any other means—including modern photography. Yet, my interlocutor remained unconvinced!" "So, I presented him with the following analogy: 'What is your opinion on the idols produced today by the thousands—rather, by the tens of thousands—with the mere press of a button? A massive machine pours molten copper into a mold, producing a statue of a lion, a dog, or a dancing woman, like those found on some tables. These are not sculpted by hand, as they were in the time of the Prophet ﷺ. Rather, they are made with a machine, just like a camera, with a single press of a button. What do you say about this? Is it permissible or forbidden?'" "He replied, 'This is forbidden.' I then told him, 'Then this (photography) is no different from that, and there is no distinction between the two.'” "Thus, the prohibition of Tasweer is based on two underlying reasons, both of which are fully present in photography and videography as practiced today: first, the act of imitating the creation of Allāh in its most perfect form, and second, the potential for great fitnah." [From Tape 360 of the "Guidance and Light" series] #Ruling_on_Photography