Benefit 75: Co-operating in Da'wah with those of Ahlus-Sunnah who see Taṣwīr to be permissible

Sheikh Muḥammad Ba Jammāl ḥafidhahullāh said: “The issue of Taṣwīr is a serious matter and among the major sins; i.e. making images of living beings. The Prophet ﷺ informed that the image makers will be the most severely punished on the Day of Judgement. He also informed that every image maker will be in the Hellfire, and that Allāh has cursed the image maker. There are numerous evidences clarifying the severity of making images of living beings and the prohibition of that. The ’Eid Khuṭbah, i.e. on ’Eid Al-Ḍh-ḥā was on this topic (the prohibition of making images of living beings). Moreover, making images of living beings is Ḥarām in the absolute sense; whether that be by means of drawing, carving, sculpting, (embroidery) on a curtain, garment, head covering (’Imāmah), carpet, or even on a coin; all of that is prohibited. In his famous book; Riyāḍh Aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn, the learned scholar, An-Nawawi raḥimahullāh gave this as the chapter heading; i.e. Taṣwīr being impermissible in all it forms and in all cases. This also includes embroidery, as well as contemporary gadgets such as cameras; whether the cameras are specifically designed to take pictures or cameras which are built-in to phones, or any other instrument used to make images that exist nowadays. All are included in the prohibition of making images of living beings. And personally speaking, I don't know anyone from the credible scholars who has a fixed opinion in this issue of cameras, whereby he holds it to be permissible (without any exception). I don't know anyone! You may find some opinions from Sheikh ’Uthaymīn raḥimahullāh, but if you look (carefully) you will also find other statements (from him) contradicting that. The fact of the matter is, anyone who looks into the opinions of the contemporary scholars will find them issuing verdicts on the prohibition of taking pictures of living beings using these modern day gadgets. Rather, they only differed on whether or not it's necessary to utilise them for lectures, lessons, etc., for the purpose of benefitting people globally; so some of them said it's not permissible, while some held back, and others said it's permissible out of necessity. The bottom line is, it's not befitting for a person to risk his Deen on an issue that hinges between ḥalāl and ḥarām, especially for one who is uncertain about this matter. As for us, then Al-ḥamdu lillāh we see it to be ḥarām. Praise be to Allāh, the da’wah of Ahlus-Sunnah became evident and flourished without the use of Taṣwīr. Our Sheikh, Imām (Muqbil) Al-Wādi’ē raḥimahullāh never had a TV channel, he did not have any media outlets; not visual nor audible, no newspapers or magazines, he didn't have a ḥizb (party), nor a charity organisation or foundation, but despite that his da’wah reached the East and West, North and South. It went global. Rather, many of those who were in Yemen only came to know about Sheikh Muqbil's Da‘wah while in America, Britain, France, Germany, and such countries. We need to realise that Barakah is from Allāh, and whoever adheres to the Sunnah and practices the Sunnah Allāh will aid him. So there's no need for us to busy ourselves with Taṣwīr. With that said, we are not aware Al-’Allāmah Al-’Uthaymīn to have many lectures and lessons of his video recorded. Rather the available video recordings may be counted with the fingers. As a matter of fact, there's an audio recording of when he gave a lecture in the Islamic University (of Madīnah); when he found cameras therein, he personally faced them away and said, 'I don't permit anyone to record me,' or 'I will not pardon anyone who records me.' Likewise, I was informed by a brother who attended a gathering of Al-’Allāmah Al-Ghudayyān raḥimahullāh in Riyāḍh, that: there was someone teaching before the Sheikh and there were cameras setup, so when it was time for Al-’Allāmah Al-Ghudayyān's lesson and the camera man came to setup the camera,