A Point of Reflection

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Hadi waffaqahullah says: My brothers, students of knowledge, you are sitting in a gathering of Islamic knowledge. More specifically, it is a gathering of Hadith, and even more specifically, it is a gathering about the principles of Hadith. You are people of Hadith and Athar, so do not occupy yourselves with tasweer. By Allah, it is from the major sins!!! If the Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who makes images, then what more proof do you want? That is the first point. The second point is the severe warning that has for every (animate) image that a person makes. As you know from the hadith, for every image a person makes, he will be punished with it in the Fire. So this issue combines both a severe warning and a curse. What more do you want, people? The scholars have defined a major sin as one for which there is a specific warning of punishment, a curse, or similar texts. In this matter, both the warning and the curse are found together, making it among the gravest of sins. Now, may Allah have mercy upon you, It's not hidden from us what some scholars have said regarding the permissibility of tasweer for the purpose of recording Islamic lessons. However, by Allah, from what I have personally seen—and I am only speaking about what I have witnessed and what has reached my knowledge, and I am not responsible for what I do not know—every person I have discussed this issue with who relied on that fatwa eventually went beyond what those scholars had permitted. 📌 They say, "Some scholars allowed it for spreading knowledge." Fine. If that is your position, then I respect that. But then what has that got to do with taking pictures of yourself at the beach? Is that a gathering of knowledge? What has it got to do with taking pictures of yourself on a farm? Is that a gathering of knowledge? What has it got to do with taking pictures of yourself in your car? Is that also a gathering of knowledge? These are just three examples; and I won't mention the rest. This is exactly what the scholars meant when they spoke about blocking the means (Sadd adh-Dharā'iʿ). A means is something that leads a person into what is forbidden. And here it is not merely a possible means [leading to what is forbidden—it has actually become a reality]! There is another point. Did any part of Islam or Islamic knowledge fail to reach us simply because tasweer did not exist in earlier times? You know the description of the Prophet's prayer from the opening takbīr until the salām...complete the rest of the title?...as though you can see him. The Companions described how he formed the circle with his fingers during the tashahhud and how he moved his finger. They described his smile, mentioning that his back teeth could be seen. They described the colour of his front teeth. They described his smile and his laughter. They even counted the grey hairs in his beard. It is as though you can see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before your eyes. Nothing from the religion or from Islamic knowledge was lost because tasweer did not exist. So why is there a need for it? If it had truly been something good, they would have preceded us to it. By Allah, Allah did not reserve this good for us when we are neither better nor more virtuous than them. So, O seeker of knowledge, O student of Hadith, O student of the Sunnah and the narrations of the Salaf, O student of Islamic Fiqh and understanding, adhere to the manners of the Sharī'ah, call others to it, follow its path, and take these righteous predecessors as your example. True role models are the people of goodness. "They are those whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance." [6:90] Know that even if I were to allow myself to be photographed, I am not proof. The proof is only what Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have said.