Ibn Uthaymin
Junior member
Question: What is the ruling on filming and videotaping, and in which cases is it permissible?
Answered by: Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki
With regard to filming, videotaping and photography, let us return to the original form which is photography; the `Ulamaa' (Scholars) have differed in this matter. The reason they hold different opinions is based on the hadeeth where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "The curse of Allaah is upon the musawwireen."[1] The word musawwireen (مصورين) in Arabic originally meant those who paint pictures of living beings like mankind or animals. This was the original (meaning of the word) soorah (صورة). However, the Arabs of today, when they saw the camera and how it projects pictures and photographs, they named the photograph "soorah" and the photographer "musawwir"; to my understanding this is wrong. They even call the photocopy machine "soorah", whereas it is not (really) "soorah" as it copies, and in Arabic the (word) copy is nuskhah (نسخة). The problem stemmed from that aspect and that is why some of the `Ulamaa' say that photographs are haraam and the one who takes photographs is cursed as in the hadeeth.
Some other `Ulamaa' like Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله who looked very deeply into the issue, determined that this is not the "soorah" that is mentioned in the hadeeth. It only holds the shape of the figure like a mirror does, so they say this not haraam (forbidden). The advice is to leave it if it is not needed; but yes, they say that it is not the "soorah" referred to in the hadeeth.
Some other `Ulamaa' also named the one who videotapes as "musawwir" and they say that this is even worse because you can see men and animals walking etc. In my view, this is not the proper opinion from amongst the opinions of the Scholars. The proper opinion is that this is not a "soorah" and the one who videotapes or films is not a "musawwir" even if the Arabs of today call them "musawwir". Allaah knows best if the Arabs at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were alive today if they would not call it "musawwir". This is because the Arabic language is very specific - more specific than the English language; and in English we have the terms "painter", "photographer", and "one who videotapes". In English there are different names for them but Arabic is more specific than any other language. As the early Arabs (at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not see (these instruments - camera, videotape etc.) they did not give them names. However, the Arabs of today, when they saw them, they named them "soorah" and "musawwir", and then they implemented the ruling based on the hadeeth to this, saying that "the curse is upon the one who is doing so and so"; to me, that is wrong and Allaah knows best.
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[1] Reported with the following wording as part of a longer hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree in The Book of Divorce (كتاب الطلاق), Hadeeth (#5032).
Answered by: Shaykh Muhammad al-Maliki
With regard to filming, videotaping and photography, let us return to the original form which is photography; the `Ulamaa' (Scholars) have differed in this matter. The reason they hold different opinions is based on the hadeeth where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "The curse of Allaah is upon the musawwireen."[1] The word musawwireen (مصورين) in Arabic originally meant those who paint pictures of living beings like mankind or animals. This was the original (meaning of the word) soorah (صورة). However, the Arabs of today, when they saw the camera and how it projects pictures and photographs, they named the photograph "soorah" and the photographer "musawwir"; to my understanding this is wrong. They even call the photocopy machine "soorah", whereas it is not (really) "soorah" as it copies, and in Arabic the (word) copy is nuskhah (نسخة). The problem stemmed from that aspect and that is why some of the `Ulamaa' say that photographs are haraam and the one who takes photographs is cursed as in the hadeeth.
Some other `Ulamaa' like Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رحمه الله who looked very deeply into the issue, determined that this is not the "soorah" that is mentioned in the hadeeth. It only holds the shape of the figure like a mirror does, so they say this not haraam (forbidden). The advice is to leave it if it is not needed; but yes, they say that it is not the "soorah" referred to in the hadeeth.
Some other `Ulamaa' also named the one who videotapes as "musawwir" and they say that this is even worse because you can see men and animals walking etc. In my view, this is not the proper opinion from amongst the opinions of the Scholars. The proper opinion is that this is not a "soorah" and the one who videotapes or films is not a "musawwir" even if the Arabs of today call them "musawwir". Allaah knows best if the Arabs at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were alive today if they would not call it "musawwir". This is because the Arabic language is very specific - more specific than the English language; and in English we have the terms "painter", "photographer", and "one who videotapes". In English there are different names for them but Arabic is more specific than any other language. As the early Arabs (at the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) did not see (these instruments - camera, videotape etc.) they did not give them names. However, the Arabs of today, when they saw them, they named them "soorah" and "musawwir", and then they implemented the ruling based on the hadeeth to this, saying that "the curse is upon the one who is doing so and so"; to me, that is wrong and Allaah knows best.
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[1] Reported with the following wording as part of a longer hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree in The Book of Divorce (كتاب الطلاق), Hadeeth (#5032).
