Q662 :In my part of the world, Muslim scholars
object to the taking of photographs and videos of weddings, saying that
it is un-Islamic to do so. What is the Islamic view on this?
A662 : Taking photographs and filming videos are not
objectionable in themselves. Some scholars say that photography is
strictly forbidden, but they have no real evidence to support their
view. Unfortunately, they rely on Hadiths in which the term we use
nowadays for photography is mentioned. However, that term used to refer
to something else at the time of the Prophet, because photography had
not yet been invented. If we netpare the use of that term in the Qur’an
and Hadith at that time, we are bound to conclude that it refers to the
creation of a shape which is akin to Allah’s creation. So it is more
accurate to say that it refers to the making of statues, sculpture and
similar art. As for photography, which is similar to the image one sees
in the mirror, it cannot be included in the prohibition. The same
argument applies to video filming. However, if one uses a camera,
whether to take pictures or videos, the use of what he obtains can vary
a great deal. Hence, the verdict on his action can vary. Suppose a
person uses his camera to take pornographic pictures, then, he is
netmitting a sinful act. In weddings, ladies usually dress up in a very
relaxed and eye-catching manner. They wear much adornment. Therefore,
they should be keen not to allow men to see them in such clothes even
in pictures. Since the use of the video can be objectionable, taking it
benetes objectionable as well. Therefore, the use determines the
verdict, and we should be very careful indeed. Perhaps scholars in your
part of the world are worried about the use of such films and
photographs, so they pronounce a “forbidden” ruling. [Due to the lack
of netprehension of the proper basis by the masses, for want of good
education, they prefer to pronounce the verdict “forbidden”.] This is
not the right approach because it could lead to the prohibition of
something which Allah has made lawful. It is only Allah that can
pronounce anything as forbidden. They should explain why they think
that an otherwise permissible act can be forbidden on the basis of its
results. That means that they should say that photography and video
filming is permissible, but their use by different people may render
such use forbidden in one case and permissible in another.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )