Keeping pictures for memory

11-10-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. Having learned about the impermissibility of women's photos, I now feel regretful and am taking steps to destroy all non-hijabi or improper hijab photos of mine and not make new ones. However, my printed wedding album and photos with my babies remain, some of which are in hijab, while others are not with a proper hijab, as some hair or a small part of the body, like the arms or a bit of the neck, is showing, etc. My children insist on keeping these as memory. If I ensure that they are stored privately, and kept only for their viewing, am I still sinning? If so, what to do? Kindly advise.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, may Allah reward you for being keen on asking about your religious matters and on abiding by the Islamic rulings and avoiding what may incur the Wrath of Allah. This is indeed how the believer should be. So may Allah safeguard you and increase you in guidance, piety, and righteousness.

The contemporary scholars differed in opinion about the ruling on photographic pictures. Those who forbade them have a strong and substantial view.

Taking pictures of women in particular is subject to some Islamic prohibitions, as they may lead to temptation and the spread of corruption, as it is not guaranteed that non-Mahram (marriageable) men will not see them and thus be tempted by them.

Therefore, it is better, in order to be on the safe side, to get rid of these pictures, especially given that some scholars forbade keeping them (for memory) even if they are in principle permissible, as previously highlighted in fatwas 87435, 88079, and 88306.

This is better in order to be on the safe side, as we have already mentioned.

Allah knows best.