⫷ Islamic Ruling on Posting Photos of the Deceased as Status ⫸
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to make a video using the photos of a deceased elderly woman and post it as a status update?
❖ Answer by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh:
Regardless of whether the person is alive or deceased, promoting their images publicly in such a manner is not permissible in Islamic law.
If the deceased woman herself had instructed for her images to be shared, such a will is invalid, and carrying out this action may—may Allah protect us—be a means of sin and potential punishment for her.
If the act is done by the family members, then they are accountable for it.
❖ Recommended Actions for the Deceased:
What truly benefits the deceased are:
✔ Ongoing charity (Ṣadaqah Jāriyah)
✔ Supplication (Duʿāʾ)
✔ Seeking forgiveness (Istighfār)
Posting photos or videos does not bring any reward nor spiritual benefit to the deceased, and it does not constitute a righteous deed.
❖ Summary:
✘ Publicly sharing photos or creating videos of the deceased as a status update is impermissible and un-Islamic.
✔ The family should instead engage in prayers, charity, and acts of goodness that genuinely benefit the deceased in the Hereafter.
