❖ Ruling on Keeping Family and Children’s Photos & Praying in a Room Containing Pictures ❖
Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith, Volume 01, Page 513
❀ Question
Many people preserve pictures of their children to show them when they grow older, or keep family photos as memories.
❓ What is the Shar‘i ruling on keeping such pictures?
❓ Is it permissible to store photos in a briefcase or attaché case?
❓ What is the ruling on offering prayer in a room where such images exist?
✔ Response
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد:
➊ Keeping Pictures of Children or Family
❖ It is impermissible to keep such pictures.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would destroy or tear down any image he saw in the house.
He ﷺ said:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَصْنَعُونَ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرَ يُعَذَّبُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
“Indeed, those who make these images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection.”
(Sahih Hadith)
➋ Storing Photos in a Briefcase or Attaché Case
❖ It is not permissible to store or preserve such photographs — even if kept inside closed items like a briefcase or attaché case.
Preservation of unlawful images remains impermissible, regardless of where they are kept.
➌ Praying in a Room Containing Images
❖ If the intention of worship or veneration of the picture is not present, the prayer will be valid.
However:
✔ It is better and strongly recommended to remove or destroy the image from the room before praying.
✔ This is to ensure maximum reverence for salah and avoid resemblance to practices of image-veneration.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I know; and Allah knows best what is correct.
