❀ Ruling on Pictures of Living Beings Except in Cases of Necessity ❀
This fatwa is derived from the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women,” compiled from the fatāwā of the scholars of the Ḥaramayn, and translated by Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Salīm.
We have heard from some people that pictures are ḥarām and that angels do not enter houses that contain pictures. Is this correct? And does the prohibition apply specifically to pictures and statues of humans and animals, or to all types of pictures—including those on identity cards and currency notes? If all pictures are included in this prohibition, how can one purify the house from them?
Pictures—whether of humans or animals, whether three-dimensional (statues) or two-dimensional (on paper, fabric, or photographs)—are all ḥarām if they depict living beings. The prohibition is supported by clear and authentic ḥadīths, and the warning that angels do not enter homes containing such images is correct.
The following ḥadīth is one such explicit text:
«إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرِ يُعَذَّبُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ أَحْيُوا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ»
“Indeed, the makers of these images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them: ‘Give life to what you created.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]
Imām al-Bukhārī also reported from Abū Juḥayfah رضي الله عنه that:
“The Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who consumes usury, the one who pays it, and the makers of images.”
However, there are exceptions in cases of genuine necessity, such as:
◈ Photographs on identity documents, like passports or ID cards
◈ Security or legal needs, such as photographs used to catch criminals or for investigation
◈ Currency notes, which one has no control over
In such necessary situations, there is hope that these forms of images do not prevent the angels from entering the home, as their presence is dictated by compulsion and necessity.
As for images on pillows or bedcovers that are not in three-dimensional form, their ruling follows the same pattern. They are tolerated in necessity, but generally discouraged.
✔ All images of living beings are ḥarām unless required by necessity.
✔ Angels do not enter homes with such pictures, as per authentic narrations.
✔ Necessary images (e.g., ID cards, currency, etc.) are exempt from prohibition.
✔ Homes should be cleansed of unnecessary pictures by removing, covering, or defacing them.
(Fatwa by: Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
This fatwa is derived from the book “500 Questions and Answers for Women,” compiled from the fatāwā of the scholars of the Ḥaramayn, and translated by Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbdullāh Salīm.
❖ Question:
We have heard from some people that pictures are ḥarām and that angels do not enter houses that contain pictures. Is this correct? And does the prohibition apply specifically to pictures and statues of humans and animals, or to all types of pictures—including those on identity cards and currency notes? If all pictures are included in this prohibition, how can one purify the house from them?
❖ Answer:
Pictures—whether of humans or animals, whether three-dimensional (statues) or two-dimensional (on paper, fabric, or photographs)—are all ḥarām if they depict living beings. The prohibition is supported by clear and authentic ḥadīths, and the warning that angels do not enter homes containing such images is correct.
The following ḥadīth is one such explicit text:
«إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ هَذِهِ الصُّوَرِ يُعَذَّبُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَيُقَالُ لَهُمْ أَحْيُوا مَا خَلَقْتُمْ»
“Indeed, the makers of these images will be punished on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to them: ‘Give life to what you created.’”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]
Imām al-Bukhārī also reported from Abū Juḥayfah رضي الله عنه that:
“The Prophet ﷺ cursed the one who consumes usury, the one who pays it, and the makers of images.”
❖ Exceptions:
However, there are exceptions in cases of genuine necessity, such as:
◈ Photographs on identity documents, like passports or ID cards
◈ Security or legal needs, such as photographs used to catch criminals or for investigation
◈ Currency notes, which one has no control over
In such necessary situations, there is hope that these forms of images do not prevent the angels from entering the home, as their presence is dictated by compulsion and necessity.
As for images on pillows or bedcovers that are not in three-dimensional form, their ruling follows the same pattern. They are tolerated in necessity, but generally discouraged.
❖ Summary:
✔ All images of living beings are ḥarām unless required by necessity.
✔ Angels do not enter homes with such pictures, as per authentic narrations.
✔ Necessary images (e.g., ID cards, currency, etc.) are exempt from prohibition.
✔ Homes should be cleansed of unnecessary pictures by removing, covering, or defacing them.
(Fatwa by: Shaykh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله)
