❖ Shar‘i Ruling on Video Cassettes in Light of the Qur’an and Hadith ❖
Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith, Volume 01, Page 514
In our mosque, an Islamic library has been established, which includes audio and video cassettes.
Among them are recordings of renowned scholars such as Allama Ihsan Elahi, Maulana Yazdani, and ‘Abd al-Rasheed Arshad (رحمهم الله).
Some Salafi brothers label the keeping of video cassettes as “idol-selling” (بت فروشی).
Kindly explain —
◈ Is this act permissible according to the Sharī‘ah?
◈ Those scholars who recorded their lectures on video — were their actions justified?
Please respond with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد:
Video cassettes, due to containing images of living beings, fall under the ruling of taswīr (تصویر) in Shari‘ah.
Hence, they are not permissible.
A narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Page 881, reported by ‘A’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
She purchased a cushion that had pictures on it.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter.
Seeing the displeasure on his face, she said:
“O Messenger of Allah, I repent to Allah and His Messenger. What sin have I committed?”
He ﷺ replied:
“What is this cushion?”
She said:
“I bought it so you could sit on it or use it as a pillow.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The makers of these images will be punished on the Day of Judgment, and it will be said to them: ‘Bring to life what you have created.’
And he added:
“Angels do not enter a house where there are pictures.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari – Kitab al-Libas – Bab ‘Adhab al-Musawwirin)
This Hadith clearly proves that image-making in any form, whether:
✔ Still (photograph),
✔ Moving (video),
✔ Hand-drawn,
✔ Or captured through a device,
— all fall under the same prohibition in Islamic law.
Therefore, video cassettes, which record moving images of living beings, also fall under this prohibition.
The argument that:
“Such-and-such scholar did this or allowed it...”
does not establish permissibility in Islam.
In matters of religion, only the Qur’an and Sunnah serve as evidence.
No individual’s opinion, action, or practice — regardless of their status — can override divine guidance.
May Allah grant us all the ability to act upon the Qur’an and Sunnah with sincerity and understanding. آمين.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I know; and Allah knows best what is correct.
Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith, Volume 01, Page 514
❀ Question
In our mosque, an Islamic library has been established, which includes audio and video cassettes.
Among them are recordings of renowned scholars such as Allama Ihsan Elahi, Maulana Yazdani, and ‘Abd al-Rasheed Arshad (رحمهم الله).
Some Salafi brothers label the keeping of video cassettes as “idol-selling” (بت فروشی).
Kindly explain —
◈ Is this act permissible according to the Sharī‘ah?
◈ Those scholars who recorded their lectures on video — were their actions justified?
Please respond with evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
✔ Response
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد:
Video cassettes, due to containing images of living beings, fall under the ruling of taswīr (تصویر) in Shari‘ah.
Hence, they are not permissible.
✿ Clear Evidence from Hadith
A narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 2, Page 881, reported by ‘A’ishah (رضي الله عنها):
She purchased a cushion that had pictures on it.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter.
Seeing the displeasure on his face, she said:
“O Messenger of Allah, I repent to Allah and His Messenger. What sin have I committed?”
He ﷺ replied:
“What is this cushion?”
She said:
“I bought it so you could sit on it or use it as a pillow.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The makers of these images will be punished on the Day of Judgment, and it will be said to them: ‘Bring to life what you have created.’
And he added:
“Angels do not enter a house where there are pictures.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari – Kitab al-Libas – Bab ‘Adhab al-Musawwirin)
✿ Explanation
This Hadith clearly proves that image-making in any form, whether:
✔ Still (photograph),
✔ Moving (video),
✔ Hand-drawn,
✔ Or captured through a device,
— all fall under the same prohibition in Islamic law.
Therefore, video cassettes, which record moving images of living beings, also fall under this prohibition.
✿ Important Clarification
The argument that:
“Such-and-such scholar did this or allowed it...”
does not establish permissibility in Islam.
In matters of religion, only the Qur’an and Sunnah serve as evidence.
No individual’s opinion, action, or practice — regardless of their status — can override divine guidance.
✿ Supplication
May Allah grant us all the ability to act upon the Qur’an and Sunnah with sincerity and understanding. آمين.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I know; and Allah knows best what is correct.
