Is Printing Pictures of Living Beings Haram?
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
What is the Ruling on Working the Job of Printing Pictures of Living Beings
Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: A person works a job of printing pictures. Some people get albums made to keep as memories, such as after celebrating their daughter’s birthday, and others get their own pictures printed to keep as a memory. Similarly, banners for meḥfils are displayed that contain pictures of the naʿat reciters and lecturers. In this situation, what is the ruling on printing these pictures? Is this permissible in sharī’aĥ? Please provide guidance.
Answer
Digital pictures are, in reality, not considered pictures; instead, they are just a reflection. However, when they are printed out, they fall under the ruling of creating pictures. And according to sharī’aĥ, creating pictures of living beings is impermissible, ḥarām, and a sinful act. Therefore, printing out digital pictures of living beings, whether birthday pictures, pictures of an event, pictures of naʿat reciters and lecturers, or pictures of anyone else, is impermissible in sharī’aĥ and a sin. Furthermore, working a job of printing such pictures is also impermissible because this is assisting one in a sin which has been explicitly prohibited in the Noble Qurʾān.
Regarding the condemnation of creating pictures, it is mentioned in a ḥadīth narrated in Saḥīḥ Muslim:
سمعت عبد اللہ بن مسعود يقول: قال رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه و سلم: أشد الناس عذابا يوم القيامة المصورون
Translation: I heard ʿAbdullāh Bin Masʿūd رضي اللہ تعالى عنه say: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The people who will get the most severe punishment on the day of judgement will be those who created pictures. (Saḥīḥ Muslim, Vol. 03, p. 1670, Ḥadīth No. 2109, Publ. Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turās, Beirut)
There is a ḥadīth in Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
أن عبد اللہ بن عمر، رضي اللہ عنهما أخبره: أن رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه و سلم قال: ان الذین یصنعون ھذہ الصوریعذبون یوم القیمۃ یقال لھم احیوا ما خلقتم
Translation: ʿAbdullāh Bin ʿUmar رضي اللہ تعالى عنهما informed that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: Indeed, those who make these pictures will be punished on the day of judgement. They will be told: Give life to these pictures that you had made. (Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 07, p. 167, Ḥadīth No. 5951, Publ. Dār Tawq al-Najāh)
It is stated in Mirqāt al-Mafātīh:
قال اصحابنا و غيرهم من العلماء تصوير صورة الحيوان حرام شديد التحريم و هو من الكبائر لانه متوعد عليه بهذا الوعيد الشديد المذكور فی الاحاديث
Translation: Our scholars and other scholars stated that making pictures of living beings is ḥarām, strictly ḥarām, and from amongst the major sins because warnings have been mentioned regarding this, as mentioned in the aḥādīth. (Mirqāt al-Mafātīh, Chapter of pictures, Vol. 07, p. 2848, Publ. Dār al-Fikr, Beirut)
Aʿlā Ḥazrat Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رحمة اللہ عليه states in Fatāwa Razawiyah:
فوٹو ہو یا دستی تصویر، پوری ہو یا نیم قد، بنانا، بنوانا سب حرام ہے، نیز اس کا عزت سے رکھنا حرام اگرچہ نصف قد کی ہو کہ تصویر فقط چہرہ کا نام ہے۔
Translation: Creating pictures or getting pictures made, whether photographs or hand-drawn, full-bodied or half-length, is ḥarām. Likewise, keeping them with honor is ḥarām even if it is only half-length, because a picture is essentially defined by the face. (Fatāwa Razawiyah, Vol. 24, p. 568, Publ. Razā Foundation, Lahore)
Assistance in sinful acts is impermissible and a sin. Regarding its prohibition, Allāh Almighty states in the Noble Qurʾān:
وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَی الْاِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
Translation (Kanz al-ʿIrfān): And do not help each other in sin and transgression. (Part 6, Surah al-Māʾidah, Verse 02)
It is stated in Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāiʾq:
الإعانة على المعاصي و الفجور و الحث عليها من جملة الكبائر كذا الذخيرة و المحيط
(Tabyīn al-Ḥaqāiʾq, Vol. 04, p. 222, Publ. Cairo)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَ سَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: FAM-977
Date: 19th Jumād al-ʾŪlā 1447 AH / 11th November 2025