Photographs in text books

Question: 1492

Assalamu ALikum Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuh,

I want to know about pictures of people in Islam, specifically
those used in children’s books. Is it permisable to illustrate
children’s books about Islam with pictures of muslims? If so,
what is the basis for this, and if not what is the basis? There is
so much controvery about this issue, and I fear Allah because
of the Sahih hadeeth about Allah cursing the picture-makers.
Still, how are we to educate our children about Islam in this
Western Society without children’s books with pictures in
them? Also, what is your opinion about the book The Lawful
and the Prophibited in Islam? Is this a truestworthy
publication?
JazkAllahkhairun for your efforts!! Walikum Salam
Rahmatullahi wa Baraktuh.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

On the subject of photographs, please refer to question # 365.
Know, my sister, that we should be careful about pictures of animate beings,
lest we do something that has been forbidden by Allaah and His Messenger. I
wonder what urgent need there can be for putting pictures of Muslims in children’s
books. If we want to make the books attractive to them, there are plenty of
colours, advanced methods of printing and pictures of inanimate objects such
as trees, flowers, cars, houses etc., which can be used instead of pictures
of animate beings. As for useful books which we need to keep at home, like reference
books and dictionaries that may contain pictures that are difficult to erase,
we can keep them as long as we blot out any pictures on the cover. Whatever
does not need to be kept, like newspapers, should be disposed of after reading.

As for the book “Al-Halaal wa’l-Haraam fi’l-Islam,” the author was
very lenient in a number of issues, may Allaah forgive him. Some scholars have
written refutations of this book, such as Shaykh Saaleh al-Fawzaan, who wrote
Al-I’laam bi naqd kitaab al-halaal wa’l-haraam fi’l-Islaam. We ask Allaah to
guide us to the truth in those issues concerning which there are differences
of opinion, for He guides whom He will to the Straight Path.

Source:

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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