AssalamAlaikum, I live away from my parents with my husband. Alhumdulillah we are both trying to practice Islam completely. We believe in not take taking pictures as it is Haraam. I would like to know if I can see my parents on a WebCamera? They are also missing us ,and want us to get one too so that they can see us.We think its not allowed in Islam. But is it ok if we are watching only our mehrams? Please explain if not. JazakAllah!!
Kindly find below information on the actual operation of a webcamera from an electric engineer.
In view of the abovementioned procedure, it is not permissible to use a webcamera.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
The way a webcam (camera used with a computer on the
Web) is as follows:
1) The camera takes a still image snapshot every few
seconds. This is a digital camera so the data can be
transferred to a computer.
2) A software program extracts the picture in digital format and generates a file on the PC.
3) The file is then transmitted over the internet
using a FIle Transfer protocol (FTP) program.
Depending on the software capability the image on the recepients side can be automatically updated, so looks like real live transmission. The update rate is programmable and can be made fast enough that the image looks live.
So based on the above three principles, the image is a still image taken every few seconds, it is also
stored, not by hand but by the software and then is
transferred over the internet using a File Transfer
Program.
By the time the image is gone to the recepient, it
seems that its live as all the data capture if fast
and automated, processing and storage and transfer is done by the software.