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Is wearing a helmet with face cover permissible for a practising Muslim to attend conferences?

I am a PhD Student in a reputed research institute from India. The sole niyyat of my doing PhD is daawat/tashkeel/kasb-e-halaal in the institute. Once in 6 months I need to go in a conference and present a paper in a conference hall or auditorium. I have a beard with fist length and I am always in long loose kurta and shalwar above ankles. When I am on the stage, the photographers treat me similar to all the audience and take a photo/video of mine or they take my photo whenever I ask questions during the discussion. They do this for non-muslims too. I totally dislike that someone take my photo, because thats haraam as per my knowledge. So my respected muftyaan-e-ikraam is it permissible for a practising muslim to wear a thin helmet (with face cover) and goto such places? If the audience laugh seeing a practising Muslim in helmet, is then wearing the helmet permissible in shariat? I feel my niyaat of daawat/tashkeel and my muaamlaat demand that I should go there but shariat prohibits photography so how shall I maintain taqwa in this issue? Is the question clear ? Hoping for an earliest reply.

Answer:

(Fatwa: 851/794=D/1429)

As per Shariah it is surely impermissible to get one’s photographed but in cases of exigency, it is an exception for which a person should seek forgiveness and should express his displeasure and disapproval. It is Islamically not compulsory for you to save yourself by wearing helmet specially when it looks so funny. If you can stop it you can do it with your tongue or hands, no matter the photographer pays heed to you or not. Likewise, keep expressing your unwillingness and feel it as bad by heart. You should not be interested in giving a pose at stages but if you are able to turn your face to other direction inattentively, then you should do it. Apart from stage, you should save yourself on seats as much as you can. You should participate in such programmes only as much as necessary and keep on doing istighfar.

Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best

Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband

Original Source Link

This answer was collected from the official ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband in India.

Tags: Ankles, Beard, hands, haraam, Interest, Knowledge, photography, sharia, Shariah

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