Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Kindly guide me to some information on photographs. A lot of Shuyukh such as Pir Mehar Ali Shah Golarvi (RA), Sufi Barkat Ali (RA) and Mian Abdul Haq Qureshi (RA) have allowed their photographs taken. Is there any discussion available on this issue?
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and all blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, his Folk, Companions and those who follow their noble way,
Walaikum assalam,
There are a bunch of good books on the issue. The position taken by most scholars of the Subcontinent, and many great Arab scholars is that photographs fall under the rubric of taswir (picture-making) of living creatures and humans, which has been explicitly forbidden in over 20 hadiths. This is the position of my main teachers, including Sheikh Nuh Keller. This is certainly the more cautious position, as a reading of the hadiths on the issue, which are extremely stern, would indicate.
There is a very good discussion on this issue in Sh. Nuh Keller’s Reliance of the Traveller.
Others, though, differed and considered photographs to be different from the prohibited taswir. This is the position of some major scholars, too. As such, one cannot condemn those who take pictures. (However, if the appropriate opportunity presents itself, one may give them nasiha (sincere advice) towards that which is best.)
I think I must have missed your previous email, brother. What point about Sh. Taqi?
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani