Question
Assalamu ‘Alaykum.
I have digital photos of my mother, sister, female cousin, and maybe other females on my computer. I wanted to delete the photos of all female members, but my mom and sister didn’t allow it, as they want to keep them.
Is it ok if I keep the photos of female members on my computer and CDs in such security that nobody except my Mom and sister can view them?
Answer
Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.
I pray you are well.
The photos are permissible to keep. However, the ruling here is based on what the images show and what you are allowed to see. Pictures of your mahrams are fine to keep and see.
Images of non-mahrams, especially if they show parts of their body you are not permitted to see, such as their hair, would not be permissible to look at. (Maydani, al Lubab).
The simplest solution is to have your sister transfer them to a cloud storage space with her as the account holder. The pictures will be safe and only visible to those she gives access to. That is the most precautious approach for yourself and them.
May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani