Question: I run a business through social media and when I travel, I like to take pictures and post them because people spread the word and I get more followers, hence more business. Am I showing off, even if just to promote my business? Should I stop posting pictures?
Answer: Assalamu alaykum brother,
Thank you for your question. May Allah continually give you success in your business and reward you for attaining a halal (permissible) livelihood.
It is permissible for you to post pictures of your travel destinations. This form of marketing is working for you and it is fine. There are only two questions that you need to ask yourself.
1) Are you taking pictures of people as well? If so, then you should see the links below to see the detailed rulings. There are opinions that permit it, so you should make the intention to follow those opinions. If I were in your shoes, I might still limit the number of people in my photographs.
Can I Sell Books Containing Weak Hadiths and Pictures?
Can I Publish a Magazine Displaying Pictures of People?
The Maliki View on Pictures of Humans and Animals
Pictures and Television
Photographs: Please Clarify Your Position
What is the Ruling on Taking Photographs of Humans?
2) Are you trying to show off when you post these pictures? Only you know the answer to this. If in your heart, you are trying to put someone down by showing off where you travel or show off this worldly benefit, then it is prohibited to post the pictures. If you are solely doing this for marketing purposes and the thought of showing off doesn’t cross your mind, then in sha Allah, you are sincere and don’t need to worry. See the following link: Showing Off
Thank Allah, and He will increase you.
Thank Allah for your many blessings and don’t feel guilty. There will always be a disparity of wealth between people in this world, but Allah has told us the reality of what matters. “In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all-knowing, all aware” [Qur`an, 49:13].
Instead of feeling guilty, give charity every week at least, pay your obligatory zakat, volunteer for those who need it. Learn your personal obligatory knowledge and apply it to yourself and your family. May Allah give you the best of both worlds.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.