The Official Site of Shaykh Abdul Raheem
(Damat Barakaatuhum)

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

The Official Site of Shaykh Abdul Raheem
(Damat Barakaatuhum)

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Q698: Can we keep photos of marhoomeens?

Share This Post

Question

Assalamu Alaikum.

My father in law passed away on Saturday evening (please make dua maghfirat for him and pray Allah gives the family sabr)

We have some photos of him we would like to keep. Please tell me is it permissible to keeps photos, even of we decide to not look at them but just keep them with the intention of showing his grandchildren when they get older.

Would you also please inform me of what the consequence of keeping the photos would be for the marhoomeen as some members are adamant on keeping them Please advise.
Wassalam.

Answer

Walaikumussalam w w

May Allah shower His mercy upon the grave of your grandfather, forgive his mistakes and elevate his ranks in jannah, And give sabr to the whole family.

Sorry for the delay in replying. I had to give careful consideration and make mashwera.

Mufti Tahir Saheb of Saharnpoor is very strict and says It would be haram to keep them.

Firstly, photos should not be taken unless extremely necessary. Showqia photos are not allowed, Eg holiday snaps, wedding memories etc

Thereafter, if any photos are taken out of necessity, and the person dies, the correct procedure is to destroy them.

Especially showqia photos and videos must be destroyed.

If the necessary ones are not displayed but kept concealed, there might be some flexibility in there.

Photos kept for respect will not be allowed, eg photos of buzrugs. This is because this reverence could lead to their worship.

Mufti Mahmood Saheb went to someone’s house, who showed them the photo of some buzrug. Mufti Saheb tore it apart. The person felt bad. Mufti Saheb said this is also tagyeerul munkar. (rectifying the incorrect). Mufti saheb went on to say that keeping photos of awliyaullah is worse than keeping photos of others.

If the marhoomeen had instructed their family to keep their photos or liked their photos to be kept or knew about them but they did not instruct their disposal, then there is a possibility of them being reckoned in the qabr.

This is derived from the mas’la of maatam (lamenting), where Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
الميت يعذب بما نيح عليه
“The mayyit gets azaab when nawha is done upon it”

The commentators have mentioned various reasons for this azaab. 3 of them are what I have said above.

So this could also be applied to the mas’ala of photos and other unislamic instructions left behind.

Allah knows best

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore