Is it permissible to publish images of animate beings in cases of necessity?

Question: 130353

I know that putting images of animate beings in chat rooms is haraam and I have read the fatwa. But there are some situations which require putting explanatory images, such as first aid, where it is essential to put pictures which explain the position of the first aider and patient when carrying out first aid. Similarly topics about smoking need images to explain how smoking affects the patient, and images are needed to explain the suffering of people in Gaza, and so on. What is the ruling, may Allah bless you?.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

In our site we have favoured the view that photographic images of animate beings are haraam and it is most likely that they are included in the hadeeths which forbid image making and the hadeeths which criticise the image makers, who will be the most severely punished of people on the Day of Resurrection.

Nevertheless, our fuqaha’ have stated that if there is a need or necessity, there is nothing wrong with making images and there is no sin on the image maker in that case, because cases of necessity make forbidden things permissible.

We have already discussed on our site matters that have to do with cases where making images is permissible because of need or necessity, such as the following:

It is permissible to take pictures of criminals or suspects to identify them. See the answer to question number 34904.

It is permissible to take pictures of traffic accidents in which people appear. Question number 1747.

It is permissible to take pictures of patients and show the pictures in medical conferences. Question number 10228.

It is permissible to use pictures and drawings when teaching medicine. Question number 40054.

It is permissible to keep and carry gold currency that includes images. Question number 22390.

It is permissible to use images for teaching children. Question number 13716.

Based on that, we do not think that there is anything wrong with using pictures for teaching first aid, warning of the dangers of smoking, or to publicise the horrors of the Zionist occupation and their crimes in occupied Palestine, whilst trying to avoid depicting the face if possible, or erasing it, and also avoiding pictures of women.

And Allah knows best.

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