A July, 6 1959 fatwah from Al-Azhar made great strides towards healing and reconciliation in the historic divide between Sunni and Shi’a.
After 9 years of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq which allowed the Shi’a government of Iran to make significant political gains in the Middle East, Al-Azhar saw a massive increase in Salafist influence. The Salafi movement is a Saudi Arabian based movement, a nation that is Iran’s historic enemy. Consequently, in 2012, the 1959 fatwah was reversed.
As a consequence of both of these events, we have a proxy war raging between two Muslim nations in multiple third party nations while their leaders vie for public support among Muslims worldwide for their cause against each other based on religious grounds.
As Muslims we need to remain committed to following Allah’s command. Our struggle, fisabilillah, is to remain a united community and resist the dividers.
“Hold fast to God’s rope all together; do not split into factions. Remember God’s favour to you: you were enemies and then He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by His grace; you were about to fall into a pit of Fire and He saved you from it- in this way God makes His revelations clear to you so that you may be rightly guided.” – Qur’an 3:103
Today, I’d like to talk to you about “apple pie”. If there is one fundamental cultural icon in America today, it is apple pie. But why? Where did apple pie come from? What makes it “American”?
Long ago, before homo sapiens roamed the planet, there was the apple. Some Christian depictions of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden sometimes depict the apple as the fruit Adam and Eve ate.
No, the apple wasn’t a fruit in the Garden of Eden, but a fruit indigenous (millions of years ago) to an area of the planet we now know as Kasakhstan. Yes, that 70% Muslim country and former Soviet republic is the ancestral home and cradle of civilization among apple trees. The origin of apples lies in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains where, “forests of wild apples, some growing at 10,000 feet, others in 1300 foot-deep canyons, show a wealth of diversity and resistance to disease and pests.” ~Cornell University
As people began to travel west, they brought with them apple seeds which eventually found their way to Europe.
Upon the settling of the America’s there were no apples in the western hemisphere. Early settlers had to rely on shipments from Europe while their planted seeds began to grow.
The first cultivation was in Jamestown in 1607, but the apples were so bitter they were not for eating. The bitter apples were only good for the colonists to make cider. Instead, the colonists were more likely to make meat pies.
Thousands of years of cultivation created a large array of species of apple in many shapes, colors and sizes. In the American colonies, countless orchards began to spring up and apple trees began a huge genetic change. John Chapman (1768-1847), also known as Johnny Appleseed, made it his life’s quest to supply many states with countless new seedlings.
By the 18th century, apples used in pie began to become a popular desert in America and remains so today.
It is evident that the apple is woven into the fabric of America. The presence of the apple, which predated the country by millions of years, has been among us since the beginning, at first in bitter form. It’s presence has served us, been cultivated by us, and become a positive contributor to building our culture and society.
Likewise, Islam has been woven into the fabric of our society and culture from the beginning. Similar to the first bitter apple that the colonists tasted, you can choose to say it is too bitter and want nothing to do with it or you can make something positive from it.
Like the apple, once being planted by colonists in an ecosystem where no apples existed, Islam too has already been planted here by colonists where it had not existed. It is, and will forever be what you make of it. You can chose to help integrate it to help Muslims make a positive contribution to a society they love and have been a part of for over 238 years, or not. Regardless, Islam, like the apple, is here to stay.
Islam is as American as apple pie.
““You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ~The Bible
A few days ago, a fundamentalist Christian I knew from long ago was having a Facebook conversation with some of his friends about Islam in American history. His friend (another Christian) was citing history on the existence of Muslims who helped build America from it’s earliest beginnings. To my amazement, my friend denied the existence of Muslims until the mid-1900’s. As with many fundamentalist Christians that I know, the conversation then quickly digressed off topic to debating (self affirming) to each other as to how you must be saved, Muslims are the enemy and they all are going to hell.
My “friend” (now former) must not have realized that I was reading the thread. Their “Spirit filled, speaking in tongues and baptized in fire” Pentecostal sect believes that I am guided by the dark forces and deceived by Satan because I converted to Islam. So, when I imparted my knowledge affirming his friend’s assertions, I was soon after removed from his friends list!
Ordinarily, I’d think that a person who denies the existence of Muslims in early America is poorly educated on American history or at least has not put much thought on the topic. The problem for me by thinking that in this case is that this friend of mine is a scientist working on things like the cure for AIDS and is in his late 60’s. Not only has he had enough time on this earth and debated the topic enough to know better, but he is a well read and educated individual in his area of study. One would think that someone like him should know how to research topics that concern him enough to vehemently oppose such a notion.
It is typical of many political minded evangelical “Christian conservatives,” to believe that America is a “Christian” country and therefore no one else has played a role in it’s creation, existence or advancement. Despite the early colonies being founded by people fleeing religious persecution by other Christians in Europe, they still assert that America is a “Christian country” founded on “Christian values”. The ideology leads people to insinuate that no other religion played an integral part (Jews, Muslims, Hindu’s, Buddhists, Native Indian religions) or at least if they did, contrary to the Declaration of Independence, they are not equal and deserving of acknowledgement.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” ~Declaration of Independence
Of course, according to the history of the African and indigenous Indian in America, we know that American Christians in those days did not view everyone as equal.
“Most colonists were intolerant and fearful of American Indians whom they perceived to be a single, standard, homogeneous, and heathen Indian nation – and as such, a threat to white progress, humanity, and most importantly – Christianity.” ~Humbolt State University
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillMuslim Lands and Slave Ports
To find Islam in America, one does not have to look far beyond the question of, “Where did America get it’s slaves?” Everyone can agree it’s Africa that provided the supply of slaves to the Americas. What is one of the main religions on the continent of Africa? Just because Christian slavers captured, bought or kidnapped (in the case of freemen) Muslim black people and sold them to other Christians in the west, does not mean they were not Muslims, nor does it mean that they did not retain their identity as Muslims in many cases. It also does not negate their contributions to the founding and building of America. In fact, when bringing religion into the discussion, I’d even argue that to negate these facts (while claiming credit for Christendom) is to be complicit with colonial slave owners. It was a predominantly Christian slave owning society that denied, and took credit for, the contributions of Muslim (and other non-Christian) slaves on the basis of their African heritage.
A similar dubious argument is often made by Americans when they teach in schools that Christopher Columbus discovered America. The fact is, it wasn’t a European at all who “discovered” America. Who do we think the ancestors of the Navajo, Apache, Cherokee, Souix natives where (to name a few)? How much earlier did they land on the continent than Christopher Columbus or any European for that matter? How did Europeans (and later Americans) end up with “possession of the land”?
The American Indian paid perhaps the greatest contribution (forcibly) to the creation of America, not to mention the Aztecs, Mayan and other tribes in South and Central America.
It is a common theme of us “European” westerners to re-write history to our liking in an effort to feel a sense of pride or nationalism but lets give some credit here. Before we knew what a “Native American Indian” was, they were already here! And, from the moment we began bringing African Muslim slaves to the Americas (North, Central and South), Islam began it’s legacy among the colonial countries that now exist.
Did Muslims contribute significantly to the early colonies, the American revolution, creation of America and even the rebuilding of the nation after the revolutionary and civil wars? Absolutely. One cannot in good conscience deny the blood, sweat and tears of the African people brought here, many of whom were Muslims, on the basis that they were slaves.
In closing, I find it curious that it took a national tragedy for Americans to wake up and realize there were Muslims living in their country. We have been here since the beginning. We may not have looked like “those people” who came over upon the advent of the discovery of oil in the middle east. Our facial representations may evolve as a community, but Islam has always been woven into the fabric of society.
In dealing with the issue of photography, we naturally have to reach back and talk about Islamic art since they both deal with the thing people object to, images. Art creativity has been around since long before the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), but as Islam expanded to new regions different attitudes towards the arts emerged. As Islam spread rapidly throughout the middle east, the Umayyids (661–750CE) made some advances in the arts but were the predecessors of the Islamic Golden Age. The Umayyids spread Islam as a dynamic religion which adapted to local cultures and the arts within the limitations of Islamic civilisation.
The Umayyids were a ruling tribe from the tribe Banu Umayya. The Banu Umayya were a tribe of Quraysh who converted to Islam during the time of the Prophet, the most notable of them Uthman ibn Affan who went on to become the third Caliph during the Rashidun period. Uthman ibn Affan is considered the third of four ‘Rightly Guided Caliphs‘ who Sunni look to (in addition to Qur’an and Hadith) when interpreting Shari’ah. Caliph Uthman is also attributed with completing the very first full edition of the Qur’an begun under Abu Bakr’s term as Caliph.
Umayyid Caliphate 727 CE. Her features are those of an Arab woman. Archaeologists believe she is a songstress from the palace. Historical sources mention that songstresses were brought from the Hijaz region, in the western Arabian Desert, to sing in the Umayyad palaces of the Syrian Desert. (Source)Umayyid Caliphate 734 CE. Mosaic of Hisham’s Palace representation of the lion attacking the gazelle. It is thought the be the peace that follows the victory of Islam.
The Abassids where direct descendants of Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the youngest uncle of the Prophet Muhammad and overthrew the Umayyids in 750 CE. The Abassid reign under Caliph Harun al-Rashid built upon the culture and sciences of the Umayyids. The result was an explosion of advances in art, music, literature, science, medicine and much more that led Islam into a full blown Golden Age, while Europe plunged itself into the Dark Ages. It was this age that Europeans traveled to Islamic lands to study in Islamic universities to acquire education which they would carry back to Europe. Eventually, this led to the renaissance in 1300 CE pulling Europe out of the Dark Ages.
In the illustration on the right, a doctor and his assistant or patient stand on either side. (Source)
The Abbasid rule lasted from 750 CE until the Mongol invasion and sack of Baghdad in 1258 CE and killed Caliph al-Musta’sim. Dynastic struggles brought about political instability and declining institutions but it was this moment that marked the decline in Islamic civilisation. Islamic civilisation has not fully recovered since.
Islamic coin featuring human figure in art. American University of Beirut, LebanonAbbasid Bowl, 9th Century, Iraq. Qatar Museum of Islamic Art
Since the beginning, Islamic civilisation has been familiar with depictions of Allah’s creation. 1400 years of Islamic history tells us that these depictions were mostly permitted unless there was an element of shirk (idolatry) associated with it. Even in the case of art that had idolatrous significance that became owned by Muslims, it was often marked but not destroyed. Human (or any) representation for the purpose of worship is shirk (idolatry) and is strictly forbidden. However, the evidence shows that Muslims from all eras have never conclusively viewed representation of mundane figures as forbidden.
However, if we reach back to the Prophet’s example, although shirk is forbidden, we still do not see a total destruction or defacement of works of art among non-Muslim communities who were in alliances with Muslims. The Prophet himself demanded that Muslims respect other faiths and even participate in maintaining and repairing their religious buildings, which were decorated with paintings, statues and other works that would naturally have items of religious value considered shirk by Muslims. Examples:
“Assist in reconstruct (patch, remodel) their churches and monasteries, and this would be as aid to them in their religion and for their commitment to the covenant.” – Prophet Muhammad, Covenant penned in the Prophet’s Mosque by Ali bin Abi Taleb
In recent centuries an effort to re-establish the past glory of Islam’s Golden Age, many Muslims have come to believe that instead of building from where we were at the height of the Golden Age that we must dial back Islamic civilisation by viewing it all as bid’ah (innovation) involving varying degrees of shirk (idolatry). In doing so, there is considerable effort put into regressive ideologies that do not consider the ‘larger picture’ of the facts of Islamic history, modern living, culture, science, economy and governance. One such movement today, the Salafist movement, is preoccupied with forbidding the things that were once the pinnacle of Islamic civilisation from its earliest days to its decline at the hands of the Mongols. This movement began 300 years ago in the mid 1700s and is rooted in Saudi Arabian history. The fundamentals of this revivalist Salafist movement seems sound on the surface. It is more often overly zealous to avoid what it identifies as unnecessary bid’ah (innovation) and ascribes shirk (polytheism) where none exists. It’s marriage to the Saudi Arabian government often is problematic when interpreting Islam as it applies autocratic ideology within the country and in the movement worldwide. Since the earliest days, Islam has always been a more dynamic faith.
O people, beware of exaggeration in religious matters for those who came before you were doomed because of exaggeration in religious matters. – Sunan Ibn Majah
There is nothing wrong with being overly cautious, however, this seemingly monastic outlook is unnecessary and shouldn’t be put off as the only correct Islamic view. Furthermore, it is over-burdensome in a way Allah and the Prophet (PBUH) never intended for the believers. Such puritan ideas in the arts (among other things) are themselves a destructive bid’ah (innovation) of religion in my view.
God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful. – Qur’an 2:185b
God does not wish to place any burden on you: He only wishes to cleanse you and perfect His blessing on you, so that you may be thankful. – Qur’an 5:6
A bedouin urinated in the mosque and some people rushed to beat him up. The Prophet said: “Leave him alone and pour a bucket of water over it. You have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult.” – Riyad as-Salihin (Bukhari)
Interestingly, one of the things that most Muslims do not think about is the representation of one celestial body (sometimes accompanied by a second) that were once used by pagan idolaters that exists on most Mosques, many national flags or religious accessories today (like carpets). Like representations of humans, animals or plants, and unlike other symbols of faith, they are representations of Allah’s creation and people in the past have gone astray to worship them or use them for polytheistic purpose.
The Star and Crescent signifies victory, sovereignty and divinity. According to tradition, in 339 BC a brilliant crescent moon saved Byzantium (now Istanbul) from attack by Philip of Macedon. To mark their gratitude, the citizens adopted the Crescent of Diana as the city’s emblem. After Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, Byzantium became a Christian city in 330 AD and was renamed Constantinople. The Crescent was adopted from the goddess Diana and given a Star by the Emperor as symbolic of the Virgin Mary.
After 1299, during the reign of Sultan Osman Gazi of the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan had a dream of a crescent moon in every corner of the world with a “mighty wind, and turned the points of the sword-leaves towards the various cities of the world, but especially towards Constantinople.” The dream then became a symbol of the Ottoman dynasty. When Constantinople was conquered by Mehmed II in 1453, the crescent came to represent both Islam and the Turkish empire.
It is understood by all Muslims that this is merely symbolic and has no religious significance or polytheistic merit despite its idolatrous origins.
The night, the day, the sun, the moon, are only a few of His signs. Do not bow down in worship to the sun or the moon, but bow down to God who created them, if it is truly Him that you worship. – Qur’an 41:37
Yet, the Crescent and Star decorate our Islamic societies in the same way as picture art since the earliest days of Islam (unlike the Crescent and Star, such Islamic art never had any polytheistic or religious merit). We know with certainty that picture art decorated Mosques, town centers, palaces, homes, etc. since the Umayyids. There is one similarity between these two things (Crescent decoration and art) that tie this up into a neat bundle of understanding and is perfectly in line with Quran and Hadith. In creating and using these items, there is no intent to create a relic for people to venerate. No shirk is involved.
Modern Photography
Since the development of the camera, there has been the ongoing debate over whether or not taking a photograph is forbidden or permitted in Islam, but there has been little understanding about what photography actually is. There are two forms of photography addressed by the scholars, ‘still photo’ and ‘video’.
Though it shares all of the characteristics of imagination involved in creating a painting, photography today is not creating a picture, nor is it taking a picture. A photograph is a reflection of a scene that already exists. Photography is the control of reflective light bouncing off of a subject. Controlling this light is similar to the control of water if you were to open a water tap and fill a jug for use at a later date. Photography is both an art form and a science. Photography is applying the talent that Allah has given you to see something and adjusting the mechanisms to control light which in turn determines how it is recorded on a micro storage chip, resulting in a great photograph for you to consume (use) at a later date. Here is how it works:
In the above diagram light rays already exist, even in total darkness. You can adjust light with a flash or simply have a longer exposure. Light bounces off or radiates from something in the world and is constantly travelling towards your camera. When you point the camera at a subject, the image is bouncing off of your mirror (or shutter in the case of mirror-less). The aperture in your lens can be adjusted for a faster (larger) or slower (smaller) light setting. The shutter can be set slower to allow more light or faster to allow less light. The sensor that will record the light can be set to more or less light sensitive. When the settings are optimal the shutter is released for the specified time. When the shutter is released, light that is already travelling into your camera continues on its way to the sensor. The sensor is electronic and the light from the scene is interpreted by the CPU, converted to data and stored in your data drive. The still photo is called a ‘frame’. The data from the photo frame can be exported for data manipulation on your PC, stored or printed for whatever reason.
Whether you have a camera dedicated for television or movies, DSLR or mobile phone, all digital cameras are video capable. A video is a series of still photo frames that are taken with the correct lighting controls (aperture, shutter speed and sensor strength) that are recorded for playback into what is called ‘frame rate’. When they are played back, the frame rate is the number of images that are played back, displayed or projected per second. Although video can be viewed as a separate art form, it works in the exact same way that still photography works, with one exception: audio. Audio breathes life into the collection of rapidly projected photographs and is imprinted on what we call television, computer screens, tablets and mobile phones. It can also be frozen by frame and printed the same as a still photo with the right software. Although this is less quality and overlooked in place of more appropriate still photography, Ultra-High Definition is making for clearer television pictures as technology advances.
Photography has many beneficial uses and as with anything that exists can be abused. It has some very relevant purposes, such as to communicate, tell a story, inspire, capture history, innocent retention of memories and challenge creativity. All of this can be used for good causes like remembering lost loved ones, making a record of your life for your family, communicating beauty on various subjects, conveying emotions, identification for ID cards or social media profiles, journalism, education in all sciences, and much more.
Scholarly Opinions, are Opinions
In large part, scholars do ‘permit’ photographs, even if they forbid painting art. However, most Salafis, who have now propagated their movement worldwide with the support of the Saudi Arabian government, have taught that still photography is forbidden except for photo ID like passports, etc. Interestingly, in the same stroke of a brush they claim that taking video is permitted. In fact, there is no difference between the two from a photographic standpoint.
It seems a lot of us Muslims get amnesia when it comes to leaders like the Saudi Arabian King Salman and a number of other Muslim dictators across Arab ‘Muslim’ countries. Their imposing portrait paintings and photographs are plastered all over our Islamic societies. These types of paintings and photos are designed to remind us who is in charge, who we should fear and who we should admire, and I don’t think they have Qur’an, Sunnah or Allah in mind. Still two wrongs wouldn’t make a right and someone’s disingenuous argumentation doesn’t allow us a free pass, so lets examine this topic further.
Saudi Arabian King Salman
The evidences the scholars use to come to these conclusions are not based in Qur’an. There is no prohibition on drawing, painting, or creating art of any type in the Qur’an. The core message of Allah to Muslims is Tawheed (Oneness) and in the Qur’an He warns us about engaging in forms of idolatry. In other words, ascribing a supernatural quality, partnership, or divinity to corruptible things, either in Creation or that we create. If one examines the totality of hadith on the topic, there is a clear line in Islam between permissibly and discretion that indicates to us at what point our intent becomes the idolatrous behaviour which is prohibited in the Qur’an. Allah does not prohibit us from enjoying his creation through the arts, but limits us in our acts of divine adoration, supplication and worship to Him only. What I am speaking of is plain in the Quran:
If any, after this, invent a lie and attribute it to Allah, they are indeed unjust wrong-doers. – Qur’an 3:94
Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. – Qur’an 112
Further to the discussion, according to the Qur’an Allah even blessed Prophet Sulaiman (a.s.) and his family to enjoy these things that were made for them.
They made him whatever he wanted- palaces, statues, basins as large as water troughs, fixed cauldrons. We said, ‘Work thankfully, family of David, for few of my servants are truly thankful.’ – Qur’an 34:13
The Qur’an is our primary source as it is the most authentic source. The hadith are our secondary source because they are not the words of Allah but a series of chain narrations that have been authenticated and recorded hundreds of years later (longer than it took for parts of the Bible to be put on papyrus), hence all hadith must be looked at in light of the Qur’an.
The prohibitions imposed by scholars who prohibit photographic art are entirely based on a group of hadith that if seen together, in light of Qur’anic verses and the history of what purpose many images served in the time of the Prophet, they can be easily understood as they always have been since the time of the Prophet Muhammad when Islam was perfected.
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. – Qur’an 5:3
Here is what the scholars say:
According to Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the subject matter of a photograph is factor in prohibition. For example, nude or semi-nude photographs, drawings or paintings would be forbidden because they go squarely against Islamic morals. Such a prohibition would also include portraits of tyrants or people who are leaders or celebrities that propagate immoral behavior. He also includes subject matter like religious symbols, such as crosses, idols, etc.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, says, “Photography as a medium of communication or for the simple, innocent retention of memories without the taint of reverence/shirk does not fall under the category of forbidden Tasweer [picture/image].
One finds a number of traditions from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, condemning people who make Tasweer, which denotes painting or carving images or statues. It was closely associated with paganism or shirk [association of partners with Allah]. People were in the habit of carving images and statues for the sake of worship. Islam, therefore, declared Tasweer forbidden because of its close association with shirk. One of the stated principles of usul-u-Fiqh( Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) is that if anything directly leads to haram [forbidden acts], it is likewise haram. In other words, Tasweer was forbidden precisely for the reason that it was a means leading to shirk.
The function of photography today does not fall under the above category. Even some of the scholars who had been once vehemently opposed to photography under the pretext that it was a form of forbiddenTasweerhave later changed their position on it – as they allow even for their own pictures to be taken and published in newspapers, for videotaping lectures and for presentations; whereas in the past, they would only allow it in exceptional cases such as passports, drivers’ licenses, etc. The change in their view of photography is based on their assessment of the role of photography.
Having said this, one must add a word of caution: To take pictures of leaders and heroes and hang them on the walls may not belong to the same category of permission. This may give rise to a feeling of reverence and hero worship, which was precisely the main thrust of the prohibition of Tasweer. Therefore, one cannot make an unqualified statement to the effect that all photography is halal. It all depends on the use and function of it. If it is for educational purpose and has not been tainted with the motive of reverence and hero worship, there is nothing in the sources to prohibit it.”
Imam Afroz Ali, writes, “…the dominant opinion of the modern Scholars of High Knowledge is that photography is permissible as long as they are of benefit and not for any harmful or prohibited purposes, and that photographs of humans and animals not be displayed [on a wall].”
Sheikh Ibn Baz and other more restrictive scholars expressly forbids photographs and art, claiming that the areas that he deems ‘doubtful’ should be avoided. I’ve included a portrait of him here to illustrate that this type of outright restriction seems disingenuous.
The swiftness that Shiekh Ibn Baz and others exchange ‘avoidance’ (or other qualifiers) with ‘forbidden’ regarding photography is concerning. Qur’an says:
Be a community that calls for what is good, urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong: those who do this are the successful ones. – Qur’an 3:104
God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful. – Qur’an 2:185b
You who believe, do not forbid the good things God has made lawful to you- do not exceed the limits: God does not love those who exceed the limits – Qur’an 5:87
Allah has never given a command forbidding picture making, but he has forbidden shirk, that we know in the Prophet’s time was more often associated with picture making. In the same ease of saying it is a ‘doubtful’ area (since it isn’t mentioned directly in Qur’an, hadith and history seem to conflict) that the Sheikh forbids it, we can also say that it is permitted unless shirk is involved. With the same logic to forbid it we can also make it permitted as something good for us, unless misused in ways against Qur’anic teaching of Tawheed. It’s important to note also that where these scholars used to expressly forbid it in all cases, many have now changed their views regarding some of it. Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi has even noted this among some of these Salafist scholars:
“The Salafis also have developed in several jurisprudence issues, such as “photography,” which they used to consider one of the major crimes, but now they consider it allowed.”
My viewpoint
As a photographer, I would also say that there is legitimate reason to photograph some of these things Sheikh Al-Qaradawi mentions depending on circumstance. For example, education, journalism, news reporting, etc. The line to draw is in the intent of the photograph. For example, a picture of a cross can tell a story that can illustrate to the audience a valid educational opportunity or simply can serve as a mere collection of memories on a holiday trip to the Vatican, etc. Conversely, a portrait of a nation’s regime leadership is intended to portray them in a false light that exalts them, normalises them, reinforces their rule or washes out their crimes. I agree with Sheikh Kutty that the line is drawn at the use and function of it.
According to the sum of the hadith that even Sheikh Ibn Baz lists, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) dealt with issues where the images were closely associated with promoting shirk, which was common in the culture of his time. The intent of such art was towards advancingbeliefs contrary to Islam. Centuries of Islamic civilisation dating back to the earliest surviving examples from the 7th century through the Islamic Golden Age serve as an indicator of how this topic was interpreted by the early sahabbah [companions] and subsequent scholars. Surviving documents dictated by the Prophet Muhammad himself tell us how even in some cases Muslims were ordered to repair and maintain properties of other faiths that (as common in that time) would have had religious statues, paintings and other image art incorporated into their architecture. Such a notion is still completely in line with Qur’an that expressly forbids Muslims from engaging in all forms of shirk while serving a higher purpose of Islamic civilisation.
If we consider the sum of all hadith, the Qur’an, historical context since the time of the Prophet and sahabbah, agreements the Prophet Muhammad has made with non-Muslim groups and even later Islamic history leading into the Golden Age, we can see that the hadith that many people today use to prohibit all image making is really only prohibiting Muslims from the making of relics.
I’ve also found that many scholars do not understand what photography is and have not properly consulted the industry and educated themselves on the science. When making rulings on any topic this is imperative. In the end we are responsible to Allah for ourselves. Photography is a beautiful art that has many purposes. When you take photographs, consider your subject matter, is it haram? What is the intent of the image, education, saving a memory? In the end, you are the best qualified to chart the course of your life. Don’t surrender your mind to others who wish to use the ‘just in case’ reasoning to ban photography.
We have bound each human being’s destiny to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out a record for each of them, which they will find spread wide open, ‘Read your record. Today your own soul is enough to calculate your account.’ Whoever accepts guidance does so for his own good; whoever strays does so at his own peril. No soul will bear another’s burden, nor do We punish until We have sent a messenger. – Qur’an 17:13-15
My view is that if you feel you need to go that extra mile to avoid something, then do it. However, such personal convictions shouldn’t be imposed on others. It could be that Allah has permitted it, as I believe is clearly shown in in light of all of the facts of Qur’an, hadith and history. The one who does not transgress the limits set by Allah (shirk) is exercising a creative right given by Allah to enjoy for a better purpose. There are things Allah has made clear and other things He has not. Of the things He hasn’t made clear He has left us room for growth. Both the conservative and liberal thinker can be right within the confines of what Allah has set out for us in the Qur’an. In the end, we must have faith in Allah that He is the God He says He is, the Most Merciful. Niyyah (intentions) is the foundation for every act in Islam.
Messenger of Allah said, “The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention. So whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for”. – Riyad as-Salihin [Bukhari and Muslim]
Allah would, however, raise them according to their intention. – Sahih Muslim
Pray: Muhammad Berkati, Indonesia, Arts and Culture; 2015 Sony World Photography Awards
Allah has given us a beautiful gift and it should be used for His glory and our enjoyment. An art that portrays a sense of skill, pride, joy and beauty in the world is not forbidden from Allah, it is a gift of Allah.
And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride and use for show; and He has created (other) things of which ye have no knowledge. – Qur’an 16:8
The Decline of Islamic Empire and Colonization from 1700’s – 1950’s.
Upon the end of the Crusades from Europe, Crusaders and their families saw conquered territories as lands ‘flowing with milk and honey’. Many of them chose to immigrate to these territories in the Middle East, Asia Minor and North Africa. The warring kings of Europe, formerly the Roman Empire, had stagnated their economies by wasting their resources in their bitter wars against each other and in the Crusade campaigns. The newly conquered territories were rich in food, raw materials, precious metals and other resources valuable to Europe. It offered prime opportunity for the kings of Europe to establish ‘colonial’ governments among the former Crusaders, who had immigrated into these conquered territories, in order to tap the rich resources of the land and export them to Europe. After Europe revitalized its economies colonialist expansion had begun.
The French invasion (1798-1801): The three-year French occupation was too short to exert any lasting effects on Egypt, despite claims to the contrary. Its most important effect on Egypt internally was the rapid decline in the power of the Mamluks. The major impact of the French invasion was the effect it had on Europe. Napoleon’s invasion revealed the Middle East as an area of immense strategic importance to the European powers, thus inaugurating the Anglo-French rivalry for influence in the region and bringing the British into the Mediterranean.
The effects of colonialism on the Islamic State is quite evident. Territories rich in resources, and populated by indigenous races, were exploited by colonial governments. Innovative technology was brought in from Europe to exploit agriculture, demolish precious monuments, enforce colonial rules and customs. The once fertile lands began to succumb to famine, disease, and death. The Islamic State began to erode and become dependent on the colonial governments for aid and technological advances. When, even as noted in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, the kings of Europe showed no mercy and refused aid then insurrections occurred demanding independence. For many, the extent of the damage had already occurred. Today, these former colonies established within the boarders of the Islamic State struggle with the effects colonialism.
Then as now, Afghanistan was the center of that struggle, offering Britain countless challenges until, in 1878, Lord Frederick Sleigh Roberts asserted control over Afghanistan. In 1880, he marched 10,000 troops from Kabul to Kandahar to the aid of a beleaguered British garrison. The battle left 600 Afghans and 35 British dead, a token of the bloodshed that has steeped the region’s wars and convinced outsiders of the perils of intervening there. The British withdrew in 1881 after many battles and uprisings, leaving the country in the hands of a native ruler. He, in 1893, agreed to a division of tribal areas that became Afghanistan’s northeastern border with British India — and that is now its troublingly porous border with Pakistan.
The British role in molding the theater of today’s regional conflicts was by no means just military. With World War I under way, Britain and France reached a secret deal to carve up the Middle East. And that deal — the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 — was central to the western division of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1920’s, a moment that, for radical Islamists like Osama bin Laden, is mourned as the final passing of the Muslim Caliphate that dated to the Prophet Muhammad and reviled as an episode of profound cultural humiliation.
As for the modern contest of Israeli and Palestinian nationalisms, its seeds were sown by imperial British involvement in the Arab world, which has also shaped many of the borders and conflicts that endure to this day in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In the so-called Balfour Declaration of 1917, Britain promised support to the Zionist project, even as British officials were maneuvering to sponsor Arab independence.
Post colonial period from 1950’s – present.
Many of the trends in Muslim countries are a result of the third historical period as Muslims, like much of the third world, struggle to define themselves in a post-modern world.
After colonialism had left, very little stability was left behind and the original Islamic State no longer existed. The Caliphate, which was under the Ottoman’s, Sunni Muslims from Turkey, eventually was dismantled in 1929.
This led to the creation of a “ruling class” where the people are secondary to the dictators regime.
Disputes like we see today in Palestine, Kashmir and elsewhere are lasting effects of the colonial period.
The former Islamic State has now been divided into various countries and power given to those who continue to rule their nations in the same harsh colonialist fashion. Muslims struggle under sometimes brutal oppression from dictators, kings and police states. Most are devoid of the values that existed in the Islamic State and are frequent violators of Human Rights.
The significant spread of Islam in early Arabia begins in 622 CE. in Medina. The Prophet Muhammad and his followers were bitterly persecuted by the Arabs in Makkah and subsequently migrated to Medina. There, with the help of the local Jews and Christians the first Islamic State was established.
Legend on map:
Ottoman Empire 1923
Ottoman Empire 1683
Safavid Empire mid-6th C.
Safavid & Uzbeks mid-16th C.
Rightly Guided Caliphs 632-661
Umayyad expansion 661-750
Abbasid expansion 750-1258
Mughal Empire mid-16th C.
Conquest-Occupation
Islamic Golden Age from 622 – 1700’s.
Islam, as a political system, was established as a Government where Jews, Christians, Muslims and pagans lived together under alliances that afforded peace and tolerance. The Prophet made many political alliances that allowed communities of peoples from other faiths and political systems to play an active role in the Islamic Government.
During Abu Bakr’s term, the Islamic Government in Arabia was surrounded by two super-powers, the Great Roman Empire and the Persian Empire. Both Empires were very cruel and oppressive of their people. With the help of key players (Christians) within those empires, Abu Bakr liberated considerable portions of both Empires, which made valuable additions to the State and established a sound system of justice.
While Europe was going through the Dark Age, the Islamic State began to blossom into a Golden Age, offering freedom and opportunity for people of all ethnicities and faiths. During the first 115 years of the Abbasid Caliphate, (from 750 to 1258 CE) the State saw a record growth in the fields of the arts of literature and music, the sciences (especially astronomy), philosophy, mathematics, medicine, culture, commerce, and industry. Arabic, the language of the Qur’an became the language of international scholarship. In addition to the capital, Baghdad, many provincial centers competed with each other in intellectual attainment. Modern cultural practices such as the use of napkins and dessert after meals originated from the Islamic State.
In 751 CE, with the help of a few Chinese prisoners, the Abbasid governor of Samarqand founded the paper industry. In 800 CE paper mills were established in Baghdad and Damascus. In 900 CE one was established in Cairo. By 1150 CE several were established in Morocco and Spain. As a result, Islamic learning spread rapidly into Europe and much of today’s western learning is based from this Islamic Golden Age.
In 756 CE, Amir Abd ar-Rahman came to power in Spain. His term also contributed to the Islamic Golden Age. He organized a system of law and justice and was very fond of knowledge and learning. Great architecture advancements came from his term as he built magnificent Masjids and other buildings. Countries from all over Europe sought the knowledge and learning from Spain during his term. Islamic Universities were the only educational institutions free of charge.
In 830 CE the seventh Abbasid Caliph, al-Mamun, established the famous House of Wisdom in Bagdad. The Greek language gave way to Arabic as a form of expression of scientific and philosophical ideas. Classical Greek literature was translated into Arabic and Arabic speaking scholars wrote a number of renowned commentaries.
At the awakening of Medieval Western Europe, the scholars first turned to Arabic translations of Aristotle, Euclid, Ptolemy and many others. In order to enrich Christian Europe in scientific, medical and philosophical studies, these works had to be retranslated into Latin. This was mainly done in Muslim Spain and Sicily and these books served as textbooks in universities for centuries.
The Decline of Islamic Empire and Colonization from 1700’s – 1950’s.
Upon the end of the Crusades from Europe, Crusaders and their families saw conquered territories as lands ‘flowing with milk and honey’. Many of them chose to immigrate to these territories in the Middle East, Asia Minor and North Africa. The warring kings of Europe, formerly the Roman Empire, had stagnated their economies by wasting their resources in their bitter wars against each other and in the Crusade campaigns. The newly conquered territories were rich in food, raw materials, precious metals and other resources valuable to Europe. It offered prime opportunity for the kings of Europe to establish ‘colonial’ governments among the former Crusaders, who had immigrated into these conquered territories, in order to tap the rich resources of the land and export them to Europe. After Europe revitalized its economies colonialist expansion had begun.
The French invasion (1798-1801): The three-year French occupation was too short to exert any lasting effects on Egypt, despite claims to the contrary. Its most important effect on Egypt internally was the rapid decline in the power of the Mamluks. The major impact of the French invasion was the effect it had on Europe. Napoleon’s invasion revealed the Middle East as an area of immense strategic importance to the European powers, thus inaugurating the Anglo-French rivalry for influence in the region and bringing the British into the Mediterranean.
The effects of colonialism on the Islamic State is quite evident. Territories rich in resources, and populated by indigenous races, were exploited by colonial governments. Innovative technology was brought in from Europe to exploit agriculture, demolish precious monuments, enforce colonial rules and customs. The once fertile lands began to succumb to famine, disease, and death. The Islamic State began to erode and become dependent on the colonial governments for aid and technological advances. When, even as noted in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, the kings of Europe showed no mercy and refused aid then insurrections occurred demanding independence. For many, the extent of the damage had already occurred. Today, these former colonies established within the boarders of the Islamic State struggle with the effects colonialism.
Then as now, Afghanistan was the center of that struggle, offering Britain countless challenges until, in 1878, Lord Frederick Sleigh Roberts asserted control over Afghanistan. In 1880, he marched 10,000 troops from Kabul to Kandahar to the aid of a beleaguered British garrison. The battle left 600 Afghans and 35 British dead, a token of the bloodshed that has steeped the region’s wars and convinced outsiders of the perils of intervening there. The British withdrew in 1881 after many battles and uprisings, leaving the country in the hands of a native ruler. He, in 1893, agreed to a division of tribal areas that became Afghanistan’s northeastern border with British India — and that is now its troublingly porous border with Pakistan.
The British role in molding the theater of today’s regional conflicts was by no means just military. With World War I under way, Britain and France reached a secret deal to carve up the Middle East. And that deal — the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 — was central to the western division of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1920’s, a moment that, for radical Islamists like Osama bin Laden, is mourned as the final passing of the Muslim Caliphate that dated to the Prophet Muhammad and reviled as an episode of profound cultural humiliation.
As for the modern contest of Israeli and Palestinian nationalisms, its seeds were sown by imperial British involvement in the Arab world, which has also shaped many of the borders and conflicts that endure to this day in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In the so-called Balfour Declaration of 1917, Britain promised support to the Zionist project, even as British officials were maneuvering to sponsor Arab independence.
Post colonial period from 1950’s – present.
Many of the trends in Muslim countries are a result of the third historical period as Muslims, like much of the third world, struggle to define themselves in a post-modern world.
After colonialism had left, very little stability was left behind and the original Islamic State no longer existed. The Caliphate, which was under the Ottoman’s, Sunni Muslims from Turkey, eventually was dismantled in 1929.
This led to the creation of a “ruling class” where the people are secondary to the dictators regime.
Disputes like we see today in Palestine, Kashmir and elsewhere are lasting effects of the colonial period.
The former Islamic State has now been divided into various countries and power given to those who continue to rule their nations in the same harsh colonialist fashion. Muslims struggle under sometimes brutal oppression from dictators, kings and police states. Most are devoid of the values that existed in the Islamic State and are frequent violators of Human Rights.
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