Photography: Is It Included in مُصَوِّرون?

The word صُورَةٌ in Arabic refers to an image, form, or shape, not just a “picture.”

The verb صَوَّرَ comes from Bāb II (فَعَّلَ) in Arabic morphology, which often carries the meaning of actively causing or effecting a change in something — such as forming, shaping, or transforming it into a particular state.

Thus, صَوَّرَ conveys the idea of actively producing or shaping an image/form.

Importantly, this verb is connected not merely to the end product (the image itself), but to the process of forming and shaping — the act of bringing something into a particular form.

The act of صَوَّرَ is called تَصْوِير.

From this verb comes the word مُصَوِّرٌ (plural: مُصَوِّرون), meaning one who forms or depicts, i.e., the one who performs تصوير.

Summary:

صَوَّرَ — to form, shape

تَصْوِير — forming, shaping (the act)

مُصَوِّرون — those who form/shape

The Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“The people who will receive the most severe punishment on the Day of Judgement are the مُصَوِّرون. It will be said to them: give life to what you have created.”

This ḥadīth is authentically reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

In the context of this and other narrations scholars understood تصوير to relate to depicting beings with souls (such as humans and animals).

Very large number of authentic aḥādīth, reported through multiple companions, warn about the severe punishment of the مُصوِّرون, indicating the seriousness of this issue in the Sharīʿah.

Based on the linguistic meaning of the word مُصوِّر, many scholars held that any form of depicting animate beings is prohibited, regardless of the method—whether by drawing, painting, carving, or modern tools—since, as discussed earlier, the prohibition relates to the process itself.

The majority of the leading scholars of the Ahl al-Ḥadīth — including Shaykh Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī and others — held that photography falls under this prohibition, permitting it only in cases of necessity (such as identification documents and similar needs).

This is because, when a person uses a camera, their intention is still to make a picture, and thus they are engaging in the act of تصوير.

However, there are few other scholars, who distinguished photography from traditional image-making, arguing that it is merely capturing a reflection rather than creating a form.

This discussion illustrates how rulings—especially in matters of scholarly disagreement—are often connected to the Arabic language and the meanings of words, highlighting its importance in understanding Islamic texts.

It also highlights that when connection to Fuṣḥā Arabic weakens and reliance shifts heavily to translation, the original depth and precision of meaning can become diluted, which in turn may affect and sometimes distort one’s understanding of the texts.