Fatwa No : 82515
Recording a Video While Slaughtering a Sacrificial Animal

Recording a Video While Slaughtering a Sacrificial Animal

Honorable Mufti Sahib (may your blessings endure)! During the days of Qurbani, it is observed that many people record videos while slaughtering their sacrificial animals. In these videos, the scenes of the animal struggling and the blood flowing are clearly shown. Kindly provide guidance regarding the ruling on making such videos. Jazakum Allahu Khayran!

الجوابُ حامِدا ًو مُصلیِّا ً

It should be clarified that if pictures of living beings are limited only to the screen and are not printed out, the scholars differ regarding whether such images are unlawful or not. According to our research, such images are not included among the prohibited ones. Therefore, if photographs or videos are not printed, there is Shariah allowance for making them. However, in the present era, since photography and videography have become so widespread, people’s hearts are gradually losing the sense of prohibition and dislike for images. Hence, their use should be restricted to the extent of necessity. Therefore, in the case under discussion, if the purpose of making videos of animals during slaughter is to publicize the painful scenes of their struggling and bloodshed, then making such videos is highly undesirable and meaningless. Thus, one should avoid making such videos. However, if the intention is merely to keep the video of the animal as a personal memory, then there is allowance for making such a video.

مأخَذُ الفَتوی

کما فی تکملۃ فتح الملہم: أما التلفزیون والفدیو فلا شك فی حرمۃ استعمالہما بالنظر إلی ما یشتملان علیہ (الی قولہ)أما الصورۃ التي لیس لہا ثبات واستقرار ولیست منقوشۃ علی شئ بصفۃ دائمۃ، فإنہا بالظل أشبہ منہا بالصورۃ ویبدو أن صورۃ التلفزیون والفیدیو لا تستقر علی شئ في مرحلۃ من المراحل إلا إذا کان في صورۃ ’’فیلم‘‘ فإن کانت صور الإنسان حیۃ بحیث تبدو علی الشاشۃ في نفس الوقت الذي یظہر فیہ الإنسان أمام الکیمرا، فإن الصورۃ لا تستقر علی الکیمرا ولا علی الشاشۃ وإنما ہي أجزاء کہربائیۃ تنتقل من الکیمرا إلی الشاشۃ وتظہر علیہا بترتیبہا الأصلي ثم تفنی وتزول (إلی قولہ) وعلی ہذا: فتنزیل ہذہ الصورۃ منزلۃ الصورۃ المستقرۃ مشکل اھ (4/164)۔