O servants of Allahﷻ, the Most Powerful and Majestic,
In our ongoing Friday sermon series titled “Clothing from the Perspective of Islam,” over the past few weeks we have been discussing whether images can be placed on our clothes and ornaments, and which types of images are permissible.
Now, in the modern era, we encounter new forms of images that did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ.
During the time of the Prophet ﷺ, when people spoke of an “image,” it meant something drawn on a wall, painted on cloth, or printed onto a surface. Images were permanent. If someone’s picture was drawn, it remained there until erased and redrawn.
That is what “image” meant in that time. But today, we see images on televisions, computer screens, and mobile phones. We watch videos. We see photographs. So, the question arises: do these falls under the same ruling as the prohibited images mentioned in hadith?
If every image were prohibited in the same way, then we could not even possess smartphones, because they constantly display pictures and videos. So, we must first understand what “image” meant. An image, in the classical sense, was permanent and fixed. It remained in one place. It did not change unless physically altered.
But modern digital screens are different. On a single screen, millions of images appear and disappear continuously. Nothing is permanently fixed there. Today it shows one person: tomorrow another. If the power is off, nothing appears. It is just a blank screen.
Therefore, these digital displays are not permanent images in the traditional sense. They are more like mirrors. Consider a mirror. When you stand before it, your image appears. Does that mean the mirror contains your image permanently? No. It merely reflects. When you step away, nothing remains.
No one says that looking into a mirror is prohibited because it shows an image. Mirrors existed during the time of the Prophet ﷺ, and there was no prohibition against looking into them. Why? Because the image is not embedded in the mirror — it is only reflected.
Similarly, modern screens function in a reflective or display-based manner. They show data temporarily. They do not contain a permanent image. Therefore, what appears on a TV, computer, or phone screen is not the same as a painted or printed image.
The ruling depends on what is being shown. If a screen shows something halal — for example, a cooking tutorial — that is permissible. If, it shows something haram — such as obscenity — that is forbidden. The ruling follows the content, not the mere presence of pixels.
Just as a mirror may show something lawful or unlawful, the prohibition applies to what is being viewed, not to the mirror itself. The same applies to screens.
Anything you are allowed to see directly with your eyes, you may also see through video. Anything you are not allowed to watch directly; you should not watch through a screen either. The category of “prohibited images” should not automatically be applied to digital displays. Now consider printing.
If you take a digital image and print it onto paper, it becomes permanent. It no longer changes like a screen. It now resembles the classical definition of an image. At that point, the rulings regarding physical images apply.
So as long as it remains within an electronic device — in memory, on a screen — it is not considered a permanent image in the traditional sense. But once printed, it becomes one. The same principle applies even to modern AI-generated images.
Artificial Intelligence can now create images and videos that never existed in reality. For example, you can upload a photo and generate a video of yourself doing something you never did — dancing, speaking another language, even appearing in another country.
These are fabricated digital constructs. They are not real, nor are they permanent unless printed. Because AI can fabricate anything, many countries are even cautious about accepting video or audio evidence in court unless verified.
These AI-generated images are essentially digital illusions. They are not permanent objects. They only exist as programmable displays unless converted into printed form.
If you generate an image of yourself standing on the moon, it is fiction. It appears only on the screen. But if you print it, then it becomes a permanent image subject to the rulings of physical images. The principle remains the same:
An image becomes subject to traditional rulings when it is made permanent — printed, painted, carved, or physically fixed. As long as it remains a changing digital display, it does not fall under that category. A memory card may contain dozens of films, yet physically it is tiny. The images are not physically inside in the classical sense; they are coded data rendered temporarily on a screen.
Thus, modern technology should not automatically be treated under the rulings of permanent image-making. However, content still matters. AI or digital tools must not be used to create false accusations, immorality, deception, or harm. Lying, slander, and fraud remain prohibited regardless of technology. The medium does not change moral law.
So, the summary is:
- Digital screen displays are not permanent images.
• The ruling depends on content — halal content is permissible; haram content is forbidden.
• Once printed or made permanent, the classical rulings apply.
• AI-generated images follow the same principle: screen display is not the same as permanent physical imagery.
Islam is not opposed to modern technology. It is opposed to wrongdoing.
In sha Allahﷻ, we will continue discussing related matters in the upcoming posts.