Fatwa ID: 05658

Answered by: Alimah Sofia Mirza

Question:

I’ve really been looking for an answer to this for a while. Is it permissible to hang paintings with silhouettes of people and images of people, but without their full body and facial features?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Hanging pictures of animate objects is not permitted in general, the respected scholar Mufti Muhammed Shafii has mentioned that if the facial features have been removed then it will be permissible to keep such images, however, if the facial features remain and the body is removed then it will still be impermissible to keep such images[1]. In silhouettes of people if the facial features including the nose cannot be seen it will be permissible however if it is a side pose where the nose and such can be seen which will then be impermissible, however it is best to refrain from such images overall as a measure of cautiousness.

Only Allah knows best

Written by Alimah Sofia Mirza

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1] Fatawa Darul Ulum Zakariyyah, Vol 7, Pg. 697.