102262: Taking pictures of student activities with a video camera and digital camera

What is the ruling on recording by video cameras and digital cameras in schools, in order to document the activity and submit it to the administration, as per their request?.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible to take pictures of student activities with the video camera and digital camera mentioned, for the purpose of documenting the activity so that the administrators may study it, so long as these images are not produced in any fixed format such as on paper. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

With regard to pictures made in the modern fashion, they fall into two categories:   


The second category is fixed or still pictures on paper (photographs) … 

But the matter needs further discussion if one wants to make these kind of permissible pictures. For they are subject to five rulings which depend on the intention. If the intention is something forbidden, then it is haraam. If he intends something waajib (obligatory), then it is waajib. Sometimes pictures may be essential, especially moving pictures. For example, if we see someone in the act of committing a crime against a person’s rights, such as an attempt to kill and so on, and we cannot prove it in any way but by taking pictures, then in this case taking pictures becomes waajib, especially in cases where pictures may decide the case. The means are subject to the rulings on the ends. If we make these pictures in order to prove the identity of a person for fear that someone else may be accused of the crime, this is also acceptable, indeed it is essential.   

But if we take these pictures just to enjoy looking at them, this is undoubtedly haraam... And Allaah knows best.” (See Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/197-199)  




And Allaah knows best.

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