Photography is a Sin, According to India’s Leading Islamic Seminary

[Roger Hicks]

Let's expose all wrong thinkers in the universe and talk about camera stuff just now and then. We're so smart, are we not?

You mean you shoot digital?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

some say satan himself used a leica...

If you listened to Old Harry's Game, you'd know he's a Nikon, err, demon.

😉

 

[Mackinaw]

Back when I was a kid (1960's), my best friend was Islamic. His family took their religion very seriously, they weren't part-time Islamics. I spent many an hour at his house when I was young and I can tell you that they took pictures of everything. My buddy's dad even and asked my father to help him fix a Polaroid camera that he has a having problems with at the time. I find the petapixel article a bit confusing.

Jim B.

 

[Roger Hicks]

The point is, you can dig up gibbering loonies from any country and any religion. When you start pointing the finger like this it's sometimes a good idea to look in the mirror: if not personally, then nationally. It rapidly become apparent how alarmism and xenophobia, indiscriminately promoted, commonly turn into a two-way street.

Cheers,

R.

 

[redisburning]

I don't understand how it can be ok to get your picture taken for an ID card but at no other time.

I wonder then if when Muhammad conquered Mecca he issued ID cards to all of his soldiers? It must have been hard to keep track of who was who in those days.

 

[FrankS]

Let's expose all wrong thinkers in the universe and talk about camera stuff just now and then. We're so smart, are we not?

Let's just not talk about anything you don't want to talk about. Does that work for you?

 

[daveleo]

Based on 90+% of the stuff posted on the internet, they are correct in calling photography a sin . 😀

Seriously though - look at the threads here on RFF regarding the legality or the morality of photographing people in public. Legal people use the word "illegal", religious people use the word "sin".

Everyone has an opinion on the topic, you know.

(When I was a kid they taught us if you ate meat on Friday your soul would burn in the fires of hell for all of eternity - how sick was that !)

 

[mfogiel]

"Photography is unlawful and sin. Hadith (recorded Islamic tradition) warns sternly against it. Do not do this course. You should search any suitable job based on your engineering course."

It is the same problem with every religion. Pretending to know what is right and wrong on basis of fairy tales, and more - imposing this on fellow humans.

I firmly adhere to the cult of Bertrand Russel's tea pot, circulating on an orbit of the Sun. At least this particular pot has no opinions about photography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot

 

[FrankS]

"I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world." - Richard Dawkins

For myself, I have to amend this quote to "...many religions...".

 

[pakeha]

The 7 deadly sins

1. Greed - Wanting too much of something. should i but a M?
2. Gluttony - Similar to greed, but gluttony is the action of taking too much of something in. should i buy another M
3. Lust - The need to fulfill unspiritual desires (not just sexual desires, but this is usually what lust is associated with.) mmmm...i want that M
4. Envy - Jealousy; wanting to have what someone has. everyone else has got an M..why not me?
5. Sloth - Being too slow or lazy at doing something. I want an M, how much should I pay
6. Wrath - Vindictive anger; angry revenge. dont buy an M,you will not be taking better pictures
7. Pride - Being too self-satisfied Well ive got 4 M`s
😉

 

[Boris Stupak]

Who cares, if they don't want to take pictures, let them do what they want.

It's only when they tell ME what to do or not is when we break out the weapons.

 

[cosmonaut]

I am going to a hell just like mama said......

 

[Brian Legge]

I saw this earlier today and did some searching to see if I could find the background. The earlier posts in this thread seem on target.

http://my.opera.com/Quran%20and%20Hadith%20/blog/2011/02/28/ruling-on-photographs

Note that I don't have a background here and don't know the context of the quotes in this link. It does give some insight though in to where the ideas come from.

Also note that the people pushing this argument explicitly talk about how photography is common practice in plenty of islamic places, etc. It definitely does read like a somewhat fringe group.

As a friend pointed out in response, plenty of strict religious Jews and Christians could take issue with nylon/cotton or wool/acrylic blends if they strictly followed Leviticus 19:19 -- "Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee."

 

[Addy101]

It is the same problem with every religion. Pretending to know what is right and wrong on basis of fairy tales, and more - imposing this on fellow humans.

As a gnostic atheist, I hate it when people describe religion as "fairy tales" 😡

In Christianity and Judaism the Bible tells the believers: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. This is the reason why protestant churches don't have statues or pictures. Islam forbids idolatry and pictures of people are traditionally considered as a form of idolatry - that is why you will find beautiful geometric figures in Andalusia. I don't consider this a problematic position, as long as this vision isn't forced upon me.

 

[hausen]

Who cares, if they don't want to take pictures, let them do what they want.

It's only when they tell ME what to do or not is when we break out the weapons.

I agree with this totally. Live and let live. Imagine what second hand Leica prices would be like if they were into photography as well?

 

[frank-grumman]

I'd expect that the photographic prohibition has to do with keeping secret the identity of the 72 Virgins 🙂 😀

 

[zauhar]

I don't understand how it can be ok to get your picture taken for an ID card but at no other time.

I wonder then if when Muhammad conquered Mecca he issued ID cards to all of his soldiers? It must have been hard to keep track of who was who in those days.

Similarly, I believe it is acceptable for a Muslim to consume alcohol if it is part of a prescribed medication. Generally Islam is quick to make exceptions to the rules if there is a compelling reason.

I think that the Quran only prohibits making idols, and I guess some Imams took that even further.

Randy

 

[Boris Stupak]

I am not in the least bit interested in what is prohibited or acceptable for Muslims, and the less I hear about it, the better. I am not the least bit interested about what is in the Quran either, and I like it that way.

 

[zauhar]

I am not in the least bit interested in what is prohibited or acceptable for Muslims, and the less I hear about it, the better. I am not the least bit interested about what is in the Quran either, and I like it that way.

Just making conversation.

 

[frank-grumman]

Yes!!

Yes!!

I am not in the least bit interested in what is prohibited or acceptable for Muslims, and the less I hear about it, the better. I am not the least bit interested about what is in the Quran either, and I like it that way.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 You, Sir, have plunked the magic twanger with this post. 🙂