Question: A picture which is in the form of a human without the details of its body being clear, such as its eyes and mouth and it is black, resembling a shadow, is this considered from the pictures which possess a soul which it is obligatory to obliterate?
Answer: “Yes it is considered one. As long as the head is distinguishable. For example, if a person draws a picture or takes a picture from behind, then the head continues to be distinguishable.
الصورة الرأس ، فإذا قطع الرأس ، فلا صورة
The picture is the head, if the head is cut off it is not a picture
[Saheeh Jami no. 3864]
Jibreel ordered the Prophet (ﷺ) to sever the head of the image until it became like the form of a tree”
[Source]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
