Question: What is the ruling on changing the face of a person, that is: his image, via the app Snapchat and it has become widespread among the youth? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: “This is prohibited and from the plot of Shaytan. He promised that, when Allah cursed him and distanced him [from the Paradise], he (Iblis) said:
وَلآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ
And indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allah [4:119]
So they change their form and their features by imitating the disbelievers or imitating women. Yes”
Translated by
Faisal bin Abdul Qaadir bin Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
Translator’s Note:
Some of these Snapchat filters distort the image of a person by making them appear as an animal, or make a woman appear as if she has a beard, or a man appear as if he is a woman with make-up on, or turn a person’s face into that of devil etc. All of these are prohibited matters according to the Legislation.
Prohibition of Imitating Animals
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said
لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ السَّوْءِ، الَّذِي يَعُودُ فِي هِبَتِهِ كَالْكَلْبِ يَرْجِعُ فِي قَيْئِهِ
“There is no bad example with us. He who takes back his present is like a dog that swallows back its vomit.” [al-Bukhari no. 2622]
Hafidh Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy upon him) said in commentary of this Hadith:
“It is not necessary for us Muslims to adopt blameworthy qualities which resemble the most degraded of animals” [Fathul-Baari (6/278)]
The Prohibition of Men Imitating Women and Vice Versa
Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that:
قَالَ لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمُتَشَبِّهِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ بِالنِّسَاءِ، وَالْمُتَشَبِّهَاتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ بِالرِّجَالِ
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) cursed those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of women and those women who are in the similitude (assume the manners) of men [al-Bukhari no. 5885]
The Prohibition of Imitating Devils
Imam Ibn ul-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “The Legislation has come to prevent the imitation of the disbelievers, animals, devils, the imitation women [by men], Bedouins, and every deficient person” [al-Furusiyyah (pg. 45)]
