What is the ruling on pictures of animate beings (such as a sparrow or a bee) drawn on the covers of school textbooks? Are they considered to be debased, requiring their obliteration, or is it sufficient to turn the book over? And what is the ruling on pictures found inside books, such as pictures of scholars, anatomical or pathological images, including pictures of women?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It appears that photographs taken with a device are permissible and do not need to be effaced, due to the widespread nature of their use and the fact that some are for educational purposes and teaching.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/194066
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 194066
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy