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Is working as a journalist forbidden or permissible, and does the ruling differ if the newspaper attacks religion but the journalist does not participate in that, or if it belongs to an institution that owns other artistic publications? And is taking pictures of individuals for investigations permissible or forbidden, and does it differ if the person is mistaken?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Islam has been keen on women and their chastity, so it commanded them to stay in their homes and permitted them to go out for legitimate needs. It is preferable for her to work in a domestic field, and if she is compelled to work outside the home, it should be in a women-only environment, while adhering to Sharia guidelines such as wearing the hijab and avoiding mixing with men or speaking in a soft, enticing manner.

It is permissible for a woman to work in journalism if she adheres to Sharia guidelines and it does not affect her duties. It is not permissible to work for a newspaper that attacks religion, because that is cooperation in sin.

Taking photographs is permissible for a legitimate benefit. There is no objection to working for a newspaper owned by an institution that has bad publications, provided that the newspaper is independent and free from Sharia violations.

It is not permissible to work for newspapers and magazines that are not free from Sharia violations, except out of necessity. "And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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