Is a video or audio recording considered sufficient evidence to convict a person in times of discord, given the ease of manipulation therein, and what is the ruling on accusing a Muslim in their religion based on watching a video?
A video or audio tape is not sufficient to convict a person due to the deception and misdirection that can accompany recording and reproduction. It is not permissible to accuse a person regarding their religiosity merely by seeing their image, because facial features can be superimposed onto another body. Allah has forbidden ill-suspicion, as He says: ﴿O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.﴾ And the Prophet ﷺ said: "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech." However, if the person in the image is known for open transgression and declares it publicly, then there is no harm in accusing them and holding ill-suspicion towards them.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 63680
- 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