Does using pictures of microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses) on a promotional poster for a laboratory fall under the ruling concerning pictures of animate beings?

There is no harm in photographing microorganisms (bacteria and viruses) and using their images in promotional posters and other materials, because images of living beings, if their features like eyes, nose, and mouth are not clear, do not fall under forbidden images due to the absence of resemblance [to God's creation].

The lack of clear features can be either due to the small size of the image, such that its details are not visible to the viewer, or because its features are obliterated from the outset. Hanafi jurists have stated that small images whose features are not discernible do not make prayer disliked in their presence.

Among what has been reported regarding this is what Ibn Abidin said in his marginalia on "Durr al-Mukhtar": "(His saying: 'not discernible, etc.') This is more precise than what is in Al-Qahastani, who said: 'such that it does not appear to the observer except with close scrutiny, as in Al-Kirmani, or it does not appear to him from a distance, as in Al-Muhit.' Then he said: 'But in Al-Khazanah: if the image is the size of a bird, it is disliked, and if it is smaller, then not.'"

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said: "That whose image is not discernible despite having limbs, a head, and a neck, but without eyes and a nose: there is no harm in it; because this does not resemble the creation of Allah." He added: "If the image is not clear, meaning it has no eyes, no nose, no mouth, and no fingers: then this is not a complete image, nor does it resemble the creation of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted."