Taking pictures of women in Qur’aan teaching centres and showing them on satellite channels
Question

                What is the ruling on photographers entering Qur’aan teaching centres to take pictures of a lesson given by one of the female daa‘iyahs, knowing that the photographer will move among the women who are listening to the lesson, so that they can show their pictures in a lesson that will be broadcast on an Islamic satellite channel?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Women are 
    obliged to cover their entire bodies in front of non-mahram men, because of 
    evidence that we have quoted previously in the answers to questions no.
    11774 and
    92801 

    It is not 
    permissible to allow anyone to take pictures of women when their faces are 
    uncovered or to transmit these pictures on satellite channels or otherwise. 

    We have 
    previously discussed the negative consequences of women participating in 
    satellite channels -- even if they wear niqaab. Please see the answer to 
    question no. 134785 

    Shaykh ‘Abd 
    ar-Rahmaan ibn Naasir al-Barraak (may Allah preserve him) was asked: What is 
    the ruling on a female daa‘iyah appearing on TV in full shar‘i hijab for the 
    purpose of da‘wah and fatwas? 

    He replied: 
To proceed: 
    
    The basic 
    principle is that the woman is fitnah in her image and her voice. The 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I am not leaving 
    behind me any fitnah more harmful to men than women.” (Agreed upon). Hence 
    those who follow their whims and desires are very keen to introduce women 
    into all media programming, both audio and video. Based on that, it is not 
    permissible for a woman to appear on TV, even if she is wearing hijab, in 
    the name of da‘wah and giving fatwas, because innumerable men will listen to 
    her even if she only appears on the channel on the basis of teaching women. 
    Moreover, there is no need for her to undertake da‘wah and issue fatwas via 
    TV channels. The basic principle is that that is to be done by men, and men 
    are more suited to that. Throughout Islamic history men have been the ones 
    to teach, call people to Islam and issue fatwas in the mosques and so on. 
    They are the khateebs and imams. It is not permissible for women to do any 
    of these things unless it is among other women. 

    Moreover it is 
    well known that women’s participation in video and audio media results in 
    things that are contrary to sharee‘ah, such as their going out 
    unnecessarily, mixing with men, making images of them even if they do wear 
    hijab. This results in negative consequences that Islam came to prevent, as 
    Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “O wives of 
    the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to 
    Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of 
    hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, 
    but speak in an honourable manner.

    And stay in 
    your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of 
    ignorance”

    [al-Ahzaab 
    33:32-33].

    A woman may be 
    making a display of herself in her clothing even if she wears hijab. 

    Based on the 
    above I say: It is not permissible for a woman to appear on satellite TV 
    channels as a daa‘iyah, mufti or teacher. Rather she should restrict her 
    da‘wah activities to her fellow women at home or in a school or in the 
    women’s prayer space in the mosque. 

    On this 
    occasion we advise our sisters who are in charge of Islamic channels to fear 
    Allah and not to be deceived by the words of those who have wrong views and 
    do not see anything wrong with women appearing on Islamic channels and even 
    promote that and support it with specious arguments. It is sufficient to 
    note that this is in accordance with the whims and desires of modernists, 
    who do not care about anything but falsehood or that which leads to 
    falsehood. Hence they like the Islamic channels on which women appear and 
    they regard them as keeping pace with modern times, and they do not like the 
    channels on which no women appear and they regard them as backward and 
    describe the people in charge of them as being extremists. These people are 
    like those of whom Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the 
    meaning):

    “but those 
    who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate 
    tremendously away from the Right Path”

    [an-Nisa’ 
    4:27]. 

    We ask Allah 
    to guide us to the straight path and to keep us away from the path of those 
    who earned His Anger and of those who went astray. End quote from 
    Shabakat Noor al-Islam. 

    And Allah knows best.