Playing music and songs to children-heading

Question:

I would appreciate if you could answer the following question:
Through advancement of modern technology we are seeing the advent of such telephones which display pictures of both caller and receiver are mahrams or if both are of the same sex, will there be any impermissibility according to the Shariah to use such telephones?

(Khalil Ahmed Kazi, England)

Ans:
The pictures displayed on the telephone sets are in fact images produced by electronic waves. Since these images are not durably preserved, they are not included in the pictures prohibited by Shariah. Therefore, the use of such telephones will not be impermissible because of containing pictures. It will have the same ruling as seeing another person directly and therefore in the situation you have mentioned in your question it will not be impermissible to see the images appearing on the screen of a telephone.

(January-2000)