Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Using Snapchat filters is not inherently haram in Islam unless it involves deception or misrepresentation. Muslims should exercise caution and ensure their use of such platforms aligns with Islamic values. By fostering honesty and avoiding unethical behavior, one can engage with social media responsibly and in accordance with faith.
In responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Here is what I found about it during my search:
“Snapchat may provide the perfect medium for maintaining relationships with close friends, without the pressure to present one self in extraordinary form, say scientists who delved into why people use the addictive social platform which allows short, quick posts. Due to its brevity, Snapchat could be the best form of communication in a world where people struggle with a seemingly diminishing attention span.”
“People use Snapchat a lot because of its entertainment and functional needs,” said J J Delacruz, graduate student at Texas Tech University in the US. “For certain people, it enables them to overcome communication apprehension by using a different means of communication where they don’t have a threat in their face. At the same time, there are people who are addicted to it,” said Delacruz.”
If this is the function of Snapchat and you do not intend to cheat or misrepresent yourself or anyone, then like any other innocent medium, it is not objectionable.
If, on the other hand, you were to use it to disguise your identity or cheat and deceive people, then it would be haram or forbidden.
I pray to Allah to save us all from sins and to help us remain steadfast.
Almighty Allah knows best.
