Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Photography is the taking of pictures of living and/or animate beings such as people and birds. Taking pictures is prohibited in Islam. This is based on a number of Prophetic tradition which include the following:

On the authority of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud who said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘Among the people who will be most severely punished on the Day of Resurrection will be the image-makers.'” (An-Nasa’i)

On the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying, “Every painter will go to Hell, and for every portrait he has made, there will be appointed one who will chastise him in the Hell.” Ibn ‘Abbas said: If you have to do it, draw pictures of trees and other inanimate things. (Al-Bukhari and  Muslim)

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be exalted, says: ‘Who does more wrong than the one who tries to create something like My creation? Let him create a grain of wheat or a kernel of corn.'” (Al-Bukhari)

`Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any built-up tomb without levelling it, and do not leave any picture in any house without erasing it.” (Muslim and An-Nisa’i)

There are two ways for taking pictures:

1) drawing a picture by hand. This is prohibited according to the previous hadith. It is an imitation of the creation of Allah.

2) taking a photo by using a camera. Scholars differed on it. Some of them maintained that it is permissible since it does not involve any imitation of the creation of Allah. This is similar to looking at the mirror. An image is just a reflection of a real face which is taken by a camera. It is only prohibited if it includes the images of women, nudity, etc.

Allah Almighty knows best.