Question:
Is it permissible for me to have a TV in my house if majority of my family only watch the news, sports and Islamic channels? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
There
is great harm in watching TV. Even news and sports programmes contain many
things which are sinful and prohibited in Islam. Therefore, you should not keep
a TV in your house. Please find attached an article on the harms of watching TV
and movies. Watching TV and
movies Watching TV and movies is not
permissible according to Islam because TV programmes and movies constitute
multiple sins, of which even one would be sufficient to render something
impermissible. The heinous effect TV and movies have had globally is as
apparent as daylight, and yet those intoxicated by the effects of TV and movies
cannot see this. One of the specialities of TV and movies is that it makes even
a sensible person deaf, dumb and blind in that he deems permissible and
acceptable the evils and sins displayed and promoted by TV and movies that he
would normally, without hesitation, declare to be sinful and evil. He lets
himself and his family watch and enjoy the evils that he would normally do
everything to keep himself and his family away from. Such is the intoxicating
effect of TV and movies that it causes all sense of morality and uprightness to
go right down the drain. And because of this, families are breaking apart;
immorality, lewdness and promiscuity are becoming the order of the day, the
youngsters are becoming more disrespectful to their parents and elders, the
youngsters and the adults alike are straying further away from the beautiful
teachings of Islam and are instead adopting the ways and lifestyle of the
immoral people, people are becoming more and more
materialistic and are harbouring aversion to religion, and many other heinous
acts are taking place that one would feel ashamed to write about. May Allah Ta’ala protect us. Hereunder are some sins that
a person commits by watching TV and movies: ·
Looking
at people of the opposite gender without dire necessity and in a way prohibited
by Islam. The Quran commands the males and females alike to lower their gazes,
and this is not feasible in the case of TV and movies. ·
Looking
at people who are considered nude in Islam. ·
Listening
to music. Music is a great sin in Islam. ·
Displaying
pictures in the house. According to the hadith, pictures prevent angels of
mercy from entering the house. If there are no angels of mercy in the house,
the house will be full of devils. ·
Watching
and listening to immoral people, thereby, creating
admiration for them and their ways. The hadith tells us that a person in the
life hereafter will be with the ones he loves and admires. ·
Watching
and listening to things that are forbidden according to Islam, thereby,
supporting such forbidden things. ·
Wasting
time. Time is very precious according to Islam. ·
Putting
oneself in a state of heedlessness. And because of this heedlessness, many salaats are not offered on time or at all. ·
Supporting
the list of evils mentioned below that TV and movies promote. ·
By
letting one’s family watch TV and movies, he invites them to commit all
of the evils above and below. Therefore, instead of inviting them to the
teachings of Islam, he invites them to the wrath of Allah. Instead of guiding
them to paradise, he guides them to the fire of Hell. Not only are TV and movies
evil in themselves, they quite boldly and openly promote evil in all its forms.
The following are some evils that movies and TV promote indiscriminately that
can be observed by any unbiased, sensible and honest person: ·
Nudity ·
Promiscuity ·
Intermingling
of the genders ·
Profanity ·
Offensive
language ·
Taking
alcohol and drugs ·
Vulgarity ·
Vanity
and arrogance ·
Violence ·
Crime ·
Greed ·
Corruption
·
Dishonesty ·
Atheism
·
Secularism ·
Mockery
of religion ·
Disrespect ·
·
Disobedience
of parents, teachers and elders. ·
Following
ones whims and desires indiscriminately Please remember that the list
above is by no means exhaustive. The gist of the above is that
a Muslim who fears Allah the Almighty and believes in the Day of Judgement and
life after death should stay far away from TV and movies. He should, instead,
spend his free time in things that please Allah Ta’ala
such as listening to lectures of the Ulama
(scholars), reading the Quran, hadith and Islamic literature, taking part in ilmi and deeni gatherings, etc.
Also, one should take the warnings contained in the following Quranic verses
seriously: Translation: O you who believe! enter into Islam fully
and do not follow the footsteps of Satan; surely he is your open enemy.
(Quran 2:208) Verily Satan is an enemy
to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents that they may
become companions of the Blazing Fire. (Quran 35:6) And let not Satan turn you
aside. Lo! he is an open enemy for you. (Quran 43:62) The reckoning has drawn
near to men, and in heedlessness are they turning aside. (Quran 21:1) O you who believe, save
your souls, and those of your families, from the fire whose fuel is men and
stones, over which are set angels fierce and terrible; who disobey not Allah in
what He has commanded them, but perform what they are commanded. (Quran 66:6) A poet has pertinently
described the evil of letting loose and not controlling ones gaze, and it aptly
applies to watching TV and movies: كل الحوادث
مبداها من النظر
... ومعظم النار من
مستصغر الشرر والمرء
ما دام ذا عين يقلبها
... في أعين العين
موقوف على الخطر كم نظرة
فعلت في قلب فاعلها
... فعل السهام بلا
قوس ولا وتر يسر ناظره ما
ضر خاطره ... لا مرحباً
بسرور عاد بالضرر Translation: All evil occurrences begin
with ones glance, And most fires are caught
by (negligence of) those who deem sparks insignificant. A man remains in danger as
long as his eyes scrutinize the eyes of (beautiful) women with large (gorgeous)
eyes, How many a glance has done
to the heart the same as what an arrow would do -- without any bow or string. The one glancing is
pleased with what harms his inner self. No thanks to pleasure that
brings harm. |
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