Question:
RESPECTED MUFTI,
ALHAMDULILLAH MY FAMILY AND MYSELF OFFER OUR PRAYERS 5 TIMES A DAY AND ALSO RECITE THE HOLY QUr’aN. MY EMAIL IS REGARDING TV. VIEWING. WE WERE HEAVILY INTO WATCHING TELEVISION SINCE I CAN REMEMBER UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2005. WE REALISED THAT IF WE ARE PURSUING ALLAH’s PATH THEN WE SHOULD NOT BE WATCHING FILMS AND SERIALS WHICH ARE ONE OF THE MAIN SOURCES USED IN TODAY’s TIME AND AGE TO SPREAD RELIGION BY NON MUSLIMS. ALSO TODAY TELEVISION IS ONLY CHANGING FOR THE BAD. WE WERE ONLY WATCHING QTV. RECENTLY, SOME INCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN THE CITY AND EVERYONE WAS GLUED TO THE TV. SETS FOR WATCHING THE NEWS ON THAT INCIDENT. HENCE WE ALSO STARTED WATCHING NEWS CHANNELS AND FROM THEN ON WE’VE BEEN WATCHING NEWS DAILY ALONG WITH WATCHING OTHER CHANNELS LIKE DISCOVERY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, ANIMAL PLANET, CARTOON CHANNELS AND QTV. WHILE WE ARE WATCHING, WE ARE QUICK ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY CHANGE THE CHANNEL, IF ANYTHING INDECENT COMES ON IT. I FEEL TELEVISION IF USED FOR VIEWING THE RIGHT KIND OF THINGS CAN BE INFORMATIVE AND SAFE. LIKE I SAID, INSTEAD OF WATCHING ALL THE CHANNELS, WE’VE CHOSEN TO WATCH ONLY THE ABOVE MENTIONED SELECTED CHANNELS
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS THE OPINION OF THE VARIOUS ULAMAA ON THIS ISSUE. I AM SENDING THIS EMAIL TO DIFFERENT ULAMAA TO KNOW THE OPINION OF EACH SCHOOL OF THOUGHT. IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG IN WATCHING ONLY THESE CHANNELS? KINDLY REPLY SOON, I’LL BE WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER
Answer:
On television the reflection of living things are portrayed. Regarding this reflection some Ulama are of the opinion that it is an image. In Shari’ah it is not permissible to create images of living things; therefore it won’t be permissible to watch such programmes in which there are reflections of animate objects. By watching these programmes one aids the creation and production of images of animate objects.
In opposition to this some Ulama are of the opinion that the reflection portrayed on the TV. does not fall under the rule of images. Therefore those living things which can be seen in real life may be viewed on TV. There isn’t only one type of channel played on TV nor is there one programme screened continuously, during a programme there’re adverts and many other unlawful things played. Therefore majority of the Ulama are of the opinion that to keep a TV in one’s house and/or to watch TV is not permissible.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
08 August 2006
13 Rajab 1427