Assalaamualaikum Mufti Sb. I hope you are well.
Over the past year or two a particular series has gained quite some popularity. ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’. It is was originally a T.V series but a lot of people just watch the series online. It is made in Turkey (produced by Muslims, actors are all Muslim etc.).
The entire series is focused on the Ottoman Empire, how it came to life, who were the major personalities and what opposition etc. they faced. It teaches Islamic beliefs, respect for the Prophet (PBUH), upholding the commands of Allah and sacrifice for his sake etc. Quite clearly its purpose is to educate the Turkish people in particular, and all those across the world that watch it in general, about these values as well as putting in their hearts respect and honour for the Ottoman Empire and how they governed. As you can assume, this series has become very popular amongst Muslims all over, who spend hours watching all these episodes etc.
My Question is, is it permissible to watch this?
The reason I’m asking is because I am in two thoughts about this.
On one side I feel it should be fine because the purpose is good, its produced by and all the actors are Muslim and its based on good teachings and values that are found in Islam also.
On the other hand, I feel maybe its not allowed because it isn’t the normal method of learning and teaching in Islam, or its best to avoid because the time can probably be used in a better way although this isn’t particularly bad. The other thing is that music can be occasionally heard and there are young women actors as well, who are quite attractive (but they are Muslim and sometimes cover their hair), of course you can sometimes see their breast and body shape, but I guess that’s not really something that can be avoided.
Could you please clearly mention the ruling on watching these Muslim to remove my confusion. JazakallahuKhayran
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The tv series ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ is a historical tv series focused on the events leading to the formation of the Ottoman Empire. The series is remarkably accurate in its depiction of the events that occurred. It is also known for its unique decision to abstain from the use of nudity within the series.[1]
As Muslims, it is part of our faith to be passionate about anything that demonstrates the superiority and dominance of Islam. As such, we understand why Muslims feel empowered by such a tv series. We also understand the need to educate the masses regarding Islamic history, including the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Considering it from this angle, there is some benefit to the series.
However, the permissibility of something in the Shari’ah is not solely based on the fact that it has benefits in it. Wine and gambling also have benefit in them, yet they are prohibited. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran, Surah Baqarah, Verse 219,
يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَا
Translation: “They ask you regarding wine and gambling. Say (O Muhammad), in them is a great sin and benefit for the people. (But) their sin is greater than their benefit.”
The Holy Quran clearly acknowledges that there are benefits in wine and games of chance. However, the harms in wine and gambling are more than the benefits. It is clear from this that the Shari’ah has also considered the harms of wine and gambling in issuing a decree.
Similarly, while we acknowledge the benefits of this tv series, there are also violations of the Shari’ah in these series, for example,
- Free intermingling with the opposite gender. If we were to permit the series, it would imply that segregation of sexes and hijab are not a requirement whereas hijab and segregation of sexes are explicitly ordained by Almighty Allah in the Holy Quran,
وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ
Translation: “And say to the believing women that they must lower their gazes and guard their private parts, and must not expose their adornment”
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى
Translation: “Remain in your homes, and do not display (your) beauty as it used to be displayed in the earlier days of ignorance.”
وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ
Translation: “And when you ask anything from them (the blessed wives of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), ask them from behind a curtain. That is better for the purity of your hearts and their hearts.”
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ
Translation: “O prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they should draw down their shawls over them”
The above verses are clear that hijab is compulsory infront of ghair mahrams. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also prohibited looking at the face of a non-mahram woman. See the following hadith,[2]
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِعَلِيٍّ: ” يَا عَلِيُّ، لَا تُتْبِعِ النَّظْرَةَ النَّظْرَةَ، فَإِنَّ لَكَ الْأُولَى وَلَيْسَتْ لَكَ الْآخِرَةُ “.
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said to Ali (RadiyAllahu Anhu): “O Ali! Do not allow your glance to follow a glance, because the first (glance) is forgiven but not the second.”
The mere claim of no nudity in the tv show is no justification of the show being permissible.
- There is also music in the series. If we were to permit the series, it would imply that music is also permissible whereas music is clearly prohibited in Quran and hadith. See the following,[3]
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّخِذَهَا هُزُوًا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ
Translation: “And of the people is one buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.”
Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallahu Anhu) said: amusement of speech in this verse refers to music.[4] The following hadith also shows the impermissibility of music.[5]
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: فِي هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَسْفٌ وَمَسْخٌ وَقَذْفٌ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَمَتَى ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: إِذَا ظَهَرَتِ القَيْنَاتُ وَالمَعَازِفُ وَشُرِبَتِ الخُمُورُ
Translation: “Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “In this Ummah will be earthquakes, disfiguration (of faces which will be transformed into apes and pigs) and showers of stone (descending on them from the heaven).” A man from among the Muslimeen said: “O Rasulullah! When will this be?” Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “When singing girls and musical instruments will become profuse and when liquor will be consumed (in abundance)”
- The main purpose behind the series is to incite patriotism, especially amongst the Turkish nationals, who were its initial intended target audience. The series puts the Turkish people and their values at the forefront, thereby relegating Islam (and its rise, values and history) to the background. As such, it will not be correct to say that the purpose behind the show is to educate the masses regarding Islamic history. If one truly desires to learn about Islamic history, including that of the Ottoman Empire, there are a plethora of well written interesting books available on the subject.
The above mentioned violations of Shari’ah are more detrimental to ones Imaan than the perceived and assumed benefits in the series. Furthermore, the series is viewed as a form of entertainment in which many hours of ones valuable time is wasted.
Intermingling of sexes, music and patriotism are some of the main causes of the moral decline and retrogression of the Ummah. Hence, it is incumbent upon us to abstain from viewing such series.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Yusuf Pandor
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
:وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا اتُّخِذَ الْفَيْءُ دِوَلًا وَالْأَمَانَةُ مَغْنَمًا وَالزَّكَاةُ مَغْرَمًا وَتُعُلِّمَ لِغَيْرِ الدِّينِ وَأَطَاعَ الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَتَهُ وَعَقَّ أُمَّهُ وَأَدْنَى صَدِيقَهُ وَأَقْصَى أَبَاهُ وَظَهَرَتِ الْأَصْوَاتُ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ وَسَادَ الْقَبِيلَةَ فَاسِقُهُمْ وَكَانَ زَعِيمُ الْقَوْمِ أَرْذَلَهُمْ وَأُكْرِمَ الرَّجُلُ مَخَافَةَ شَرِّهِ [ص:1501] وَظَهَرَتِ الْقَيْنَاتُ وَالْمَعَازِفُ وشُربتِ الخمورُ وَلَعَنَ آخِرُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ أَوَّلَهَا فَارْتَقِبُوا عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ رِيحًا حَمْرَاءَ وَزَلْزَلَةً وَخَسْفًا وَمَسْخًا وَقَذْفًا وَآيَاتٍ تَتَابَعُ كَنِظَامٍ قُطِعَ سِلْكُهُ فَتَتَابَعَ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ
سنن الترمذي ت شاكر (4/ 495) [5]
2212 – حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الكُوفِيُّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ القُدُّوسِ، عَنْ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ يَسَافٍ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: فِي هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ خَسْفٌ وَمَسْخٌ وَقَذْفٌ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَمَتَى ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: إِذَا ظَهَرَتِ القَيْنَاتُ وَالمَعَازِفُ وَشُرِبَتِ الخُمُورُ: وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا الحَدِيثُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَابِطٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلٌ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ