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?

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

·        Defiance of authority

·        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.