The sale and purchase of films containing images of beings with souls
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa No. ( 20657 )
Q: Currently, computer devices known as "Sony" have become widespread, which are intended for children. They contain many and varied games with animated graphics of cars, people, animals, and so on. Some of these tapes—or discs—contain indecent images of men and women that resemble real images. These are most often found at the beginning of the tape, where there is an introduction that explains the story of the tape or the competition. It is similar to a video film, presenting a story that shows what is inside the tape, and the images are very clear. However, this introduction is engaging and short, so that the child becomes eager to continue the journey and enter the competition without discussion or dispute. Among the tapes I have seen myself is one labeled "RESIDENT EVIL." In the introduction, it mentions that at the beginning, a scene appears in which a woman is nearly naked, wearing clothes that go only to her mid-thighs, and her clothing is very tight, so that her body is sculpted and her chest is very prominent.
And her two legs, and that woman travels in a two-wheeled vehicle and reaches a place, gets out, and enters it, and finds what is called the bar, which is a place where intoxicants are circulated and where prostitutes abound. However, this place is empty of people, and the woman moves through it. Suddenly, she finds a man who was consuming intoxicants, and when he saw her, he wanted to seize her—naturally, to commit fornication with her—but she escaped. This is their attempt to make the viewer believe that a woman, even if she is immodest and licentious, can remain honorable and chaste. Then she finds other drunkards, but she is still fleeing from them, and the show ends with this, so that the child continues the task at the peak of anticipation and excitement: what will they do to her if they catch her? When the race begins, the child is the one who moves the woman, and the drunkards are behind her. If one of them catches her, he starts kissing her and embracing her, and the child watches and continues the game. If the drunkards manage to catch her and defeat the racer, one of them pounces on her, throws her down, jumps on her, and begins kissing her and committing zina with her, but the image is not shown fully. The rest of the drunkards also pounce on the prey, and the child or children watch, and perhaps they are together, and perhaps they tried to perform their act. The scene stops, and in this way, children become accustomed to watching these scenes. There are also wrestling tapes, in which the man appears naked
except for the private parts, and there are also tapes in which the woman is bathing but covers herself with a barrier that may reveal some of her charms, and so on. The questions are: 1. What is the ruling on buying or selling this device, knowing that it is a distraction for children and prevents them from going to the street and watching obscene films, and knowing also that there are tapes that do not contain obscene images or scenes, such as car racing and the like? What is the ruling on selling or keeping them, and on selling or buying their tapes? 2. What is the ruling on staying in front of it for long hours, for children and adults? 3. What is the ruling on the music in it? 4. If it is forbidden, what is the alternative for children? 5. What is your advice to the owners of the commercial stores that import and sell it?
A: It is not permissible to buy or sell films containing images of living beings, due to the numerous pieces of evidence in the Shari'ah regarding the prohibition of images, whether in their manufacture, sale, or assistance. The prohibition becomes stricter and the sin greater if they contain the spread of fornication and encouragement of it, such as exposing private parts, kissing, immodesty and uncovering, free mixing between the two sexes, zina, sodomy, or otherwise, whether they are
films directed at children or adults, and the one who promotes them or assists in them has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, and he has a share in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nur 24:19] the verse. We seek refuge in Allah from the causes of His anger and punishment. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Currently, computer devices known as "Sony" have become widespread, which are intended for children. They contain many and varied games with animated graphics of cars, people, animals, and so on. Some of these tapes—or discs—contain indecent images of men and women that resemble real images. These are most often found at the beginning of the tape, where there is an introduction that explains the story of the tape or the competition. It is similar to a video film, presenting a story that shows what is inside the tape, and the images are very clear. However, this introduction is engaging and short, so that the child becomes eager to continue the journey and enter the competition without discussion or dispute. Among the tapes I have seen myself is one labeled "RESIDENT EVIL." In the introduction, it mentions that at the beginning, a scene appears in which a woman is nearly naked, wearing clothes that go only to her mid-thighs, and her clothing is very tight, so that her body is sculpted and her chest is very prominent.
And her two legs, and that woman travels in a two-wheeled vehicle and reaches a place, gets out, and enters it, and finds what is called the bar, which is a place where intoxicants are circulated and where prostitutes abound. However, this place is empty of people, and the woman moves through it. Suddenly, she finds a man who was consuming intoxicants, and when he saw her, he wanted to seize her—naturally, to commit fornication with her—but she escaped. This is their attempt to make the viewer believe that a woman, even if she is immodest and licentious, can remain honorable and chaste. Then she finds other drunkards, but she is still fleeing from them, and the show ends with this, so that the child continues the task at the peak of anticipation and excitement: what will they do to her if they catch her? When the race begins, the child is the one who moves the woman, and the drunkards are behind her. If one of them catches her, he starts kissing her and embracing her, and the child watches and continues the game. If the drunkards manage to catch her and defeat the racer, one of them pounces on her, throws her down, jumps on her, and begins kissing her and committing zina with her, but the image is not shown fully. The rest of the drunkards also pounce on the prey, and the child or children watch, and perhaps they are together, and perhaps they tried to perform their act. The scene stops, and in this way, children become accustomed to watching these scenes. There are also wrestling tapes, in which the man appears naked
except for the private parts, and there are also tapes in which the woman is bathing but covers herself with a barrier that may reveal some of her charms, and so on. The questions are: 1. What is the ruling on buying or selling this device, knowing that it is a distraction for children and prevents them from going to the street and watching obscene films, and knowing also that there are tapes that do not contain obscene images or scenes, such as car racing and the like? What is the ruling on selling or keeping them, and on selling or buying their tapes? 2. What is the ruling on staying in front of it for long hours, for children and adults? 3. What is the ruling on the music in it? 4. If it is forbidden, what is the alternative for children? 5. What is your advice to the owners of the commercial stores that import and sell it?
A: It is not permissible to buy or sell films containing images of living beings, due to the numerous pieces of evidence in the Shari'ah regarding the prohibition of images, whether in their manufacture, sale, or assistance. The prohibition becomes stricter and the sin greater if they contain the spread of fornication and encouragement of it, such as exposing private parts, kissing, immodesty and uncovering, free mixing between the two sexes, zina, sodomy, or otherwise, whether they are
films directed at children or adults, and the one who promotes them or assists in them has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, and he has a share in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.