Ruling on displaying films of ancient artifacts
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. Your Eminence, the father, the questioner says: One of the Islamic channels aired films about excavations of ancient artifacts. Yes, he says, may Allah reward you. One of the Islamic channels aired films about excavations of ancient artifacts in several Islamic countries. So what is the ruling on this action? Is it a revival of the relics of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance?
The Shaykh:
A list of what?
The questioner:
(peace and blessings be upon him) on one of the Islamic channels airing films about excavations of ancient artifacts in several Islamic countries, what is the ruling on this action? Is it a revival of the relics of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance?
The Shaykh:
If it includes displaying idols and objects of worship other than Allah, yes, this is a revival of matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. But if it is merely buildings, or merely wells, or things that are not worshipped other than Allah, the matter in this is easy, yes. However, it should be for the sake of taking a lesson, not merely for information or admiration of their civilization or their power, yes.
The presenter:
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
As for idols, it is not permissible to research them, nor to bring them out, nor to broadcast them on satellite channels or elsewhere, because this is a revival of idols, and perhaps—or it is certain that some people will be inclined toward them and be affected by them—so this becomes a call to shirk (associating partners with Allah) and a means to shirk. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Makkah, he smashed the idols on the Ka'bah and those on al-Safa and al-Marwah; he smashed them and sent his Companions to smash the idols outside Makkah.[An-Najm 53:19-20] He did not say to leave them as relics, but rather he ordered their destruction. Even the people of al-Ta'if asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to give them time to destroy al-Lat.
A short respite, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) refused. He refused to give them time and ordered the destruction of al-Lat, sending Abu Sufyan and al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah to it, and they demolished it. He did not give them time. This indicates that it is not permissible to display idols, but rather they must be destroyed, let alone researching them and showing them to people, yes.
May Allah reward you. Your Eminence, the father, the questioner says: One of the Islamic channels aired films about excavations of ancient artifacts. Yes, he says, may Allah reward you. One of the Islamic channels aired films about excavations of ancient artifacts in several Islamic countries. So what is the ruling on this action? Is it a revival of the relics of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance?
The Shaykh:
A list of what?
The questioner:
(peace and blessings be upon him) on one of the Islamic channels airing films about excavations of ancient artifacts in several Islamic countries, what is the ruling on this action? Is it a revival of the relics of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance?
The Shaykh:
If it includes displaying idols and objects of worship other than Allah, yes, this is a revival of matters of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. But if it is merely buildings, or merely wells, or things that are not worshipped other than Allah, the matter in this is easy, yes. However, it should be for the sake of taking a lesson, not merely for information or admiration of their civilization or their power, yes.
The presenter:
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
As for idols, it is not permissible to research them, nor to bring them out, nor to broadcast them on satellite channels or elsewhere, because this is a revival of idols, and perhaps—or it is certain that some people will be inclined toward them and be affected by them—so this becomes a call to shirk (associating partners with Allah) and a means to shirk. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered Makkah, he smashed the idols on the Ka'bah and those on al-Safa and al-Marwah; he smashed them and sent his Companions to smash the idols outside Makkah.
al-Lat and al-'Uzza? (20) And Manat, the third - the other one?
اللَّاتَ وَالْعُزَّىٰ وَمَنَاةَ الثَّالِثَةَ الْأُخْرَىٰA short respite, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) refused. He refused to give them time and ordered the destruction of al-Lat, sending Abu Sufyan and al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah to it, and they demolished it. He did not give them time. This indicates that it is not permissible to display idols, but rather they must be destroyed, let alone researching them and showing them to people, yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [107] حكم عرض أفلام للآثار القديمة - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.