A young man who enjoys writing novels and stories on social topics: What is the ruling on writing these novels and taking money for them as honorary prizes in
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The questioner : The first question in his message says: I am a young man who enjoys writing, and I engage in writing novels, plays, and stories about good social topics from my imagination and visualization. And I am asking about the ruling on writing these novels and stories and receiving money for them as honorary prizes in competitions, or practicing them as a profession to seek a livelihood? Yes.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. These matters that you visualize in your mind and then write about are not free from being either for treating a disease that has befallen people so that Allah may save them from it through such visualizations that you create, or for depicting matters that are not permissible in the Shari'ah. If it is a depiction of matters that are not permissible in the Shari'ah, then this is forbidden and is not permissible under any circumstances, including the cooperation in sin and transgression that it entails. And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2].
As for if it is for treating a disease that has befallen people, perhaps Allah may save them from it through it, then there is nothing wrong with it, on the condition that you present it in a way that indicates it is not real, and that you make it examples that you strike so that people may take lessons from these examples. But if you narrate it as if it were a real matter and a true story, while it is only in the imagination, then this is not permissible because of the lying involved, and lying is forbidden. However, it is possible to narrate it as striking an example that clarifies the outcome and the end result for one who commits such a disease.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And taking that as a cause and means to seek a livelihood, there is nothing wrong with this if it is in treating worldly matters, because there is nothing wrong with seeking worldly matters with worldly knowledge. But if it is in religious matters, then religious matters are not permissible to be made a cause for earning and seeking money, because religious matters must be pure for Allah the Exalted and Glorified.
The questioner : Religious matters.
The Shaykh : Religious matters, yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They must be pure for Allah the Exalted and Glorified, due to His saying:[Hud 11:15-16].
And the conclusion is: These visualizations that you formulate in the form of stories, if they contain assistance in sin and transgression, then they are forbidden in all cases. And if they contain assistance in good and the benefit of people, then they are permissible on the condition that you formulate them in the form of exemplification, not in the form of a real matter, because they did not occur. And if you formulate them in the form of a real matter while they did not occur, that becomes lying. As for taking them as a means for material gain, if what you want is worldly reform and worldly benefit, then there is no harm, because there is nothing wrong with earning the world through the world. But if what you want is religious reform, then religious matters are not permissible for a person to make a means to the world, because religion is greater and more noble than being a means to what is lower than it.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The second question says.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. These matters that you visualize in your mind and then write about are not free from being either for treating a disease that has befallen people so that Allah may save them from it through such visualizations that you create, or for depicting matters that are not permissible in the Shari'ah. If it is a depiction of matters that are not permissible in the Shari'ah, then this is forbidden and is not permissible under any circumstances, including the cooperation in sin and transgression that it entails. And Allah the Exalted said:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وتعاونوا على البر والتقوى ولا تعاونوا على الإثم والعدوانAs for if it is for treating a disease that has befallen people, perhaps Allah may save them from it through it, then there is nothing wrong with it, on the condition that you present it in a way that indicates it is not real, and that you make it examples that you strike so that people may take lessons from these examples. But if you narrate it as if it were a real matter and a true story, while it is only in the imagination, then this is not permissible because of the lying involved, and lying is forbidden. However, it is possible to narrate it as striking an example that clarifies the outcome and the end result for one who commits such a disease.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And taking that as a cause and means to seek a livelihood, there is nothing wrong with this if it is in treating worldly matters, because there is nothing wrong with seeking worldly matters with worldly knowledge. But if it is in religious matters, then religious matters are not permissible to be made a cause for earning and seeking money, because religious matters must be pure for Allah the Exalted and Glorified.
The questioner : Religious matters.
The Shaykh : Religious matters, yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : They must be pure for Allah the Exalted and Glorified, due to His saying:
(15) Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived. (16) Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.
من كان يريد الحياة الدنيا وزينتها نوف إليهم أعمالهم فيها وهم فيها لا يبخسون أولئك الذين ليس لهم في الأخرة إلا النار وحبط ما صنعوا فيها وباطل ما كانوا يعملونAnd the conclusion is: These visualizations that you formulate in the form of stories, if they contain assistance in sin and transgression, then they are forbidden in all cases. And if they contain assistance in good and the benefit of people, then they are permissible on the condition that you formulate them in the form of exemplification, not in the form of a real matter, because they did not occur. And if you formulate them in the form of a real matter while they did not occur, that becomes lying. As for taking them as a means for material gain, if what you want is worldly reform and worldly benefit, then there is no harm, because there is nothing wrong with earning the world through the world. But if what you want is religious reform, then religious matters are not permissible for a person to make a means to the world, because religion is greater and more noble than being a means to what is lower than it.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The second question says.